ARMED FORCES: The Aluminum Rifle

On most fronts the U.S. has moved ahead with giant strides in the development of new weapons. In the 15 years since Pearl Harbor its scientists have gone from TNT to the A-bomb to the H-bomb; its armed forces have gone from propeller-driven airplanes to supersonic jets to guided missiles; the Navy has moved from steam turbine to nuclear power to drive new ships. But the U.S. Army last week was still marching earnestly forward in search of a weapon it has been unable to perfect through ten years of research and testing: a new infantry rifle.

The need for...

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