JULY 7, 2025 – Since its founding in 1775, the United States Marine Corps has earned a distinguished reputation as one of the world’s premier naval infantry forces. This legacy is built on an unwavering fighting spirit, strict adherence to the highest standards, and formidable marksmanship skills. This legacy was forged in combat using a tool of warfare that has evolved dramatically over the last 250 years – the rifle.
While rifles have evolved, Marines today continue to hone their marksmanship skills and place great emphasis on locating, closing with, and destroying the enemy, regardless of their job specialty. This dedication has been consistent for the last 250 years, according to Jonathan Bernstein, the Arms & Armor Curator at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Virginia.
“The key thing that the Marines have always done is focus on precision marksmanship,” said Bernstein. “They were always looking at how to make their Marines more precise with their weapon fire.”
Though weapon systems have evolved—from the flintlock muskets of the Revolutionary War to the advanced rifles of the modern era—the skills exhibited by every Marine remain true to our ethos: “Every Marine a rifleman.”
In 1775, at the outset of the American Revolution, a Continental Marine would have likely carried a British Short Land Pattern Musket, also known as the “Brown Bess.” Bernstein, with a touch of irony, referred to the British musket as “the first American weapon.”
As the standard British long arm for the previous half-century, it was the most abundant firearm within colonial American militias. Bernstein explained that even before the revolution, “all able-bodied men between 16 and 60 had to be part of the militia anyway, chances are they had a Brown Bess.”
Brown Bess
As Marines began to forge their reputation providing shipboard security for the Continental Navy, carrying out amphibious raids, and fighting alongside the Continental Army, they might have exchanged their British Brown Besses for French Charleville Flintlock Muskets, specifically the Model 1763 and Model 1777.
These muskets were provided en masse from France, who, as Bernstein quipped, had a vested interest in American success against the British. Due to their naval service, many Continental Marines carried “Sea Service” models of the Brown Bess and Charlevilles, which featured shorter barrels and modified materials for easier handling and corrosion resistance aboard ship.
Charleville Flintlock Musket, Model 1763
Charleville Flintlock Musket, Model 1777
After America freed itself from the yoke of British rule, the Marines, along with the rest of the nation, began to pursue domestic weapons manufacturing. This led to the creation of the U.S. Springfield Model 1795 flintlock musket, the first American-made long arm.
Unlike America, the 1795 Springfield wasn’t revolutionary; according to Bernstein, it was simply a derivative of the Model 1777 Charleville. However, it was still significant because it empowered Americans to begin arming themselves for future conflicts.
Springfield Model 1795 Flintlock Musket
Springfield Model 1816 Flintlock Musket
In 1847, when approximately 400 Marines stormed the Halls of Montezuma during the Battle of Chapultepec, the Corps was equipped with U.S. Springfield Model 1816 and Model 1835 flintlock muskets.
The percussion cap, utilized on the Model 1835, marked the first of several notable improvements in firearm technology during the Marine Corps’ 250 years. Instead of flint striking steel, a hammer would strike a percussion cap, igniting a spark and firing a round. This improvement led to significantly faster firing, allowing three to four rounds per minute.
Springfield Model 1835 Flintlock Musket
Springfield Model 1855
In 1859, when abolitionist John Brown seized the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, U.S. Marines under the command of Col. Robert E. Lee responded. The Corps began the Civil War armed with the U.S. Springfield Model 1855 but also used Model 1835, Model 1842, and Model 1861s throughout the war.
The U.S. Springfield Model 1873 “Trapdoor” was another significant building block in the story of Marine Corps marksmanship. Bernstein explained how metallic cartridges, a new top-loading mechanism, and a rifled barrel enabled much faster firing, better accuracy, and more velocity compared to older arms.
Springfield Model 1861
Despite these substantial improvements, trapdoors did not see significant Marine Corps usage because their heyday fell after the American Civil War but before the Spanish-American War.
Springfield Model 1873 “Trapdoor”
Superseding the Trapdoor, Marines were equipped with the U.S. Model 1895 Winchester-Lee straight-pull rifle in time for the Spanish-American War. When compared to previous Marine Corps service weapons, the Model 1895 stood out because of its ammunition. “You’ve gone from .75 caliber in the [American] Revolution, to .69 caliber in 1812, to .58 caliber in the Civil War, and now you’re down to 6mm,” Bernstein noted. “This really revolutionized Marine Corps capability as far as precision marksmanship, because you could now fire a small bullet at extremely high speed to a much longer range and accurately.” Additionally, smaller ammunition meant that Marines could carry more.
Even without realizing it present-day Marines are familiar with the Model 1895, as it is the rifle depicted on the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal.
Model 1895 Winchester-Lee Straight Pull Rifle
In the First World War, the Marine Corps expanded from its traditional role as mostly ship and base guards into a key component of the American Expeditionary Force. Earning the mantle “Devil Dog” during the Battle of Belleau Wood and throughout the rest of the war, Marines were armed with the U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1903, more commonly known as the “M1903 Springfield.”
Springfield 1903
During the Second World War, the Marines played a decisive role in the Pacific theater, carrying out amphibious operations against tough and determined Imperial Japanese forces. The Corps formally adopted the U.S. M1 Rifle, .30 Caliber, commonly known as the “M1 Garand,” in February 1941. The Garand was the first self-reciprocating rifle widely adopted by the Marine Corps.
Due to logistical challenges, many Marines continued to employ the decades-old M1903 that had made them legendary in the First World War until well into the war, when they could all be equipped with the Garand, which they would continue to carry through the Korean War. According to General George S. Patton, the M1 Garand was “the greatest battle implement ever devised.”
M1 Garand
The U.S. Rifle, Caliber 7.62 mm, M14 was a 20-round fully automatic improvement over the M1 Garand. Bernstein added that it was “a really outstanding weapon for rifle marksmanship.”
In Vietnam, however, Marines learned that the M14 was too bulky for close-quarters jungle fighting and had a wooden stock that would warp in the wet jungle. Marines could also carry limited 7.62mm ammunition due to its size and weight, leading to challenges in sustained combat.
As a solution, Marines were armed with the new M16A1, which weighed less, fired faster, and utilized 5.56x45mm ammunition that could be carried in greater quantities.
M14
M16A1
In the deserts of the Middle East, the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, armed with the M16A2, helped liberate Kuwait from Iraqi aggression. The M16A2 was a substantial upgrade to the M16A1 that Marines had used in Vietnam; it was more durable, accurate, and had an ammo-conserving three-round burst mode (as opposed to the A1’s fully automatic).
M16A2
Throughout the conventional and unconventional conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, Marines used the updated M16A4. The M16A4 featured a Picatinny rail system that allowed Marines to mount advanced optics and accessories, as well as remarkable accuracy and range due to its 20-inch barrel. The size of the M16A4, however, also led to challenges in the house-to-house fighting of urban environments.
M16A4
To overcome the challenges presented by the M16A4, some Marines were issued the M4A1 carbine, a derivative of the M16 that featured a collapsible stock and a shorter 14.5-inch barrel.
M4A1 Carbine
The Marine Corps’ current service rifle, the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle, fills a role it was not originally planned for. The M27 was initially developed as a replacement for the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, offering automatic fire with greater precision and reliability in a smaller form factor. However, due to its effectiveness, in 2018, the Marine Corps officially announced the decision to adopt the M27 as the standard issue rifle for all infantry battalions, replacing the M16A4 and the M4A1, underscoring the Corps’ commitment to equipping Marines to face a wide range of combat scenarios. All other Marines are still issued the M16A4 or the M4A1.
M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle
The journey from the muskets of the American Revolution to the rifles of the modern era illustrates a continuous evolution in the weapons carried by the United States Marine Corps. Driven by technological advancements and the ever-changing demands of the battlefield, these firearms have undergone significant transformations, keeping stride with the ever-changing nature of war. Yet, as Bernstein aptly points out, just as the character of war remains the same, so does the Corps’ unwavering dedication to precision marksmanship. This ethos, ingrained since the earliest days of the Corps, ensures that regardless of the technological sophistication of the weapon, every Marine remains, at their core, a highly skilled and effective war fighter. At the heart of this is the rifle.
Sgt. James Stanfield
Headquarters Marine Corps