The Arsenal of Democracy Kicks Into High Gear (Savage No4 MkI*)

On this date in 1941 the Lend-Lease Act was signed into law. This program was designed to support Allied Nations in their fight against the Axis. While it was still 9 months before the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States had (arguably) ended its official neutrality and threw the “Arsenal of Democracy” behind the Allies

Between 1941 and 1945 the United States sent a modern-day equivalent of $543 billion worth of equipment, raw materials, and food to other nations, an amount that equaled 11% of the total U.S. war expenditures. The primary recipients were the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, the Free French, and China, although many other nations benefitted to various degrees. The goods shipped under the program were free of charge, although there were also “reverse lend lease” programs that benefitted American forces when they were fighting abroad.

It is not an exaggeration to say that the Lend-Lease Act was absolutely critical to the war effort. While the Soviet armies are getting some well-deserved attention after decades of having their extraordinary contributions minimized, their push west was made possible by 500,000+ American vehicles, 2.6 million tons of American oil and fuel, 4.5 million tons of American food, 18,200 aircraft, almost 2000 American locomotives, and countless miscellaneous items. This is not intended to be a dig against the Soviets, but rather a way to highlight the incredible industrial effort of the United States

One relatively simple but interesting item that came out of the lend-lease program was this humble No. 4 MkI* rifle chambered in .303 British. While No. 4 rifles were the standard issue arm of British Forces, this particular example was produced in the United States by Stevens Arms, a division of Savage Arms Company, and marked “U.S. Property”

This was done in order to “prove” that while these weapons HAPPENED to be basically the standard British pattern, they were officially US property being provided gratis under the Lend-Lease Act (this was necessary to comport with a provision in the act). In addition to the property marking, to drive the point home about official ownership, the rifle is marked with the traditional US “flaming bomb” and an “S” for the manufacturer.
Overall, a pretty innovative solution to getting around a bothersome clause in the Act!