Springfield Armory · Rifle
Springfield Armory T47
Gas-operated · 7.62x51mm NATO · introduced 1951
Also known as Rifle T47, Springfield T47, Rifle, Caliber .30, T47
About the Springfield Armory T47
The Springfield Armory T47 was an American experimental select-fire battle rifle chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO, developed as an improved version of Earle Harvey's earlier T25 design. Gas-operated with a tilting-bolt locking system and an in-line stock, it competed against the T44 (later adopted as the M14) and the T48 (the U.S. trials FN FAL) during the post-war U.S. Lightweight Rifle Program. The T47 was dropped from contention after performing poorly in dust and cold-weather testing, and never entered series production.
Part of the hard-fought early-1950s contest to find a NATO-standard battle rifle, the T47 was the dark horse alongside the home-grown T44 and the imported FN FAL (T48). Its tilting-bolt action lacked the FAL's locking roller and stumbled in the U.S. Army's brutal Arctic and dust trials, clearing the path for the T44 to become the M14.
Springfield Armory T47 specifications
General
- Type
- Rifle
- Action
- Gas-operated
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer-fired
- Trigger
- Single action
- Calibres
- 7.62x51mm NATO
- Magazine capacity
- 20 rounds
- Magazine
- Detachable box magazine
Dimensions
- Barrel length
- 559 mm (22.0 in)
- Overall length
- 1010 mm (39.8 in)
- Weight (empty)
- 3.40 kg (7.50 lb)
Barrel
- Rifling
- Right-hand
Materials
- Barrel
- Steel
- Receiver / frame
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- parkerized
Performance
- Muzzle velocity (typical)
- 850 m/s (2789 fps)
- Effective range
- 500 m
History
- Introduced
- 1951
- Discontinued
- 1953
- Production status
- Prototype
- Country of origin
- US
- Designer
- Earle Harvey
Features
- Select-fire
- In-line stock
- Tilting bolt locking
- Cut-off gas system
- Detachable box magazine
- Muzzle brake
Safety
- Manual safety
- Fire selector
Derived from the T25; sometimes designated Rifle, Caliber .30, T47. Lost the early 1950s trials to the T44/T48 designs.
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