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The Pedersen Device was an optional attachment for the Springfield 1903 rifle that allowed it to fire a short 0.30 (7.62mm) caliber pistol-sized cartridge in semi-automatic mode. This wonder weapon was developed to allow infantry to dramatically increase their rate of fire while on the move during World War I, while also allowing the rifle to be used in conventional bolt action mode for long-range fire from the trenches. Production had just ramped up when the war ended, and the device remains a curious collectors item to this day. M1903A1 The Springfield 1903 rifle (military designation United States Rifle, Caliber . ...
Wonder weapons is the term given to very advanced weaponry whose design, production or deployment in the field of battle is impractical or ill timed. ...
Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ...
A bolt-action firearm is one that is manually operated (i. ...
History John Pedersen, a long time employee of Remington Arms, was aware that the US would be entering the war at some point. Concerned about the inability for troops to effectively fire on the run while attempting to cross "No Mans Land", he decided to start studying the problem of semi-automatic fire that would allow them to fire from the hip without stopping. However he also realized that there would be no way the Army would accept a totally new rifle design, as they were already struggling to produce enough Springfields, and were importing Ross rifles from Canada for training purposes. Remington Arms is a major American manufacturer of rifles, and shotguns, as well as other firearms and all-terrain vehicles. ...
The Ross rifle was a straight-pull bolt action . ...
This led him to the final design of his Device, which replaced the bolt of the standard Springfield with a longish device consisting of a complete firing mechanism and a small "barrel" for the small round. The mechanism was fed by a long 40-round magazine sticking out of the rifle to the top left, and could be reloaded by inserting a new magazine. New sights were provided at the rear of the Device. The system did require one modification to the rifle however, a hole had to be cut in the side of the bolt area to allow the ejection of spent rounds.
By 1917 his solution was perfected, and he travelled to Washington, DC to demonstrate it. After firing several rounds from what appeared to be an unmodified Springfield, he removed the standard bolt, inserted the Device, and fired several magazines at a very high rate of fire. The evaluation team was astounded, and an immediate secret classification was applied. To deceive the enemy, the Ordnance Department decided to call it The US Automatic Pistol, Caliber .30, Model of 1918. Plans were put into place to start production of modified Springfields, which became the US Rifle, Cal. .30, Model of M1903, Mark I. Promises were made to have 500,000 ready for the 1919 Spring Offensive. Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United...
Production Production of the Device started in 1918, along with the modified rifle that December, after the war had ended. Production continued until 1920 however, allowing the US to put the system into service if the need arose. Each device was shipped with a container allowing it to be safely carried when not in use, as well as a pouch holding five magazines. In total the Device added a whopping 14 pounds to the infantry's standard load, although this was considered to be well worth it at the time.
Post-war After the war the semi-automatic concept started to gain currency in the Army. By the late 1920s several experiments with rifles designed from the outset to be semi-automatic were underway, including a Pedersen design firing a new .276 (7mm) rifle cartridge. However the round was dismissed by the Army, who considered it to be underpowered in comparison to the existing .30-06, and personal intervention by Douglas McArthur forbade its use. Meanwhile John Garand had also developed a semi-auto rifle firing the .276 Pedersen cartridge, and in response to McArthur's complaints he re-chambered it for the standard .30-06 round from the Springfield, and the result became the M1 Garand. The Garand was so successful that the stored Devices were declared surplus in 1931, five years before the Garand had even started serial production, while the modified Mark I rifles were reissued with standard M1903 and M1903A1 Springfields. MacArthur landing at Leyte Beach in 1944. ...
M1 Garand battle rifle The M1 Garand (more formally the United States Rifle, .30 Caliber, M1) was the first semi-automatic rifle to be put in active military service. ...
More on John Pedersen John Pederson also developed such market successes as the Ithaca 37 shotgun and Remington 51 pistol. // Description The Ithaca 37 is a pump-action shotgun made in large numbers for the civilian, military, and police markets. ...
Remington Model 51 Pistol A small pocket pistol of the early 20th century. ...
See also M1903A1 The Springfield 1903 rifle (military designation United States Rifle, Caliber . ...
Remington Model 51 Pistol A small pocket pistol of the early 20th century. ...
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