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First Browning Machine Gun Completed
The first Model 1919A4, .30 caliber, Browning machine gun was completed on October 11, 1941. During the war, Rock Island produced nearly 85,000 complete machine guns. The Model 1919A5 and Model 1917A1 machine guns were also manufactured. -
RIA Employed Women for Shop Work
On June 30, 1942, Rock Island Arsenal began to employ women for shop work during the Second World War. Women were first assigned to the production of the metallic, disintegrating belt links for .30 caliber and .50 caliber machine guns. -
Drilling Browning Ejectors
An arsenal worker drills ejectors for the Model 1917A1, .30 caliber, Browning machine gun on April 13, 1943. Women comprised 32% of the workforce during the Second World War. -
WWII Cloth and Leather Mission
The cloth and leather mission continued at the arsenal during the Second World War. A variety of items, like holsters, tool rolls, and gun barrel covers, were manufactured. Over 60,000 miscellaneous leather items were also overhauled. -
WWII Recoil Mechanism Manufacturing
Almost 25,000 recoil mechanisms for various artillery pieces were manufactured during the war. The process was streamlined so final assembly could be performed by unskilled and semi-skilled labor. Two skilled laborers perform an intricate manometer test on completed 105mm recoil mechanisms. -
Paracrates, Paracaissons, and Parachests
An exclusive research, development, and production project at Rock Island Arsenal involved paracrates, paracaissons, and parachests. Over 6,000 of these corrugated containers were made to airdrop supplies and equipment to troops behind enemy lines. -
