Vol. XI No. 2

Thompson & His Rifle Demonstrators: Training, Troubleshooting, and Building Confidence in the Model 1917

Jonathon L. Krisko

Abstract

Following its formal adoption and early production difficulties, the ‘United States Rifle, cal. .30 Model of 1917’ rifle began arming the men of the American National Army in the autumn of 1917. Replacing the Springfield Model 1903 and obsolete Krag–Jørgensen rifles in the hands of National Army and National Guard troops still engaged in stateside training, the M1917 rifles faced bad press due to parts breakages and prejudice. To help prepare American soldiers for France, the Ordnance Department established the Rifle Demonstrators. These men, of national reputation as rifle and revolver shots, were required to be capable of working with camp commandants and commanding generals and reporting back to the Ordnance Department via the chief rifle demonstrator—John T. Thompson. As direct representatives of the Ordnance Department, they had a mandate not only to assist in the training of soldiers but also to fully report any accidents, difficulties, or criticisms of the M1917 so changes could be made. Although they never deployed overseas during the First World War, this small group of men had an outsize impact on the AEF’s readiness. While stateside training was not uniform nor always thorough, the units that received instruction from Rifle Demonstrators benefited from their skills, knowledge, and passion for their task. Those doughboys became more confident in their assigned weapon, which was not only an excellent rifle but also a symbol of America’s manufacturing might.

Issue: Vol. XI No. 2
Published: 31 December, 2025
DOI:https://doi.org/10.52357/armax29356

Peer-reviewed?: Yes

Keywords: M1917, U.S. Army Ordnance Department, First World War, bolt-action rifles

Bibliographic Information

Jonathon L. Krisko, ‘Thompson & His Rifle Demonstrators: Training, Troubleshooting, and Building Confidence in the Model 1917’, Armax: The Journal of Contemporary Arms, Vol. XI № 2 (2025), pp. 1–22, <https://doi.org/10.52357/armax29356>.

About the Author

Major Jonathon L. Krisko is an active-duty Judge Advocate in the United States Army, having previously served as an Armor officer. He holds a juris doctor from the Pennsylvania State University, Dickinson School of Law, and a Master’s of Operational Studies from the U.S. Army’s Command and General Staff College. He is currently stationed at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas—the oldest continuously operating military installation west of the Mississippi River. He has a passion for military history and enjoys sharing that with others through volunteer work at the National WWI Museum and Memorial and the Frontier Army Museum.