70th Anniversary of Korean War: The Guns They Carried

Some 70 years ago this month, the first U.S. combat troops were rushed to the aid of embattled South Korea, beginning what is often referred to as the “Forgotten War.”

The Soviet- and Communist Chinese-allied North Korean forces invaded their neighbor to the south on what that dictatorship deemed the “Fatherland Liberation War” on June 25, 1950, crossing the 38th Parallel. By July 2, the initial U.S. troops, that of the ill-fated Task Force Smith, had landed in South Korea, flown in from nearby Japan. Within days they were involved in the Battle of Osan and for the next three years fought a see-saw campaign with, first the North Korean Army, and then upwards of 3 million Chinese “volunteers” who were supported by Soviet aid.

In all, more than 1.7 million U.S. troops would fight to keep South Korea free, with over 50,000 paying the highest price.

As the Korean War began a half-decade after the end of World War II, it is easy to just shrug and say that the U.S. Army and Marine troops who fought in the conflict were armed with the same gear they carried on D-Day and at Iwo Jima. Well, yes and no.

The M1 Garand, standard rifle of the U.S Army from 1937 and the Marines from 1942, continued to see front-line service in Korea. A gas-operated semi-auto chambered in .30-06, the Garand was fed by an 8-round en-bloc clip that was inserted into the action wholly, with the clip itself ejecting when the magazine was empty with a famous “ping.” Standard GI from Normandy to Okinawa, the Garand was heavy, at about 9.5-pounds, but reliable.

While Uncle Sam had millions of Garands on-hand after peace broke out in 1945, dwindling numbers resulted in new contracts issued during the Korean War to International Harvester and Harrington & Richardson to produce a further 1.5 million M1s.

Notably, both the Army and Marines shifted from M1903A4 bolt action sniper rifles, a staple of WWII, to accurized Garand precision rifles complete with side-mounted optics (to allow the clip to be top-loaded), cheek pads, and distinctive flash hiders. These guns, the M1C and M1D depending on scope mount and muzzle device, were largely unique to the Korean War as they were developed too late in WWII to see much service and saw only limited use in Vietnam.

Often seen in a supporting role in the conflict was the WWII “war baby” M1 Carbine. A smaller weapon than the M1 Garand, the little Carbine was chambered in a mid-sized .30-caliber round and used 15- and 30-round detachable magazines. A select-fire version, the M2, was also available although less frequently encountered.

One of the most interesting small arms fielded by the U.S. and their allies in the Korea War was the M3 Carbine, a select-fire M1 that was fitted with an infrared sniper scope, useful in night engagements.

When it came to submachine guns, the Korean War was in many ways the golden era of sub-gun conflict with U.S. forces, particularly tank crews, carrying the M3 Grease Gun while allied forces used a range of guns including Patchetts, Owens, and M1/M1928 Thompsons. On the other side, they faced off against Soviet-supplied PPsh-41 and PPS “burp guns” as well as Chinese-supplied select-fire Broomhandle Mausers and the occasional Tommy gun delivered to the old Chinese government via Lend-Lease in WWII.

The last line of personal defense when it came to firearms was the familiar GI .45, which had been with America’s fighting men since 1911, through two world wars.

The Allies

Make no mistake about the conflict, while the U.S. did a lot of the heavy lifting, the South Korean, or more appropriately, the Republic of Korean military provided the most boots on the ground in what was a brutal civil war in many cases. Likewise, they suffered enormous casualties, approaching 400,000 killed and missing. Formed in 1948 as a constabulary force with U.S. assistance, the ROK Army by the end of the Korean War stood nearly 600,000-strong and continues today to be one of the largest and best-equipped military forces in the world.

Over 21 countries contributed troops to the conflict to keep South Korea free, led by the British which had some 80,000 personnel who served on the Korean Peninsula. The typical British, Australian, and Canadian troops, as well as some European allies such as the Belgian battalion, showed up in Korea with WWII standards, such as the Enfield .303-caliber bolt-action magazine rifle, and BREN light machine gun.

Other allies such as Dutch, French, Ethiopian, Greek, and Turkish troops looked much like U.S. troops due to post-WWII military aid. Even the tiny country of Luxembourg did their part.

Today, the Korean War Veterans Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., dedicated in 1995, has 19 stainless steel statues representing U.S. troops from the Army, Marines, Navy, and Air Force. Rightfully, they are a mix of races and are portrayed with a variety of small arms including M1 Garands, M1 Carbines, BARs, and light machine guns.

Want to know more?

For more information on the Korean War, there are a number of free books and publications available through the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center as well as the Navy History and Heritage Command and the Marine Corps History Division. Additionally, the Army has set up a new commemorative website with photos and art as well as other documents related to the conflict. For those homeschooling or just curious about their knowledge of the Korean War, there is also a quiz.

If you are interested in history, head on over to our Military Classics section, where historic arms are just a click away. 

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