M1 CarbineThe M1 Carbine is a light weight, compact military arm that fires a modest cartridge, the .30 Carbine. It weighs just over 5 pounds and overall length is about 35-5/8". It was used by the U.S. Military in WWII, Korea and Vietnam. It was designed for use by non combat troops such as drivers, radio men, engineers and medics. The carbine was easy to carry and easy to store in a vehicle. The standard service arm, the M1 Garand, is nearly twice as heavy and 8 inches longer. The first time I handled the carbine it felt almost too light to be a real gun.
The .30 Carbine ammunition is loaded with 110 grain round nose bullets with a muzzle velocity around 1900 feet per second. Though fairly effective at close range, there were Korean War reports of difficulty penetrating the heavy winter coats of the enemy. Perhaps too much was expected of the .30 Carbine. It was not originally intended to be used as a front line weapon.
M1A1 Carbine Variants and AccessoriesA folding stock version, designed for paratrooper use, was designated the M1A1. The M2 is a selective fire model. The M3 has infrared night vision optical sights that were effective to about 70 yards.The M1 Carbine could launch grenades using the M6 cartridge and M8 launcher. A T23 flash hider could also be used. HistoryDesign was begun by Winchester's Jonathan "Ed" Browning in 1938. (John Browning's brother) Winchester, after Browning's death in 1939, continued development with a team that included ex-convict David "Carbine" Williams. In 1941 their working prototype was accepted by the army. Military production ran from 1941-1945. Commercial production continues today with 6.25 Million having been manufactured.War time producers included Winchester, IBM, GM's Inland Division, Underwood Typewriter Co. and Rock-Ola Jukebox co. The .30 Carbine cartridge has a rimless case that was based on the .32 Winchester Self Loading (WSL) cartridge. During the Korean War, there were some complaints of malfunctions in the extreme cold weather. Overall, however, the M1 Carbine served its purpose well and is today in strong demand by collectors and shooting enthusiasts.
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