The rifle that bore his name made John Garand no fortune. A Canadian-born tool-and-die maker at the U.S. government's Springfield Armory, Garand spent more than a decade perfecting his semi-automatic design through the 1920s and '30s. Because he was a federal employee and the patent belonged to the government, he drew only his modest salary — never a cent of royalty — while some 5.4 million M1s were built during the war. A bill to reward him with $100,000 died in Congress. He seems not to have minded much; he was a quiet man who liked the work. His rifle, meanwhile, armed every branch of the American military and outshot anything the enemy's riflemen carried.

The figure is down on one knee, cheek to the stock, firing the Garand with the practiced calm of aimed fire. He anchors a firing-line diorama beside the Infantryman Prone Loading M1 Garand and the Infantryman Standing Firing M1 Garand, with the Infantryman Watching for Movement covering the flank.

W. Britain model 25191. 1/30 scale (approximately 60mm), matte-painted metal. Single kneeling foot figure on a sculpted groundwork base. Boxed.