I recently received a belligerent question from an individual who saw my posts on Facebook about restoring the replica rifles I have and the processes I’ve been experimenting with.
I was performing much needed maintenance on my Glendal DrillAmerica Rifles and used this time to experiment on what looks better and what works better. One experiment is seeing what looked better, just a flat black paint that eliminated rust (rifle at the top)? Or to paint over that with a black enamel paint (rifle at the bottom)?
Nasty and Ignorant
“Where in TC 3-21.5 does it say rifle stocks are black?” His nasty attitude was blatantly obvious as he commented on one post then another and another. He said he had done a tour in the 3rd Infantry Regiment, The Old Guard.
Just because one has spent time as a Drill Sgt/Instructor or been on any sort of honor guard does not make you the expert of experts on everything to do with military drill and ceremonies. It just gives you experience in a certain area, which is exactly what is supposed to happen. However, some who go through the service honor guard programs believe the hype of being the “best of the best” when in reality, they fit a physical profile and were breathing, pretty much the only requirements.
Making Lemonade
I turned his question into a short social media post and began to see the potential that often happens with my writing a post for turning it into an article for my website and here we are.
The stocks for the M1, M14 M1903, and similar rifles were wood and stained a dark brown with blued or parkerized metal. The introduction of the M16 saw a black stock and hand guards and black metal. That’s all for combat.
For ceremonies, the services dressed up their rifles with nickel plating and sometimes chroming the metal parts of the aforementioned rifles and even handguns (for MPs) and bayonets.
The first replica rifles were just pieces of wood cut into the shape of the rifle to train members of the military and cadets in the early 1900s. Glendale Parade Store began supplying parade equipment in 1947 and has been supplying the usual replica rifles ever since.
Glendale and Daisy Manufacturing Company created the first modern-day near-exact replica rifles with the Glendale DrillAmerica M1 Garand made of resin and easily replaceable metal parts in 2002 and Daisy creating the first replica 1903 in 2003 designed specifically for exhibition drill.
Today, Glendale has different colors for 1903 stocks that are virtually indestructible. Add to that replaceable metal parts and the rifle could last decades. They’ve branched out to more rifle types and colors than you can shake a stick at.
Ceremonial, regulation, and exhibition drill needs are filled by Glendale Parade Store. These are the only rifles I recommend for looks and now durability.
Social Media Comments
I received three great comments that really helpd me understand a bit more of the history and coloring of early rifles.
- Scott Kenny said, “Early M16s were a fairly bright parkerized and/or painted color, about the color of bare cast iron, unseasoned.”
- And Chris Krigbaum added, “M1s and M14s were parkerized, not blued. M1903s were blued until late in WWII.”
- Mark Wahlster wrote, “The M1903 was a Walnut Stock and had a Boiled Linseed finish which is pretty much clear, I own a Feb 1918 M1903 serial number lands between the possibly screwed up heat treating and the introduction of pyrometers to control temps but before they went to the two stage heat treating at serial number 800,000 (Springfield Armory manufacture).”
Another commenter, also as belligerent and nasty as the original commenter wrote this comment that I edited because it has such good information. “The stocks of the 1903, M1 and M-14 were originally walnut, oil finished. Some later M-14 stocks were birch. Very late drill rifle stocks for any of them could be plastic in black, brown, green or white. The 1903 was originally blued, the 1903A3, M1 and M-14 all Parkerized. Prior to the 1950s it was zinc phosphate that gave a dark grayish green that got lighter as the chemical bath got depleted. Then it was switched to manganese phosphate that gave a dark gray almost black. The M-16 steel parts were Parkerized. Aluminum parts were hard anodized black although some Colts came out a very dark gray.”
Today’s Drill Rifles
Black is the only color for Daisy, many versions of practice rifles are just cut from a 2×6, and Glendale offers several colors. There is not right or wrong color, there’s only the look that you want for yourself or your team.
Why Fire Engines Are Red
Because books are read too. Two plus two is four. Four times three is twelve. Twelve inches make up a ruler. Queen Mary was a ruler. Queen Mary was the name of a ship. Ships sail the ocean. Oceans have fish. Fish have fins. The Finns fought the Russians. The Russians were known as Reds. Fire engines are always rushin’, so that’s why they are red.
One theory suggests that red became the color of choice for fire engines because it was the least expensive paint color in the early days of firefighting, making it a cost-effective option for fire departments.