Global News

After the end of WWI, the U.S. Army looked for a new semi-automatic rifle to replace the M1903 Springfield.

John Pedersen, a designer at the Springfield Armory government arsenal stepped up to the plate. During WWI, he developed the Pedersen Device, a bolt replacement that could convert a regular M1903 Springfield into a semi-automatic carbine firing a pistol round. Naturally, he took interest in this new opportunity and began developing a rifle during the 1920s.

Pedersen’s rifle was a toggle locked design that fed from 10-round enbloc clips. It fired the .276 Pedersen round, which was designed specifically for use in semi-automatic rifles.

It had lower recoil than the standard .30-06 cartridge and allowed a rifleman to fire more accurately, faster. It provided sufficient range and lethality despite having less energy than the .30-06.

Unfortunately for Pedersen, the rifle had lots of issues. It required every cartridge to be lubricated with a thin film to function reliably, which made it choke in adverse conditions. The competing Garand rifle, which used a gas operated rotating bolt was far less sensitive. It also couldn’t be chambered in the more powerful .30-06, which the U.S. Army wanted to stick with due to logistical reasons.

When the U.S. Army decided that it wanted its semi-automatic rifle in .30-06 in 1932, the Pedersen rifle was effectively removed from competition. A small number were produced for British trials, but nothing came of it.