At the end of World War II, the United States was left with a monstrous amount of a variety of military equipment. The reduction of the army to the requirements of peacetime led to the release of the material part, which had to be put somewhere. The army sold or simply distributed property to the allies, put it into processing or sent it to storage. Specially for the long-term storage of small arms of existing models, special containers have been developed at the Springfield Arsenal.
In 1945, the American command reasonably decided that in the future, the reduced army would not need most of the available small arms, and this property should not take up space in warehouses. On the other hand, everyone was waiting for the start of a new war, and weapons might be needed at any moment. In this regard, the Springfield Arsenal received a special assignment. He had to develop a new way of long-term storage of temporarily unnecessary small arms. This method was supposed to ensure the storage of weapons without any maintenance, but with the possibility of returning it to service as quickly as possible.
Rifle container
The task was solved in 1946-47. Arsenal has developed special metal containers suitable for storing multiple weapons. At their core, these were the usual oversized cans. Due to the different internal equipment, such containers could be used with weapons of all major types. The containers and internal inserts were of the simplest design, but their preparation for storage was notoriously difficult. But the fulfillment of all the instructions made it possible to store the weapon for many years.
Container and its contents
The Springfield Arsenal container was a metal barrel of predetermined dimensions. So, the container for M1 Garand rifles had a height of 47 inches (1.2 m) and a diameter of 15.875 inches (403 mm). For pistols, less tall "banks" were intended, and machine guns were proposed to be stored in long and narrow containers.
Rifle container and contents. The photo on the left shows the holding device and the "tin can" itself
The cylindrical wall of the container was made by stamping from a metal sheet and welded along the joint; it had transverse stiffeners. The sides for the covers were provided at the ends. The covers were also stamped and had to be welded to the wall. New products were proposed to be made of steel or aluminum sheet. Aluminum containers were intended for heavy machine guns, steel containers for other weapons.
A holding device for the weapon should have been installed inside the container. There were several types of such devices designed for different "cargo". The simplest was the device for rifles or carbines. It consisted of two metal discs connected by a vertical bar. On the latter, two figured holders with slots for installing weapons were fixed. Such a restraint was also complemented by several straps that encircled the load from the outside.
Split layout of a container with a machine gun M2
A device of this type could be used with M1 Garand rifles and products of the M1 Carbine family, as well as with M1918 automatic rifles. Self-loading rifles and carbines, characterized by a small section, were placed in a container in the amount of ten pieces. Half was mounted on holders vertically with the barrel up, five more units were placed with the muzzle down. Then they were covered with a pair of belts. The larger BAR rifles were stored five at a time, all in the same position. Along with the weapon, all the necessary supplies should be placed in the containers.
The M2 heavy machine gun, for obvious reasons, completely occupied one container. Before packing, the barrel had to be removed from it, after which the disassembled weapon was fixed in a special holding system based on disc-clips. The machine gun, if available, was stored separately.
An interesting holding device was developed for storing M1911 pistols. In this case, 10 stamped disks were sequentially placed inside the container, each of which had a figured cradle for two pistols and two magazines (two more were in the weapon grips). Pistols and magazines were placed as close as possible and fit into the cross-section of the container. The Colts container held 10 discs: 20 pistols and 40 magazines. The empty space in the center of the container, between the pistols, could be filled with various accessories.
Canned Colt M1911 pistols
A special device has been developed to open containers. The unit, weighing almost 14 kg, was an enlarged version of a household can opener with a rotating wheel. A manual drive was used with a transmission on two rotating wheels. The knife was strong enough to cut container lids. The "opener" could be used portable or installed on any platform.
Conservation process
Before conservation, small arms should be cleaned with any approved solvent. It then needed to be coated with AXS-1759, a protective compound that prevents corrosion. The film of the anti-corrosion composition made it possible to protect metal parts, as well as to simplify and speed up the de-preservation process. After that, the weapon should be coated with a preservative lubricant.
During the tests. The container is dented but remains tight
Prepared weapons were mounted on holders and, if necessary, secured with belts. Also, magazines, standard carrying belts and other accessories were fixed on the holding devices. The container also contained and rigidly held metal cans filled with several pounds of silica gel to remove moisture from the air. The holding device with the weapon was placed in the container in the required position and practically without gaps. The movement of the device and weapons was excluded for the safety of the contents.
Then the top cover was fixed in place by means of oxygen-acetylene welding. After installing the cover, the tightness was checked. For this, the container was placed in water at 180 ° F (82 ° C). The hot water caused the air in the container to expand and create excess pressure. Poor welding showed itself as bubbles. The container was boiled again if necessary.
Test result of one of the containers. A can of silica gel is torn off (right), one of the rifles is damaged
Then the painting was carried out, also intended to protect the container and weapons. The surface of the container was steam degreased, then phosphated and dried. After that, the steel containers were painted. Two layers of olive-colored enamel were applied to them. Each layer was baked with infrared lamps for 5 minutes, after which it was cooled for 10 minutes. This heating and cooling regime made it possible to exclude overheating of the contents and the creation of pressure that could break through the welded seams. The aluminum containers remained unpainted. Upon completion of the processing, information about the contents, place and date of packaging, etc., was applied on the side surface using stencils.
Tests and series
In 1947, the Springfield Arsenal produced an experimental batch of containers for comprehensive testing. We tested products with internal inserts for different weapons. The containers were tested with rifles, pistols and machine guns, which made it possible to study their properties in all conditions.
The filled containers were shaken to simulate loading and unloading operations. They were dropped from a height of 4 feet (1.2 m) at different angles on different surfaces, and also subjected to other external influences. Also, the containers were placed in a pressure chamber and the pressure was lowered, simulating transportation in an unpressurized cabin of a military transport aircraft. After such abuse, the containers bore multiple chips and dents, but retained their tightness.
Opening and Inspection of the M1 Garand Rifle Container
Having opened the "barrels", the testers found a whole and workable weapon. Only in one container did a metal can of silica gel break loose from the mounts and crush the wooden parts of the rifles. Based on the results of such inspections, the containers of the Springfield Arsenal were recommended for production and operation.
The conservation of weapons using new means began in the same year 1947 and continued for the next several years. The army planned to send several hundred thousand weapons for storage, and this took a lot of time. The necessary work was carried out by all major US arsenals. According to known data, in 1948, 87, 3 thousand M1 Garand rifles were mothballed, and in 1949 more than 220 thousand of such products were placed in containers - not counting weapons of other models.
Weapon containers were distributed among various army depots. Usually they were kept by the same units that were to use weapons in case of war.
In the process of removing the M1 carbines
In the spring of 1959, the Springfield Arsenal opened several containers of various weapons to check the condition of the latter. The weapon stayed in the package for 12 years, and after that it was possible to draw conclusions about the real possibilities of the original storage method. It turned out that all samples remain in good condition and, after a short preparation, can return to service. The weapon had no mechanical damage, there was no rust or mold on it. Interestingly, several of the Arsenal employees involved in opening and inspecting the containers have contributed in the past to their design or preparation for storage.
From storage to disposal
According to various sources, the Springfield Arsenal containers have been in use for several decades. After that, they were abandoned for the most commonplace reasons. The army was gradually phasing out obsolete models like the M1 Garand and M1 Carbine. In parallel, various deliveries of weapons were carried out from the availability in warehouses. Pistols, rifles and machine guns were removed from containers and sent abroad, to museums, to the civilian market or to be melted down.
"Tin can" with rifles BAR
At the very least, the vast majority of containers, after opening, were disposed of as unnecessary, often together with their contents. Several of these items have survived and are now on display at the American Museum. First of all, the containers are at the Museum at the Springfield Arsenal. According to various estimates, individual containers may still remain in military warehouses, but such assumptions, apparently, do not correspond to reality.
Apparently, a number of containers could have ended up in private collections, but only when opened. Under American law, the entire weapon container cannot be sold to an individual. It is necessary to draw up documents for each unit, for which the container should be opened. Naturally, this drastically reduces its collectible value.
An original solution with the use of sealed metal containers was proposed in connection with a sharp reduction in the army and its active arsenals. Over time, the US armed forces got rid of the surplus military products accumulated as a result of the Second World War, and new arsenals were formed taking into account current requirements. The need for special long-term storage containers is gone. For the past several decades, the US military has only used airtight containers for storing ammunition, while weapons have been dispensed with with more traditional closures. Small arms cans are a thing of the past.
