My Visit to Springfield Armory National Historic Site in Springfield, Mass

[D.B. Cooper]

While visiting family in New England, my son and I took time to visit Springfield Armory National Historic Site (the REAL Springfield Armory). This was something of a pilgrimage for me as I own an M1 Garand made there in 1945. This trip completed something of a trilogy for me, as I have already been to the Harper's Ferry Armory in WV and to the Cody Firearms Museum in WY.

I'm not real adept at posting photos, (my students say I'm known as the teacher who doesn't do technology) and there appears to be limits on how many can be posted at one time, so bear with me as add photos and comments to this thread.



They call this the "Organ of muskets." The building in which the Historic Site is now housed (only one of many buildings that were once part of Springfield Armory) was more of an arsenal than an armory-meaning it was solely used for storage of completed guns.The entire building, all three stories, would have been full of racks like this containing whatever was the then-current issue rifle. These are all original Springfields from the Civil War era.

On a side note, many of the buildings are now part of Springfield Technical College, but the state of Massachusetts tore down quite a few, and others were sold to private industry. (The former foundry building is now an Ace Hardware store.) One of the buildings is now a Mass. State Police station. The college's new buildings all have a red brick facade to try to maintain a similar look.






Springfield Armory NHS. At one time, you could see the flag from all over the city. (It sits up on a hill.) I could still see it from hotel window. About 5 miles away.


They sell flags that flew over the Armory (like you see at local schools: "This flag flew over Baghdad," etc.) for $80.


I thought some of you might find this amusing: there are no firearms allowed at the Springfield Armory. (You can cut the irony with a lightsabre.)

 

[D.B. Cooper]

My family has just informed me that my presence is needed elsewhere at the moment. I had planned to do this all at once, in several successive posts, but I'll have to finish this later in the day. I took over a hundred photos, but I've culled that down to about 30 to post here. So check back later. (Sorry.)

 

[bannockburn]

D.B. Cooper

Like what I have seen so far! Eagerly await your return and more posts with photos!

 

[jonnyc]

"my students say I'm known as the teacher who doesn't do technology"
Me too!!!!!! They give me such crap over my flip-phone, and I still show videos!

Anyway, to my main point. I grew up in Springfield and used to go to the Armory Museum when my dad went to GE (who occupied most of the original buildings) to buy scrap metal. He would drop me off at the museum, which was at that time run by Armory retirees, while he went to supervise the loading of the trucks. I was pre-10 years old during this time (early/mid 1960s) and little at the museum was locked away or under glass. There were crew-served weapons to climb on, guns to handle and manipulate, casks of 1911s to roll around, etc. None of the Tom-Foolery now that it's federal.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

I can't quite get these in the order I want, but one end of the building is all machine and tooling equipment that showcase the evolution of the manufacturing process. The other end is all guns.

This is a "modern" version of the Blanchard lathe which was used to replicate wood gunstocks from a steel original. Someone later took the idea and used it to invent a machine that reproduces house keys. (That should give you an idea of how it works.) This one is made mostly from steel and was "updated" to run on electricity.


An original Blanchard Lathe, made mostly from wood. This one was originally powered by a water wheel and, later, by steam power.


Partially finished stock, probably for a flintlock, on the Blanchard lather. (Essentially, this is the backside of the photo above.)


Lathe for cutting rifling into barrels.



Barrel straightening machine. I'm not sure how this works, but that's an M1 Garand barrel clamped into it. (I guess it also could be an M14 barrel.)

 

[D.B. Cooper]

All of the various stages of the forging process to make an M1 Rifle trigger group from bar stock steel. Starts out top, left as a steel bar, then hammer forged into the various pieces. (This is a hammer on the left, and a trigger guard on the right.)




The M1 was the first Springfield Armory rifle that had all parts machine made (no hand fitting). That required new machines and tooling. These are all of the cutting bits required to machine an M1 receiver from a solid block of steel.


M1 Rifle stock in various stages of production, from wood blank to finished product. Made on a Blanchard Lathe.


Flintlock stock and all of the hand tools required to carve it from a wood blank.


M1 Rifle rear sight aperture manufacturing process. Start top left with a steel ring, sliced from a steel tube. Moving right to left, then top to bottom, forge the tabs into the inside of the ring, then cut grooves and gear teeth into the outside of the ring. The tabs become the aperture and the teeth become part of the elevation adjustment. Then cut the ring into 8 different rear sights.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

All of the various stages of the forging process to make an M1 Rifle trigger group from bar stock steel. Starts out top, left as a steel bar, then hammer forged into the various pieces. (This is a hammer on the left, and a trigger guard on the right.)


View attachment 793473

The M1 was the first Springfield Armory rifle that had all parts machine made (no hand fitting). That required new machines and tooling. These are all of the cutting bits required to machine an M1 receiver from a solid block of steel.
View attachment 793474

M1 Rifle stock in various stages of production, from wood blank to finished product. Made on a Blanchard Lathe.
View attachment 793475

Flintlock stock and all of the hand tools required to carve it from a wood blank.
View attachment 793476

M1 Rifle rear sight aperture manufacturing process. Start top left with a steel ring, sliced from a steel tube. Moving right to left, then top to bottom, forge the tabs into the inside of the ring, then cut grooves and gear teeth into the outside of the ring. The tabs become the aperture and the teeth become part of the elevation adjustment. Then cut the ring into 8 different rear sights.
View attachment 793477 View attachment 793478

Wow, clever!

 

[D.B. Cooper]

Springfield Armory employed a lot of women during the World Wars. I forget the production numbers but it was in the thousands of rifles per day during the Second World War.



National Match variants.


This is a display of guns that were accidentally damaged. The top one, with the curved barrel and bayonet, was stuck by lightning while a soldier was on sentry duty. The bottom two were shot by other guns in battle.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

Various experimental versions of M1 rifle receivers.





Various R&D versions of M1 Rifles.



M1 Garand rifle, serial number one. The first M1 rifle to be fully machine manufactured. (Previous guns were hand made to various degrees.) The first 80 rifles (s/n 1 - s/n 80) were used in testing and never issued. S/N 81 was the first to be issued. (They have that on in the Armory as well.)


Memorial bust of John C. Garand. Donated by the Garand Collector's club


The gun side of the museum is laid out such that you walk from one end to the other in a sort of chronological circuit. At this point, you're almost through the display of guns. (I took a lot of photos, but I haven't posted them here. I didn't want to "flood" the thread.) So, it's at this point that the displays begin to illustrate the shift from the M1 to the M14. Beyond this point, it's mostly about Colt and the M16, so I just skipped on through.

Evolution of M1 to M14.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

As you can tell by now, and I apologize, I was primarily focused on the M1 Garand. However, they have a lot of other stuff, including some non Springfield Armory stuff. They had and entire section of captured WW I guns. They had "contract muskets" which are copies of Springfield Armory guns made by other companies during the Civil War. They had guns from Allied armies. And an "evolution of the handgun" display.


This is a Springfield 1903 rifle modified by Pederson to fire 30 cal handgun bullets in semi-automatic fire.



Colt Aircrewman. Very rare.


Liberator pistol.


Next on my list to buy, if I don't get drawn for a 1911 through CMP. M1917 revolver. Although, I prefer the Colt variant.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

At any rate, it was a great trip. Totally worth the two extra days out of my 2 week trip. The staff were great. Very knowledgeable. (One of them just transferred in from Voyageurs National Park, and she and I spent like 15 minutes talking in French. Turns out she and I were both Civil War reenactors in our teenage years.) I spent like 80 bucks on souvenirs (and that was after putting a few things back.) Also, while we were there, an old man came in, said he had been stationed at the Armory in the 50s, and donated a uniform patch to the collection. So that was pretty cool. My teenage son most enjoyed the machinery (some of it was rigged to turn by electric motor, so you could visualize the operation.)

Springfield National Historic Site is about a 3 hour drive from Boston Logan Airport, so, if you're ever in Boston for a few days, it is totallyworth your effort and expense to rent a car for the day and drive out there.

 

[bannockburn]

D.B. Cooper

First off thanks for all the great photos and descriptions! I also like to see how guns were made, not only today but "way back in olden times" too! Enjoyed seeing the development of the M1 Garand and all the various experimental versions it went through before arriving at the final rifle design.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

This is a Springfield 1903 rifle modified by Pederson to fire 30 cal handgun bullets in semi-automatic fire.

Neato! Here's my M1903Mk1:
.....just wish I had a Pedersen device to go with it, lol!

Did they happen to have one of the .45acp M1903 there? These were a rather silly attempt to reuse the "low-numbered" single-heat treated rifles due to their unpredictably brittle receivers.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

Neato! Here's my M1903Mk1:
View attachment 793500 .....just wish I had a Petersen device to go with it, lol!

Did they happen to have one of the .45acp M1903 there? These were a rather silly attempt to reuse the "low-numbered" single-heat treated rifles due to their unpredictably brittle receivers.

I didn't see (nor have I ever heard of) anything like that.

 

[tark]

Fantastic pics!! I have to get there someday. There, and the NRA Museum, never been there either. Darn! I can't call myself a true American until I get off my duff and check out the place!!

 

[tark]

.....just wish I had a Petersen device to go with it, lol!

Rock Island Auction Company has one for sale every so often. I think they have one coming up soon. Got a spare $40,000 - 60,000 ?? It can be YOURS!!! LOL !

 

[bannockburn]

tark

You owe it to yourself to visit the NRA Museum someday. Excellent exhibits and many interesting and rare guns on display. And since you're already close by, you have to go to the National Museum of the Marine Corps located just outside Quantico in Triangle, Virginia. Truly life-like displays of great moments in Marine Corps history along with the weapons used in every war they have been in.

 

[Dudedog]

Thanks for the pics.
Very cool.
Looks like it would be neat to go there.
From looking at the signs, no hamburgers, no coffee, no smoking and no guns.
(got to watch out for those evil hamburgers)

 

[22250Rem]

This thread is fantastic........... Thanks for all the info and pictures. I'd love to see that place in person. It's what I call a real "national treasure".

 

[tark]

And don't forget the Buffalo Bill Museum at Cody, Wyoming. I HAVE been there and it is mind blowing.

I was interested to discover that the Army is the only branch of service without a National Museum. They are building one now. The Rock Island Arsenal Museum was raided a while back. We has hundreds of guns in the basement, not on display. I suspect a lot of them will end up there.

 

[bannockburn]

tark

Yeah it's about time the Army had it's own national museum! The Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio is awesome as is the Marine Corps Museum in Triangle, Virginia.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

And don't forget the Buffalo Bill Museum at Cody, Wyoming. I HAVE been there and it is mind blowing.

I've been there as well. Summer of 2011. Not sure what photos I have. Or where they are on my hard drive.

I was much less interested in the "Museum of the West" than I was in the Winchester collection. I'm a 3rd generation Winchester fanatic, and my uncle makes his entire living trading antique Winchesters. My grandfather fed my dad with a 30-30 during the Great Depression. I have a very modest collection, mostly family heirlooms. All but one are pre-64 and none are FN.

 

[Speedo66]

There is also a great arms museum at West Point, it's free and home to every army weapon and some other historical arms, including Indian captures. The place is huge, but you'd never know it from their website.

Here's their site: https://www.usma.edu/museum/sitepages/small weapons.aspx

 

[Glockula]

Very cool post. I am going to have to make a trip. Thanks DB cooper

 

[tark]

I've been there as well. Summer of 2011. Not sure what photos I have.

Remember that mind blowing "One of One Hundred" 76 Winchester in the "Engraved and Embellished " room?