During World War II, the M1 Garand proved to be a deadly rifle in the hands of U.S. service members. The rifle was so loved by American G.I.s that no less than Gen. George S. Patton – “Old Blood and Guts” himself – revered the firearm and called it the “the greatest battle implement ever devised.” That’s saying something coming from a firearms aficionado like Patton, who was known to collect and carry a variety of American classics. The M1 Garand was one of the most popular rifles of all time. It would go on to serve valiantly in the Korean War, and it even found its way into the hands of soldiers serving in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam into the 1970s. What’s striking about the prolific use of the rifle is more than its combat reputation. Even as the Garand was earning its throne as one of the best battle rifles of all time, it was quickly being outpaced by modern detachable magazine-fed rifles.