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Title:	RIFLE, MILITARY -  U.S. RIFLE PEDERSEN T1 .276 SN# 3
Maker/Manufacturer:	PEDERSEN, J.D.
Date of Manufacture:	1926
Eminent Figure:
Catalog Number:	SPAR 6279
Measurements:	OL:114.3CM 45" BL: 60.9CM 24" 8.2 lbs.

Object Description:

U.S. RIFLE PEDERSEN T1 .276 SN# 3
Manufactured by Springfield Armory, Springfield, Ma. in 1926 - Experimental retarded blowback semi-automatic rifle with 10-round clip feed mechanism. Luger type mechanism, having two toggle locking members. Weapon fired lubricated ammunition which was charger fed from the top in irreversible clips of ten rounds. Disassembly of the bolt group only could be made with a cartridge. Weapon had a total of 107 parts. Muzzle velocity 2600 fps. Approximate rate of fire was 24 rounds per minute. Weapon weighs approximately 8.2 lbs. Developed at SPAR by John Pedersen in 1925 to compete against the Garand.

Markings:
Receiver: U.S. SEMI-AUTO RIFLE T1/CAL 276 PEDERSEN PATENTS. 3. SA.

Weapon transferred to Museum 22 June 1942. At that time weapon was appraised at $50.00.

Notes: "In 1924, John D. Pedersen contracted with the Army to develop a self-loading rifle. His first suggestion was a change in ammunition. A designer of considerable reputation and experience, Pedersen argued that the best semiautomatic rifle could not be built around the standard .30 (7.62X63mm) cartridge. Pedersen stated that the optimum caliber was .276 (7x53mm). He had developed a considerable body of data to substantiate this claim. Garand had to redesign his new gas-operated rifle for the Pedersen cartridge. An Ordnance Committee action made this decision for him. On December 27, 1927, the Ordnance Committee recommended the manufacture of a .276 caliber Garand rifle." - Edward C. Ezell

"The 21 semi-auto rifles cal..276 (Pedersen) mfg. at S.A. made under Ex. O. 368 and contract of 1926; completed in 1927 and sent to Inf. & Cav. Boards etc.; minor differences from item "i" (Original Model) but generally similar marked 'U.S. Semi-Auto Rifle T1 Cal..276 Pedersen Patents' and serial nos. 2-21 and 23 (no #22); 14 were long rifles and 4 (Nos. 2, 8, 15, 20) were Carbines; 1 rifle this item (#11) was somewhat modified & presented to Board from Competitive Test of .276 Semi-Auto Rifles, July 1, 1929.
(The 1929 Board's rifle, the others of item 'j' and item 'i' were so similar and the designation 'T1' so widely used that they should all remain T1). - Letter to Chief of Ordnance, 11/12/1929.

"...Meantime, the Pedersen rifle had attracted much attention because it was the first semiautomatic which had received a recommendation for adoption by a service board (Infantry Board Report No. 437, April 30, 1928), and moreover it was the first of which a number (25) made up under what might be called semi-production methods.
With the prospect that this gun might in the near future be adopted as standard by the U.S. Army, the British firm of Vickers, Limited, decided to tool up for this gun, as it seemed likely that other countries might want to buy some. It will be recalled that by the terms of his contract, Mr. Pedersen held the patent rights, and the Government would have to pay him royalties on any guns made, while he in turn could also sell to other customers.
Accordingly Mr. Pedersen went to England in 1930 and assisted in this tool-up job." - Hatcher

"John Pedersen was a genius of a different stripe - in fact, a pinstripe. Well dressed, well groomed, dignified, with a trim mustache, accustomed to leading and directing, accustomed to boardrooms and profit-and-loss sheets, he suggested in every gesture the man of breeding and education. Having an extensive background as a production engineer with Winchester - one of the largest arms makers in the country - he could immediately dominate any meeting he attended. Articulae, with charts and documents, he could make his case forcefully and totally. Here was truly a great designer and a great salesman.
The first order of business for John Pedersen was to design a .276 cartridge around which he could build his rifle. He actually designed two types for testing. The results were so impressive, the Ordnance Committee was convinced they were on the right track. The new cartridge was called the Pedersen .27 caliber. The committee now waited for the rifle to fire it.
In thNever has a rifle worked through the armory gauntlet with so few hitches. From the commencement of the on-line firing tests, the rifle performed so well, the Ordnance Committee became convinced it had found the solution to the semiautomatic problem - a truly brilliant and flawless solution. For the first time to anyone's knowledge, the armory was testing a rifle that had been born unblemished.
There were two concerns about the new rifle. To minimize friction, the Pedersen action required cartridges that had been lightly coated with hard wax. Anyone disinclined to like this weapon could use that feature as a club to attack the entire rifle. Also, the rifle had to be loaded by way of a ten-shot clip. Critics pointed out that if a rifleman lost his clips, he lost his rifle. Without clips, the weapon was useless.
Proponents felt these were two minor complaints. It was time to show off the Pedersen to all the top brass right on the firing line - a crucial moment in any rifle's life. On May 10, 1926, at the National Armory in Springfield, the Pedersen .276 semiautomatic rifle debut became such a major event that officers as high as the chief of infantry and chief of cavalry attended, coming up from Washington.
As the visiting brass hefted the notably light weapon, then fired off clip after clip of .27-caliber cartridges, heads began to nod with approval. Feeling the reduced kick and seeing the resulting increase in firing accuracy, they were also impressed by the greater firing speed than came from the elimination of bolt action. The weapon performed superbly. The armory men felt they had made a sale when infantry and cavalry officers pressed around them to ask the key question: When can we get samples for field test?" - Hallahan


References:
Ezell, Edward C. THE GREAT RIFLE CONTROVERSY. Stackpole Books. Harrisburg, Pa. 1984.
Hallahan, William C. MISFIRE: THE HISTORY OF HOW AMERICA'S SMALL ARMS HAVE FAILED OUR MILITARY. Charles Scribners Sons. N.Y., N.Y. 1994.
Hatcher, Julian S. HATCHER'S NOTEBOOK. Stackpole Books. Harrisburg, Pa. 1966.
______________. HATCHER'S BOOK OF THE GARAND. The Gun Room Press. Highland Park, N.J. 1983.