Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Some of the most interesting “what if’s” in terms of firearms and their history are firearms that were used and designed for military trials. One such example is that of this prototype Winchester Lightweight Military Rifle. I think it is really cool how you can sort of see some M1 Carbine influence in there. This photo is courtesy of Cody Firearms Museum – please check them out! The Cody Firearms Museum, fortunately, has the background and goes into a deep dive below:
“Winchester Lightweight Military Rifle. This rifle, chambered for an experimental .224 cartridge, competed against the AR15 in US Army trials in the late 1950s. The design from Winchester incorporated a number of features from their WWII design experience. The gun weighs in at just under 5 lbs unloaded and has only 70 parts. Although it performed some functions well the Army complained about accuracy and durability when compared to the AR-15. Winchester bowed out of the competition rather than continue refining the design and decided not to pursue commercial production either. While it probably made financial sense at the time, its intriguing to think about what the design could have become.”
#prototypetuesday Winchester Lightweight Military Rifle [Photograph found in Photos, Cody Firearm Museum’s Facebook]. (2016, December 13). Retrieved May 13, 2021, from https://www.facebook.com/CodyFirearmsMuseum/photos/2163576460533188
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