Pedersen device
The Pedersen Device was an optional attachment for the M1903 Springfield rifle that allowed it to fire a short 0.30 (7.62 mm) caliber intermediate cartridge in semi-automatic mode. This wonder weapon was developed to allow infantry to dramatically increase their rate of fire while on the move during World War I, while also allowing the rifle to be used in conventional bolt action mode for long-range fire from the trenches. Production had just ramped up when the war ended, and the device remains a curious and extremely rare collectors' item to this day. To illustrate the rarity of the Device, in March 2008, a 1918 Mark I Pedersen Device and a few boxes of the Device's ammunition that were owned by the estate of Connecticut attorney Bruce Stern were sold at auction for US $55,000 (US $60,250 with buyer's premium).
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History
John Pedersen, a long time employee of Remington Arms, was aware that the US would be entering the war at some point. Concerned about the inability for troops to effectively fire on the run while attempting to cross "No Mans Land", he decided to start studying the problem of semi-automatic fire that would allow them to fire from the hip without stopping. However he also realized that there would be no way the Army would accept a totally new rifle design, as they were already struggling to produce enough Springfields, contracting to produce millions of M1917 "American Enfield" rifle with Remington and Winchester and were importing Ross rifles from Canada for training purposes.
This led him to the final design, which replaced the bolt of the standard Springfield with a longish device consisting of a complete firing mechanism and a small "barrel" for the small round. In effect, the "device" was essentially a complete blow-back pistol minus a receiver/grip using the short "barrel" of the device to fit into the longer chamber of the M1903 Springfield. The mechanism was fed by a long 40-round magazine sticking out of the rifle to the top right, and could be reloaded by inserting a new magazine. New sights were provided at the rear of the device. The system did require one modification to the rifle however, a hole had to be cut in the side of the bolt area to allow the ejection of spent rounds.
By 1917 his solution was perfected, and he travelled to Washington, DC to demonstrate it. After firing several rounds from what appeared to be an unmodified Springfield, he removed the standard bolt, inserted the device, and fired several magazines at a very high rate of fire. The evaluation team was astounded, and an immediate secret classification was applied. To deceive the enemy, the Ordnance Department decided to call it The US Automatic Pistol, Caliber .30, Model of 1918. Plans were put into place to start production of modified Springfields, which became the US Rifle, Cal. .30, Model of M1903, Mark I. Promises were made to have 500,000 ready for the 1919 Spring Offensive. The use of the Pedersen Device in the 1919 Spring offensive was to be in conjunction with the full combat introduction of the M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR).
The Pedersen Device was also modified to fit the US Rifle, Model of 1917 (the American Enfield), and the US Rifle, Model of 1916 ( The Remington Mosin Nagant). Neither of those were ever put into production, although samples of both were made.
The US Patent Office issued U.S. Patent 1,355,417 , U.S. Patent 1,355,418 , U.S. Patent 1,355,419 , and U.S. Patent 1,355,420 to Pedersen for his invention.
Production
Production of the device started in 1918, along with the modified rifle that December, after the war had ended. Production continued until 1920 however, allowing the US to put the system into service if the need arose. Each device was shipped with a container allowing it to be safely carried when not in use, as well as a pouch holding five magazines. In total the device added 14 pounds to the infantry's standard load, although this was considered to be well worth it at the time.
Post-war
After the war the semi-automatic concept started to gain currency in the Army. By the late 1920s several experiments with completely different rifles from the Springfield M1903 -- which were designed from the outset to be semi-automatic were underway, including a Pedersen rifle firing a new .276 (7 mm) rifle cartridge. However the round was dismissed by the Army, who considered it to be underpowered in comparison to the existing .30-06, and personal intervention by Douglas MacArthur forbade its use. Meanwhile John Garand had also developed a semi-auto rifle firing the .276 Pedersen cartridge and, in response to MacArthur's edict, he re-designed it for the standard .30-06 round from the Springfield; the result became the M1 Garand. The Garand was so successful that the Pedersen device was declared surplus in 1931, five years before the Garand had even started serial production. Mark I rifles were altered to M1903 standard (except for a curious ejection slot that remained in the receiver side wall) and were used alongside standard M1903 and M1903A1 Springfields. Nearly all of the stored devices were destroyed by the Army except for a few Ordnance Department examples, when it was decided they did want to pay the cost of storing. They were burned in a large bonfire, though some were taken during the process. Following their destruction, noted writer Julian Hatcher wrote an authoritative article for the May 1932 issue of American Rifleman magazine describing the device in detail.
More on John Pedersen
John Pedersen also developed such market successes as the Ithaca 37 shotgun and Remington 51 pistol.
