With the world at war in the early 1900's, the U.S. Military was in desperate need of innovation to give them an edge on the battlefield. The Springfield Rifle Company satisfied that need by making the M1903 Springfield (Gun Review). This gun was the most technologically advanced gun of its time period (Gun Review). The M1903 is most famous for its use in the trenches during World War I. This rifle was the standard issue gun of the U.S. in WWI (Gun Review). It gave the United States an advantage of the axis powers and helped push them to a victory. Many of its features were brand new to those who were using it. The M1903 was bolt action fed by a five round magazine, and it was also lighter and more easily accessible than any other weapons at that time period (Jones). It featured a long distance sight for shooting targets far away, and it also had pointed bullets that drastically increased the damage done by it (Gun Review). As mentioned in the video below, WWI was lasting longer than anyone would have thought and it called for new innovation. The M1903 did just that, giving the United States the push it needed to become victorious.
Trench Warfare Video Link:
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/world-war-i-history/videos/trench-warfare
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/world-war-i-history/videos/trench-warfare
Work Cited:
- Jones, Brian. "10 Guns That Have Shaped The Course Of American History." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 26 June 2013. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.
- "Gun Review: M1903A3 Rifle." The Truth About Guns. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.