Winchester model 30

Winchester model 30
Type	Semi-automatic rifle Automatic rifle^[1]
Place of origin	United States^[1]
Service history
Used by	(testing and field trials) United States Army United States Marine Corps^[1]
Production history
Designer	Jonathan E. Browning^[1]
Designed	1939-1945^[1]
Manufacturer	Winchester Repeating Arms^[1]
Specifications
Cartridge	.30-06 Springfield^[1]
Action	short-stroke piston^[1]

The Winchester Model 30 was an experimental self-loading rifle offered to the United States War Department as an alternative to the M1 Garand. Winchester Repeating Arms modified the design to a selective fire Winchester Automatic Rifle after military field trials favored the Garand. Development had not progressed beyond limited-production prototypes when official interest faded at the end of World War II.^[1]

History

Soon after adoption of the Garand, the Ordnance Department hired Winchester to evaluate the new M1 rifle. Winchester engineers believed the Garand required unnecessarily expensive manufacturing procedures which would make it impractical for mass production in times of emergency. Winchester then acquired production rights to a self-loading .30-06 Springfield rifle designed by John Browning's half-brother Jonathan E. Browning. Following the designer's death in 1939, Winchester modified the design to use David Marshall Williams' short-stroke piston later successful in the M1 carbine. The Ordnance Department tested the initial model G30 prototype at Aberdeen Proving Ground in September 1940.^[1]

G30M

The United States Marine Corps tested an improved prototype model G30M in comparison to the Garand and the M1941 Johnson rifle using the M1903 Springfield rifle as a control. The Marines evaluated the Winchester model G30M as the least satisfactory of the four rifles tested.^[1]

G30R

As the M1 carbine was entering production, Winchester provided Aberdeen Proving Grounds with an improved prototype model G30R reflecting short-stroke piston knowledge gained from the successful M1 carbine program. The model G30R was provided with detachable box magazines with capacities of 5, 10, 20 or 30 cartridges. The Ordnance Department designated the model G30R as the T10E1; but found it less satisfactory than the Garand.^[1]

Winchester Automatic Rifle

Since the Garand had demonstrated effectiveness as an infantry rifle in combat, the Ordnance Department suggested Winchester revise the design again to include a bipod and selective fire capability as a possible alternative to the M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR). The Winchester Automatic Rifle (WAR) tested by the Ordnance Department in December 1944 was several pounds lighter than the BAR. Ten more WARs were tested during the summer of 1945 by the Army Infantry Board and by the Marine Corps Equipment Board; but interest in the project ended upon conclusion of Second World War hostilities.^[1]

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Canfield, Bruce N. "Backing Another Horse" American Rifleman November 2013 pp.86-90&108

Winchester firearms and cartridges

Rifles

Lever-action	Henry rifle Model 1866 Model 1873 Model 1876 Model 1886 Model 1892 Model 1894 Model 1895 Model 53 Model 55 Model 64 Model 65 Model 71 Model 88 Model 150 Model 250 Model 255 Model 9422

Bolt-action	Model 1878 Hotchkiss Model 1895 Lee Navy Model 1900 Model 1902 Model 1904 Model 43 Model 47 Model 51 Imperial Model 52 Model 54 Model 56 Model 57 Model 58 Model 59 Model 60 Model 60A Model 67 Model 68 Model 69 Model 70 Model 72 Model 75 Model 121 Model 131 Model 141 Model 320 Model 325 Model 670 Model 770

Pump-action	Model 1890 Model 1906 Model 61 Model 62 Model 62A Model 270

Semi-automatic	Model 1903 Model 1905 Model 1907 Model 1910 Model 30 Model 63 Model 74 Model 77 Model 100 Model 190 Model 490

Full-automatic	Olin/Winchester FAL Model 1917

Falling-block action	Model 1885

Shotguns

Pump-action	Model 1893 Model 1897 Model 1912 Model 25 Model 42 Model 1200 Model 1300

Lever-action	Model 1887 Model 1901 Model 9410

Single-shot	Model 20 Model 36 Model 37 Model 37A Model 41

Double-barrel	Model 21 Model 24 Model 96 Model 101

Semi-automatic	Model 1911 SL Model 40 Model 50 Model 59 Model 1400 Model 1500 SX-1

Cartridges

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