Technical question about WW2 US weapons

[Jean-Loup]

I found a bunch of spent US bullets yesterday and would like to know what weapons they were fired by. So can anyone tell me how many spirals (I dont knoww the technical name) there are and what direction they turn in in the:
-Garand
-Browning 30 cal
-BAR
-Johnson machine gun (used by FSSF)

Does anyone know why there is a mixture of short bullets with the lead visible at the back, and long bullets with the back closed by copper?

JL

[Jean-Loup]

Come on guys. Can you at least tell me about the garand and 30 cal mg? I tried a google search but didnt manage to find this info.
JL

[Brian George]

JL,

US .30 caliber barrels are four groove with a right hand twist. IIRC, the M-1, M1903, BAR, and 1917/1919 series MG all share the same specs. I don't know about the Johnson. Oh, and some M1903 barrels are two groove.

Could you post pictures of the fired projectiles?

Brian

[James Purnell]

It should also be mentioned that some Smith Corona 1903 A3 rifles had barrels with 6 groove rifling. Replacement barrels marked JA for the M1917 rifle were also 2 groove. Correct me if I am wrong but I believe the JA stood for Johnson Automatics. Whether the rifles or machine guns produced by this firm were also 2 groove, I don't know.

Jim

[Jean-Loup]

I looked at the bullets. There are two main weapons that fired them about equaly. There are some with 4 thin grooves to the right, and the rest have five large grooves to the left. Any ideas what the five groves to the left could be from?

JL

[Jean-Loup]

Here are two bullet splinters that were responsible for the deaths of German soldiers. I found them on a grave site several years after the bodies of the soldiers were exhumed. The bullet with visible grooves has four to the right.

JL

[James Purnell]

US Model 1917 Enfield rifles were manufactured with barrels with 5 groove left hand 1 in 10 twist rifling. As I mentioned previously, some replacement barrels will be 2 groove. I would think it's possible that 4 groove replacement barrels were also manufactured.


Jim

I looked at the bullets. There are two main weapons that fired them about equaly. There are some with 4 thin grooves to the right, and the rest have five large grooves to the left. Any ideas what the five groves to the left could be from?

JL

[Johnnie]

The only U.S. small arm issued with left hand rifling twist, (I am pretty sure) was the M-1911 and M-1911a1 .45 cal. pistols. All other U.S. small arms used right hand twist. James post on Enfields having LH twist is a new one on me, but I could be mistaken. The one I used to own had RH twist. All of my references are back in the States.
Johnnie

I looked at the bullets. There are two main weapons that fired them about equaly. There are some with 4 thin grooves to the right, and the rest have five large grooves to the left. Any ideas what the five groves to the left could be from?

JL

[Jean-Loup]

Its starnge that I found so many with left hand twists then... Maybe the french fired US ammo in another type of rifle after the war.

JL

[Johnnie]

Jean Loup,

I could also be wrong. It can also be possible that both RH and LH barrels were made by subcontractors for the 1917 Enfield. Many of these rifles were rebuilt before being re-issued as substitute standard. I DO know that a lot of them were used to equip Free French forces in England before the Normandy invasion.
Interesting topic. Keep hunting,
Regards,
Johnnie

Its starnge that I found so many with left hand twists then... Maybe the french fired US ammo in another type of rifle after the war.

JL