le ▁that ▁was ▁the ▁standard ▁U . S . ▁service ▁rif le ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁and ▁the ▁Korean ▁War ▁and ▁also ▁saw ▁limited ▁service ▁during ▁the ▁Vietnam ▁War . ▁Most ▁M 1 ▁rif les ▁were ▁issued ▁to ▁U . S . ▁forces , ▁though ▁many ▁hundreds ▁of ▁thousands ▁were ▁also ▁provided ▁as ▁foreign ▁aid ▁to ▁American ▁al lies . ▁The ▁Gar and ▁is ▁still ▁used ▁by ▁dr ill ▁teams ▁and ▁military ▁honor ▁gu ards . ▁It ▁is ▁also ▁widely ▁used ▁by ▁civ ili ans ▁for ▁hunting , ▁target ▁shooting , ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁military ▁collect ible . ▁ ▁The ▁M 1 ▁rif le ▁was ▁named ▁after ▁its ▁Canadian - American ▁designer , ▁John ▁Gar and . ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁standard - issue ▁semi - autom atic ▁military ▁rif le . ▁By ▁most ▁accounts ▁the ▁M 1 ▁rif le ▁performed ▁well . ▁General ▁George ▁S . ▁Pat ton ▁called ▁it ▁" the ▁greatest ▁battle ▁implement ▁ever ▁de vised ". ▁The ▁M 1 ▁replaced ▁the ▁b olt ▁action ▁M 1 9 0 3 ▁Spring field ▁as ▁the ▁standard ▁U . S . ▁service ▁rif le ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 6 , ▁and ▁was ▁itself ▁replaced ▁by ▁the ▁select ive ▁fire ▁M 1 4 ▁rif le ▁in ▁March ▁ 2 6 , ▁ 1 9 5 8 . ▁ ▁Although ▁the ▁name ▁" G ar and " ▁is ▁frequently ▁pron ounced ▁, ▁the ▁preferred ▁pron unci ation ▁is ▁ ▁( to ▁rh yme ▁with ▁err and ), ▁according ▁to ▁exper ts ▁and ▁people