torso commission☆☆☆☆








Recent Recap
For once it hasn’t been too long since the last recap, roughly a month, but a lot of ground has been covered from more early breechloaders through to experimental squeezebore ammunition. Other posts include a look at the Colt Model 1971, the Norwegian Krag rifles made for the Nazis during World War Two and a look at the Schwarzlose Model 1898, a pistol years ahead of its time.
Other non-firearms posts have looked at the history and origins of the Victoria Cross, Hardit Malik - the first Indian fighter pilot and lots of quotes of the day.
The Historical Firearms Book Club will be returning this month. With reviews of some of the books I’ve been reading lately and also hopefully reviews from you guys too. I’m hoping to post around 26th February so if you’d like to submit a short review of a book you’ve read recently please do. More info about that here.
In other news the Patreon page now has some physical rewards outside of the monthly hi-res desktop backgrounds. There are now bookmarks and keyrings available. More on that here.
Thanks again for following and reading the blog. Thanks for your support, much more to come and some new projects in the offing! if you have any questions, suggestions feel free to send me a message here.
Firearms:
- Northwood R-76
- German Mosin-Nagants
- The Nazi Krag
- Faucon ‘Balanced’ Rifle
- Melior Model 1920
- Colt Salvo Squeeze Bore
- Poppenburg’s 1865 Needle-Fire Breech Loading Rifle
- Colt Model 1971
- Benson-Poppenburg Breechloader
- Slow Motion Footage From The Royal Armouries
- Schwarzlose Model 1898 Pistol
- Smith & Wesson Model 1940 Light Rifle
- Vollmer M35
Historical Trivia:
- The First Indian Fighter Pilot: Hardit Malik
- William Scurry’s Drip Rifle & The Evacuation of Gallipoli
- Rubber For Binoculars
Miscellaneous History:
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The T35 Side-Loading Garand
In 1951/52 Springfield Armory began experimenting with rechambering the M1 Garand in the new T65E3 (light rifle) cartridge. As part of these experiments several alternate feed and magazine systems were also tested. In order to rechamber a standard M1 in the new cartridge the barrel was replaced and a machined aluminum filler block was placed in the breech to compensate for the shorter length of the new cartridge.
Roy S. Sanford & Company of Oakville, Connecticut were contracted by the Springfield Armory to develop a 10-round integral side loading magazine for the M1 Garand chambered in the T65E3 round then under testing. The magazine was to be an integral precision made part of the rifle which could be reloaded using an inexpensive clip. Differing from the standard M1 the new system was to allow the topping off of the magazine.
The Sanford Integral Magazine was developed by Roy S. Sanford a prolific engineer who also patented a number of belt-feed systems. At least two testbed T35 Garands were adapted to fit the new side magazine. This saw a number of changes including the vertical alignment of the charging handle and the addition of a large hump on the fore stock to provide a place for the large magazine housing which jutted out of the rifle’s receiver (see image below).

A T35 with a 5-round clip partially inserted into a Sanford side-loading magazine (source)
Sanford’s magazine could hold 10 rounds, however, the system was complex requiring a follower, partition assembly, and a last round feeder to function. The partition assembly was made up of six small pieces which attached to the follower; all of which was raised by the follower arm as the magazine was expended. Sanford & Company’s final report on the magazine system, published in December 1953, explained how the magazine worked:
‘The ten round magazine, in effect, is a single row of rounds folded on itself. Feed is provided by spring loading the return bend to move the rounds toward the gun. A partition is required to separate the stationary side. This partition must also permit “turn around” at the bend. The replenishing of the magazine is accomplished at the fixed end of the row.’
This system can be seen in image #6 above. Sheet metal was used to minimise the additional weight caused by the magazine. The first model was loaded from left-side while the second model loaded from the right (see images). The second model was built from a partially completed receiver to allow the second model to load from the left and allowed the magazine orientation to be cut from 30 degrees to 15 degrees which improved the rifle’s appearance and handling according to Sanford. This however, undermined the possibility of retrofitting existing M1s to use the new system.

An alternate T35 with a Johnson rotary magazine, manufactured by Olin Industries c.1954 (source)
Another side loading integral magazine was tested, a derivative of Melvin Johnson’s rotary magazine. This was built by Olin Industries in 1952/53 and was tested in April 1954. It was reported that converting existing M1 Garands to use the rotary magazine would have been “exceedingly difficult and probably impractical.”
The Sanford Integral Magazine rifle was tested at the Springfield Armory at the beginning of 1954 with a total of 313 rounds fire. During the 100 round function test the rifle was found to be difficult to load with clips. There were also concerns about the rigidity of the stock (see image #2). While the weapon was said to have functioned satisfactorily the final report published in August 1954 deemed that the magazine system had several undesirable features which made it unacceptable. As a result it was decided that the side-loading integral magazine was not militarily suitable.
Sources:
RIFLE, MILITARY - U.S. RIFLE T35 WITH SANFORD INTEGRAL MAGAZINE .30 (T65E3) [source]
RIFLE, MILITARY - U.S. RIFLE T35 WITH OLIN SIDE-LOADING MAGAZINE .30 (T65E3) [source]
RIFLE, MILITARY - U.S. RIFLE T35 WITH OLIN ROTARY TYPE MAGAZINE .30 (T65E3) [source]
Design & Development of Integral Side-Loading Magazine (Contract No. DA-19-059-ORD-834), Final Report December 1953, Roy S. Sanford & Co [source]
Improved Version M1 Rifle with Side loading Magazine, Final Narrative Summary Report. Olin Industries, Inc. April 1954 [source]
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