Important Distinction

We've all heard the story.  Folks were designing a new rifle for the US Army in the 20s and 30s.  They were designing it to fire the .276 Pedersen round.  But General MacArthur,  Army Chief of Staff, noted that we were in a Depression 1932 and had tonnes of .30-06 lying around.  So he ordered the rifle shoot that instead.
 
This, folks that are interested in the Garand, know.   ANd I've harped on the way History of infantry rifles would have been different, if only...

But an important detail is... Garand kept that in mind WHILE designing his .276 gun.  He always had an alternative that could shoot .30-06.  And his model was already sorta favored by the time MacArthur made his decision.  What if Garand hadn't take the precaution?  And planners briefing Dugout Doug noted "Well, we'll have to go back to the drawing board..."  It may have swayed his decision the other way.    And then them dang dominos fall. 

My thinking about how great the .276 could have been has evolved a bit in the past half decade, but it is still fascinating to think about.  Well, fascinating for me.