# From the M1903, to the M1917, to the M1? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 4, 2000, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-m1903-to-the-m1917-to-the-m1/18535 "2000-05-04T06:14:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Boris\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@Boris\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boris_B)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2000, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-m1903-to-the-m1917-to-the-m1/18535/1 "2000-05-04T06:14:49Z")
I don’t quite know how to phrase this question, but it’s been chewin on me for a while now. For a long time, the U.S. Army used year designations for its weapons. Then it started over at 1. The latest year-model I know of is the M1928 Thompson submachinegun, which preceded the M1 submachinegun. My questions are: When did the switch take place? Sometime between 1928 and 1934 (the adoption of the M1 rifle, IIRC), I suppose. Is there a name associated with this change? Some general or Secretary of War? Was it a New Deal thing? Did it occur to anybody that it might be confusing to have a bunch of guys in M1 helmets, carrying a mix of M1 carbines, M1 rifles, and M1 submachineguns? I don’t no much about model numbers of stuff other than weapons, but I’ll wager there were a few M1 mess kits, M1 binoculars, and M1 toothbrushes floating around to muddy the waters further. Has this system been abandoned? I mean, surely the M203 isn’t our two hundred and third underslung grenade launcher, but I suppose it could be our 203rd something…? We’re still only up to M4 for carbines and M9 for pistols though… The Beretta 92 is the U.S. M9 … the Mossberg 590 is the U.S. M590. How do they decide whether to give a weapon an Army-specific designation or stick with the manufacturer’s model number? ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2000, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-m1903-to-the-m1917-to-the-m1/18535/2 "2000-05-04T07:22:38Z")
Here’s a site called [Did you ever wonder](http://www.jouster.com/trivia/wonder.html) that answers some of your question, but not all. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2000, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-m1903-to-the-m1917-to-the-m1/18535/3 "2000-05-04T07:33:46Z")
Here’s a site called [Did you ever wonder](http://www.jouster.com/trivia/wonder.html) that answers some of your question, but not all.