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Garand’s Bullpup

In late 1945 the US Army’s Light Rifle Program began its search for a new rifle weighing less than 7 lbs. The first of these designs was the T-25 developed by Earle Harvey with the backing of Colonel Rene Studler, the chief of
the Small Arms Division of the Office of the Chief of Ordnance. In 1946 two other designs began to be developed: the T-28, designed by Cyril A. Moore which used a German-inspired roller locking action and John Garand’s innovative but unorthodox T-31.

Garand was eager to maximise the length of the weapon’s barrel and decided to use a bullpup layout. While not weighing less than 7 lbs the T-31 was the lightest of the Light Rifle program weapons weighing 8.7 lbs. The rifle used a gas trap system, similar to Garand’s earlier designs, to cycle its action. Almost the full length of the barrel was shrouded by a gas cylinder. Once fired the propellant gases of an ignited round were directed down the cylinder to push a short stroke tappet piston which pushed the bolt rearward. 

image

Garand’s Concept drawing for the T-31 (source

While there are no diagrams of the rifle’s action available to show how enclosed the cylinder was early prototypes (namely the first and second made) have been described as using a Lewis Gun-like vacuum system where gases leaving the muzzle break were sucked back into the cylinder to the piston both cycling the weapon and helping to cool the barrel. While a later prototype has an entirely enclosed gas cylinder which had a gas port near the muzzle where the cylinder ends and a more conventional piston system. 

image

A display featuring a M1 Garand converted to chamber T65 ammunition and a T31 (source)

The problem with this system is the large amount of surface area the gases have to cool, condense and deposit carbon. This was the issue which doomed the early German semi-automatic rifles the G41(M) & G41(W) as well as the early gas trap M1 Garands. Following a 2,000 round test of the T-31 it was reported by testing officers that almost 1 pound of carbon was scrapped from the internal walls of the gas cylinder. This not only made the rifle heavier over time but would eventually prevent gas reaching the piston causing the rifle to fail to cycle.

The ergonomics of the T-31 prototype appear awkward with a large 20-round box magazine sitting just behind the pistol grip and in front of a large squared off rubberised butt stock. The rifles were 84cm or 33 inches in length and were fitted with adjustable folding sights, designed and patented by Garand but clearly influenced by those of the German FG-42. The in-line stock profile helped to reduce the recoil of the large T65 round.

image

Garand’s FG-42 inspired diopter sight, patented in 1950 (source)

In response to the problems of carbon fouling discovered in the gas cylinder of the early prototypes Garand developed a longer stroke gas piston system which tapped gas directly from the barrel to reduce fouling and improve reliability.

The rifle was select fire with the large muzzle break on the first two prototype rifles designed to mitigate blast and recoil. The T-31 had a cyclic rate of 600 rpm and fired from a closed bolt which some sources describe as a rotating bolt and was chambered in the ‘Lightweight Rifle Calibre .30′ round (T65) which evolved into 7.62x51mm. The 20-round box magazine was designed by Garand and was the only element of his design which would survive as it was later used in the successful T-44 rifle which became the M14.

Garand continued to work on the design until he retired in April 1953, at the age of 65, the T-31 design was never realised as a practical service rifle and the both Moore and Harvey’s rifles were also eventually abandoned in favour of the T-44. John Garand’s last rifle design was just ambitious and innovative as his early work, the T-31 was not only the lightest of the Light Rifle program’s three early rifles but it also attempted to combat the heavy recoil of the T65 cartridge, which while designed to be an intermediate cartridge was still too powerful. Garand died in February 1974 at the age of 86.

See also: John Garand’s .30 Calibre Carbine

Sources:

Images One Source

Image Two Source

Image Three Source

The Great Rifle Controversy, E. Ezell (1984)

US. Rifle Garand T31 ′Bullpup’ .30 (T65E1) SN #1, Springfield Armory, (source)

US. Rifle Garand T31 ′Bullpup’ .30 (T65E1) SN #2, Springfield Armory, (source)


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History Firearms History Military History Light Rifle Program John Garand Garand M1 Garand Bullpup rifle bullpup T31 bullpup T31 T-31 Garand M14 T24 T28 Cyril Moore Earle Harvey Rene Studler T65 7.62x51mm Prototypes prototype guns firearms design firearms development
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