Evolution Of The BM-59 | An Official Journal Of The NRA
John C. Garand's gas-operated M1 rifle changed very little from its start as the T1 in 1927 until the end of its official production run in 1957, but then something unexpected happened. As a result of the confrontational politics of the Cold War and the subsequent divisions it created, the M1 rifle continued to evolve on another continent.
Source: americanrifleman.org