Buffalo Bill Center of the West

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Buffalo Bill Center of the West

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  • Visit
    • Current HoursDecember 1–February 29: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Thursday–Sunday
    • Hours & RatesPlan your visit to the Center of the West.
    • Group SalesWe welcome commercial group and bus tours.
    • Facility RentalsThe Center is the perfect place for your next event.
    • Visiting YellowstoneYour best stop on the way to or from Yellowstone.
    • LodgingSelect from a variety of local accommodations.
    • ItinerariesDiscover some quick day trips in and around Cody.
    • DirectionsFind driving directions and check road conditions.
    • StoriesFind your story among ours.
    • Calendar of EventsSee what events are happening during your visit here.
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    • Conservation InternshipsTraining for conservators from all over the world.
    • Pre-K ProgramsSet up a guided tour for your preschool class.
    • Field TripsInvestigate outdoor adventures for adults and children.
    • Highlights MapsDiscover collection highlights in each of our museum.
    • Games and InteractivesLearn about the collection through online interactives.
    • Lectures & FilmsPlan for future talks and view past program videos.
    • Western EssaysDelve into historical information on western topics.
  • Shop
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    • Clothing and Accessories
    • Gifts
    • Native American Replicas
    • Fine Art
    • Quality Leather
    • Native American Jewelry
    • Navajo Rugs
    • Pottery
    • Prints
    • Media
    • Baskets
  • Research
    • McCracken Research LibraryFind books, photos, archives, media, and more.Buffalo Bill Center of the West
    • Digital CollectionsExplore our extensive photo and manuscript collections.
    • Archival Collection List and Finding GuidesBrowse inventories of archival collections.
    • The Papers of William F. CodyDiscover scholarship on the man and the myth.
    • Fellowship ProgramContribute to new scholarship using Center collections.
    • Buffalo BillUncover in-depth information about William F. Cody.
    • Greater Yellowstone Natural HistoryLearn more about the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
    • Western ArtDelve into the lives and works of western artists.
    • Plains IndianDiscover more about Plains Indian tribes and collections.
    • FirearmsFind a firearms bibliography, glossary, and more.
    • ConservationFind out how we preserve Center collections.
    • Rights and ReproductionsLicense or reproduce images from our collections.
  • Support
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    • Patrons BallAttend our annual gala fundraiser.
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    • VolunteerSupport the Center with your time and talent.
    • Our next raffle car: a 1967 Pontiac GTOBuy your tickets online for this amazing prize!
    • Give TodayMake a donation to programs and operations.
    • Why I SupportSee what motivates donors to give to the Center.
    • We have a winner for the car raffle for 2019Winner: from Lusk, Wyoming, with ticket #0553
    • Raptor ExperienceHelp provide care for our avian friends.
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Home > Reporting from the Center of the West > Museum Minute: Japanese Attempted To Reengineer American Semi-automatic During World War II

Museum Minute: Japanese Attempted To Reengineer American Semi-automatic During World War II

March 14, 2019 by Kamila Kudelska

During World War II, the U.S. Army was one of the first armies to adopt a semi-automatic rifle as its standard infantry arm. This was a big deal because during the war, most countries were still fighting with bolt action rifles, which are slower and don’t have quite as much fire power.

The M1 Garand rifle was the U.S.’s service rifle. The Japanese attempted reengineer this rifle. Credit: Wikipedia.

The only other country that was able to adopt semi-automatic rifles on a large scale was the Soviet Union. But Danny Michael, the assistant curator of the Cody Firearms Museum, said Japan did attempt to produce semi-automatic rifles.

 

“The Japanese had experimented with semi-automatic rifles, but they are more expensive to make and design,” said Michael. “They never really progressed in that project until they captured U.S. rifles during the Pacific Campaign.”

 

During the Pacific Campaign, the Japanese captured the M1 Garand rifle, which was the U.S.’s service rifle, and they attempted to reengineer the guns.

 

“They took captured American rifles back to their arsenals in Japan, examined them and tried to rebuild them and adopt them for their own ammunition,” said Michael.

 

The project was not successful. The Japanese built in between 100 to 200 of these rifles, but they didn’t work well.

 

“At the end of the war, the U.S. troops when they occupied Japan and the arsenals, [they] captured these rifles and a few were picked up by G.I.s and brought stateside,” said Michael.

The Japanese guns are rare, but the Cody Firearms Museum has one in its collection.

 

Museum Minute is a series co-produced with Wyoming Public Media (WPM).  A new minute can be heard every Thursday morning at 6:49 a.m. on WPM.

Filed Under: Cody Firearms Museum, Reporting from the Center of the West
Tagged With: Japanese, M1 garand rifle, semi-automatic, World War II

 

About Kamila Kudelska

Kamila Kudelska is the multimedia journalist for the Center and for Wyoming Public Media. She tells the hidden stories of all five museums. And reports on the news of northwest Wyoming. Kamila has worked as a public radio reporter in California, Poland and New York. She enjoys skiing (both downhill and crosscountry) and loves to read.

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