Pedersen device
| Pedersen device, officially US Automatic Pistol, Caliber .30, Model of 1918 | |
|---|---|
| Type | Semi-automatic rifle |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1918–1931 |
| Used by | United States Army |
| Production history | |
| Designer | John Pedersen |
| Designed | 1917 |
| Manufacturer | Rock Island Arsenal (bolts) Mount Vernon Silversmiths (magazines) |
| Produced | 1918—1920 |
| No. built | 65,000 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 2 lb 2 oz (0.96 kg) empty 3 lb 2 oz (1.4 kg) loaded |
| Length | 43.2 in (1,100 mm) |
| Cartridge | .30-18 Auto (7.65×20mm Longue) |
| Action | Simple blowback |
| Feed system | 40-round box magazine |
| Sights | Flip-up rear sight graduated to 2,700 yd (2,500 m), blade post-type front sight |
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The Pedersen device was an experimental weapon attachment for the M1903 Springfield bolt action rifle that allowed it to fire a .30 caliber (7.62 mm) pistol-type cartridge in semi-automatic fire mode. The attachment was developed to allow an infantryman to convert "their rifle to a form of submachine gun or automatic rifle" in approximately 15 seconds.
Production of the Pedersen device and modified M1903 rifles started in 1918. However, World War I ended before they could be fielded. The contract was cancelled on March 1, 1919, after production of 65,000 devices, 1.6 million magazines, 65 million cartridges, and 101,775 modified Springfield rifles.
The devices, magazines, ammunition and rifles were subsequently placed in storage, and declared surplus in 1931. When the United States Army decided they did not want to pay the cost of storing the devices, nearly all of the stored devices were destroyed except for a few examples kept by the Ordnance Department. Fewer than 100 Pedersen devices escaped ordered destruction to become extremely rare collectors' items.