18 hours Ago
OUTDOORS First of all, a belated Merry Christmas to you from all of us here at the North Platte Telegraph. I hope you had a great Christmas and maybe you even had an item or two under the tree from my Christmas Wish List! It is no secret to anyone who reads my columns: I am a student of weaponry. I am particularly interested in the history of different guns and where they fit into the history of our country.
The M1 Garand is a great example. It has been called America's rifle. It is one of the most iconic rifles ever created.
The rifle was designed by Canadian-American John Garand who happened to work for Springfield Armory. The M1 Garand service rifle was chambered for the venerable .30-06, which was adopted by the U.
S. military in 1906. The cartridge was known as the U.
S. government .30 caliber, adopted in 1906.
The contraction of that information became known as the .30-06. The M1 rifle replaced the Model 1903 Springfield bolt action and was adopted for military service in 1936 as the standard infantry rifle.
It became the standard battle rifle issued to millions of U.S. troops in World War II and Korea.
There are still a few patriots around who carried this rifle into combat. God bless them! I especially think about the veterans who carried M1 rifles in Europe during Christmas 1944. It was the Battle of the Bulge, a German counteroff ensive, and even snow and cold could not stop the U.
S. Army in part to the M1 rifle. The M1 served our troops well! During WWII, Lt.
Gen. George S. Patton wrote a letter back to the Army's chief of ordnance saying, "In my opinion, the M1 rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised.
" I don't know of any other U.S. issued rifle that got such a compliment.
Patton saw firsthand how the firepower of the M1 could overpower the enemy. This scenario played out all over Europe and in the Pacific with the Marines who island-hopped toward Japan. A few M1s even saw service in Vietnam and thousands were sent to U.
S. allies as part of foreign aid agreements. You can still see the M1 used by military drill teams and honor guards because it is such a well-balanced rifle.
The United States Marine Corps Silent Drill Team may be the best example of the rifle still being used. The M1 Garand was a huge technological leap in battle rifles. Its design gave United States forces a significant advantage in firepower and shot-to-shot recovery time over the enemy.
A U.S. riflemen could fire accurately eight shots, reload, and fire eight more shots in the time it took the enemy to load and fire five shots from the bolt action rifles they were using.
Not having to move the position of their right hands, and work a bolt action, meant U.S. troops could keep their aim on the enemy and fire more accurately.
In the hands of an experienced rifleman, 40 to 50 shots per minute could be directed on an enemy position. That is an awesome amount of firepower for the time. 2025 NGPC permits At the risk of sounding like an old American Express commercial, don't leave home without your new hunting, fishing and park permits.
You'll need to have your new permits with beginning Jan. 1. I recently stopped by the North Platte office of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission to get the permits and stamps I need.
According to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission website, a resident fishing permit for 2025 will cost you $38. A small game hunting permit will cost $18.Combination permits (hunting and fishing) are available.
For Nebraska residents, that permit is $52. Hunters will also need a state habitat stamp that costs $25. If you hunt waterfowl, add another $10 to you tab.
Karen Becker, with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, told me that the cost of permits did not change from 2024. Park entry permits will cost $35. A duplicate permit for another vehicle will cost $17.
50. It is also a good time to look and see when your boat registration expires. If your boat permit shows 2022 or older, you need a new one.
You also need to purchase your particular big game permits or specialty permits, like for snagging paddlefish, when they go on sale. Check out the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission website at outdoorsnebraska.gov/ permits or visit the North Platte NGPC office to get the permits you need.
Its cheap entertainment anyway you look at it, but don't forget to get what you need before next Wednesday. Verts I'm sure we will get some snow this winter. When I think of snow, my thoughts wander to snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.
If you'd like to see a unique pair of snowshoes, check out verts.com . Verts are a very affordable snowshoe and offer some advantages over traditional styles.
They remind me of a style of snowshoe the Marine Corps experimented with some years back. Cost of a base level set of Verts: About $125. Happy New Year! Get local news delivered to your inbox!.
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