Although they have been mostly supplanted by modern battle rifles, cadet rifles were a cost-effective training weapon for military personnel, giving cheaper ammo and simpler marksmanship instruction with little recoil.Â
Cadet rifles emerged as a solution for military forces in the early 20th century who needed a cost-effective and efficient training tool. Traditional centerfire, bolt-action rifles were expensive, heavy, and required extensive labor to manufacture. Cadet rifles offered a cheaper alternative by using the smaller and more affordable .22LR rimfire cartridges. These low-powered rounds were inexpensive and facilitated easier marksmanship training, as they had minimal recoil and were quieter. The United States employed rifles like the M1922 and utilized various models from Remington, Stevens, and Winchester for marksmanship training. Other countries such as Germany, Britain, and Australia also adopted their versions of cadet rifles. Although modern military forces now train with the same rifles they use in combat, the concept of cadet rifles lives on in the form of air rifles and rimfire rifles used by organizations like NJROTC and ROTC teams.Â
