The Last Garand—The T-31 Prototypethe T-31 Garand was the last design of gun designer John
The Last Garand—The T-31 Prototypethe T-31 Garand was the last design of gun designer John Garand, famous for the legendary M-1 Garand. Believe it or not his last design was a bullpup rifle. It was chambered for .30-06 and could fire at a rate of 600 rounds per minute. What is most interesting about it was its gas recoil system. The front of the barrel is shrouded by a gas tube. When fired a muzzle brake directed gas into the tube which created a shockwave that traveled down the length of the barrel, actuating a piston which worked the bolt. This design was similar to the Bang system utilized in the 1920′s and 30′s, as well as the one of Garand’s own designs, the gas trap Garand. Unfortunately the gas system was fragile and any amount of dirt or gunpowder residue in the gas tube could cause malfunctions.John Garand intended to perfect his design, but retired in 1953. The T-31 project was ended shortly thereafter. The T-31 Prototype can be found on display at the Springfield Army National Historic Site in Springfield, MA. -- source link
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