Mike Irwin
Staff
"Otherwise the M1 Garand would have been a 10 shot 7mm--which, by the way, would have likely had just about zero impact on the outcome of the war since it was won primarily by superior manpower, massively superior production volume capabilities, air power and ultimately nuclear weapons in the Pacific."
Actually the most likely scenario would have been that the United States would have gone to war not with a Garand in any caliber, with with the M1903 rifle.
Had the cartridge switch-over been greenlighted by MacArthur -- in the middle of the Great Depression -- it's virtually certain that the whole project would have been rejected by Congress due to overall cost consideration.
Overall it might not have had much effect on the outcome of the war, but it likely would have had a lot of negative consequences in the Pacific War where the Garand's firepower proved its value numerous times during massed Japanese attacks.
Actually the most likely scenario would have been that the United States would have gone to war not with a Garand in any caliber, with with the M1903 rifle.
Had the cartridge switch-over been greenlighted by MacArthur -- in the middle of the Great Depression -- it's virtually certain that the whole project would have been rejected by Congress due to overall cost consideration.
Overall it might not have had much effect on the outcome of the war, but it likely would have had a lot of negative consequences in the Pacific War where the Garand's firepower proved its value numerous times during massed Japanese attacks.