The M1 Garand or M1 rifle is a semi-automatic rifle that was the service rifle of the U.S. Army during World War II and the Korean War.

The rifle is chambered for the .30-06 Springfield cartridge and is named after its Canadian-American designer, John Garand. It was the first standard-issue autoloading rifle for the United States. By most accounts, the M1 rifle performed well. General George S. Patton called it “the greatest battle implement ever devised”. The M1 replaced the (bolt-action) M1903 Springfield as the U.S. service rifle in 1936, and was itself replaced by the (selective-fire) M14 rifle on 26 March 1958.

Parkerizing is an electrochemical process that creates a protective iron-phosphate layer on the outer surface of steel. It protects the steel from corrosion & protects against wear. The resulting surface is irregular on a microscopic level. The Parkerizing process produces a grey matte finish that holds water-repelling lubricant. The overall result of protection against oxidation & wear makes it a superior process compared to bluing for protecting guns.