he effects of massed fire-power during World War I led to demands for even more firepower, especially in the hands of the average infantryman. While numerous inventive but unsuccessful designs for a semi-automatic infantry rifle appeared in France, the United States, and even Mexico during this period, none of them were truly satisfactory. During the interwar period, research continued. By the time of the United States’ entry into World War II on December 7, 1941, as a result of the Japanese
