“Every Marine is, first and foremost, a rifleman.” That saying has been an unofficial motto of the United States Marine Corps (USMC) practically since its beginning. Yet, it wasn’t accurate in its earliest days, as the first two Battalions of Marines raised for service as a landing force for the Continental Navy in November 1775 did not carry “rifles” but rather muskets.

However, the point remains that today, every Marine, including those in non-infantry roles, must undergo basic rifle training, and each is expected to qualify with a service rifle. Precisely what that rifle is (or was) has evolved in the nearly 250 years since the forerunner of today’s USMC was established.

The service recently shared a recap of the dozen and a half “service rifles” that have been carried by United States Marines from its humble origins.

“The key thing that the Marines have always done is focus on precision marksmanship,” said Jonathan Bernstein, the Arms & Armor Curator at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Virginia. 

“They were always looking at how to make their Marines more precise with their weapon fire.” 

The Gun That........

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