M1 Carbine (courtesy ammoland.com)

Tom McHale writes [via ammoland.com]:

The U.S. Carbine, Caliber .30, M1 (a.k.a., the M1 Carbine) reached a total production of over six million rifles in just 38 months. As a wartime project, quantity and speed were both production necessities. The only other single WWII item made in greater quantities was the M1 steel helmet . . .

While the M1 Garand .30-06 was always intended to be the Army’s primary infantry rifle, a light rifle project was commissioned in 1942 to provide better defensive and even offensive capability to rear-echelon troops and others who couldn’t carry a full-size battle rifle and ammunition load. These other specialty weapon and support troops, like drivers, tankers, and artillerymen, normally would have been issued pistols as a defensive sidearm. Replacing the pistol with a small and light carbine would provide better defensive capability and relieve pressure on infantry units to provide security for support units.

As the M1 Carbine made its way into the ranks, others picked it up as a primary service weapon. Airborne Paratroops and even regular foot soldiers appreciated the light weight of both rifle and ammo. Being able to shoot 15 rounds between easy and fast box magazine reloads was considered to be an advantage by many who sacrificed the power of a .30-06 Garand in return for volume.

This short stroke piston rifle has enough similarities that it was often called "the baby Garand"
                               This short stroke piston rifle has enough similarities that it was often called “the baby Garand”

What is an M1 Carbine?

Besides being about the most fun rifle ever, this portable little carbine weighed just more than half of the standard issue M1 Garand, coming in at about five pounds versus over nine for the M1 Garand. That’s a big deal, but the weight of ammo is also significant. A single .30 Carbine round (.44 ounces) weighs less than half of a .30-06 cartridge (.91 ounces), so a soldier can carry twice any many rounds with no increase in their overall load.

The standard M1 Carbine uses a 15-round box magazine.
                               The standard M1 Carbine uses a 15-round box magazine.

While weight varies just a hair depending on the variant, my National Postal Meter model weighs in at 5.5 pounds with an empty magazine. Overall length is just 36 inches. To put that in perspective, it’s an inch shorter than a standard Ruger 10/22 Carbine.

The rifle is short-stroke piston operated, with the gas port and piston apparatus on the underside of the barrel. One notable difference in the design is that gas is bled from the barrel much closer to the chamber than with other rifles. The idea was that the very hot gas wouldn’t create as much carbonization in the gas port and piston system, and that would mean lower maintenance.

The standard magazine is a 15-round box but different variations with more and less capacity have been used over the years. It probably goes without saying this is an iron sighted rifle. The front post is solid and well protected by wings on either side, unlike the 1903 Springfield’s thin blade. The rear is an aperture sight, originally a flip model for short and long range, then later upgraded to one adjustable for windage and elevation.

Who really designed this handy little rifle?

There are a number of myths floating around that the M1 Carbine was designed by some guy in prison for murder and such, but that’s not true. As you’ll hear in any post-game interview, it was a team effort.

The original rear sight was an "L" type flip sight for dual range. Later, the windage and elevation adjustable aperture sights were phased in.
The original rear sight was an “L” type flip sight for dual range. Later, the windage and elevation adjustable aperture sights were phased in.

The legend is that David Marshall (Carbine) Williams designed the M1 Carbine while in prison for the 1921 murder of Deputy Alfred Jackson Pate during a raid on Williams’ illegal still operation. Like most myths, there is a bit of truth to this one. Williams did serve time for that murder, from 1921 to 1929, and while he was in the Caledonia State Prison Farm, he worked in the machine shop. While there he not only serviced the guards’ firearms, he designed numerous components and at least four semi-automatic rifles. The truth part of this story is that while there, he perfected his short stroke gas piston design, which was later used in the M1 Carbine project. In 1938, Williams joined Winchester to work on a scaled down .30-06 semi-automatic rifle for the military. This rifle was originally designed by Ed Browning (yes, related as half brother) and evolved into the Winchester Model G30M after browning’s untimely death.

Strangely enough, Winchester’s original role in this project was to design the cartridge only, and they did. It was derived from the 32 Winchester Self-Loading cartridge introduced in 1906. At the request of the Army, Winchester entered the light rifle trials program literally at the very last minute. Perhaps due to his “prison time” sense of urgency, Williams was unable or unwilling to work under time and contract pressure, and shortly after taking leadership of the project, he was assigned to other duties within the company. With others in charge, Winchester managed to complete a working prototype in just 13 days.

Over the span of days, Winchester engineers traveled back and forth between New Haven and Washington to get working carbines into the test program, often machining revised or replacement parts from memory of original specifications. All that chaos paid off, however, as the Winchester light rifle dominated the tests, completing 1,000 rounds of fire with just four stoppages.

Dangerous and scary bayonet lugs were phased in during 1944.

Who made all those carbines?

Making over six million rifles in just 38 months is no small feat. In fact, it took ten different companies operating in 11 different facilities, not counting subcontractors. The interesting thing is that only one of these ten companies was in the business of making firearms before the wartime contracts – that would be Winchester, who designed it in the first place.

The other producers, and number of carbines made included:

  • Saginaw, General Motors (automotive steering gear and components): 517,212
  • I.B.M. (typewriters and data processing equipment): 346,500
  • Inland, General Motors (automotive steering wheels): 2,392,388
  • Irwin-Pederson (household and office furniture): 3,542*
  • National Postal Meter (office equipment and meters): 413,017
  • Quality Hardware & Machine Co. (sheet metal forming equipment): 359,666
  • Rock-Ola Manufacturing (jukeboxes and arcade games): 228,500
  • Standard Products Company (automotive window parts): 247,155
  • Underwood-Elliot-Fisher Co. (business machines, cash registers): 545,616
  • Winchester Repeating Arms (firearms): 865,404

* The government never ended up officially accepting any of the Irwin-Pederson carbines.

If you were adding along with the list, you might have noticed that those numbers only total 5.9 million and change. That’s because Inland also produced another 300,000 some odd M1A1, M2, and M3 variants, bringing the grand total up to about 6.2 million carbines.

The rear sling "pin" is actually a small oil canister. Clever.
                                                                  The rear sling “pin” is actually a small oil canister. Clever.

Literally hundreds of subcontractors in a wide array of industries produced component parts for the M1 Carbine production effort. For example, if you have a Saginaw model in your gun case, it’s entirely possible that the Wadsworth Watch Case Company made the magazine catch, ejector, extractor and firing pin for your particular rifle.

The number of contractors, the speed of production, and sheer volume makes collecting “correct” models exceedingly difficult. In the wartime rush, it was a regular practice for companies to swap parts, mix barrel and receivers from different manufacturers and so on. In fact, that was part of the plan – to be able to produce tons of rifles quickly without the normal bottlenecks. Additionally, most M1 Carbines have been through at least two major overhauls since the 40s, where more mixing and matching of stocks, barrels, and component parts occurred. Oh, and over five million of the total six million rifles have been shipped overseas at some point for use by United States Allies.

As a result, if someone wants to sell you an “original” M1 Carbine in its native and correct configuration, be very wary as you’re getting into expert collector territory.

The .30 Carbine Cartridge

The “standard” .30 Carbine cartridge uses a straight-walled case that holds an 110-grain, .30 caliber (.308) projectile. While there is no bottleneck, the case is slightly tapered towards the mouth. Average velocity is right around 1,900 feet per second as originally designed, although modern loads move a little higher and lower than that. This yields a muzzle energy level of 881 foot-pounds. With those figures, and even with the light weight of the M1 Carbine, recoil is exceptionally light. Firing an M1 is louder than a .22, but almost as pleasant. Metal butt plate or not, you can shoot this rifle all day with no ill effects.

The M1 Carbine cartridge is less than half the weight of a .30-06
                                                            The M1 Carbine cartridge is less than half the eight of a .30-06

M1A1, M2 and M3 Models

During the year of introduction in 1942, a request was made for a variant even more suitable for paratroops of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions. The Inland production team designed a folding wire stock model that was later designated the M1A1. Inland ultimately made 140,591 of these. They remain a hot collector’s item today, so beware of fakes. It’s entirely possible that there are more “assembled” M1A1 guns on the open market than correct originals.

Late in World War II, the M2 model was introduced. The M2 added select-fire capability and 30-round magazine capacity. The rate of fire was in the 850 to 900 rounds per minute range.

In the same general time frame, the M3 variant was issued. This model added an infrared SniperScope setup that allowed effective use against targets in the dark. “Scope” is not quite a descriptive term as the 30-pound system included a lamp hung under the barrel, a scope on the receiver, and a battery backpack. According to reports, the M3 models proved incredibly effective in the Okinawa campaign against night infiltration attacks. Some estimates claim that up to 30% of all enemy small arms casualties were inflicted by the M3 with night vision apparatus.

Want a brand new one just like the original?

While you can still find M1 Carbines at local guns shows without too much trouble, you can also buy a brand new one, manufactured just like the originals. At this year’s Shooting Industry Masters fundraising event, I had the opportunity to shoot the brand new, but old, Inland Manufacturing M1 Carbine. You can buy one modeled after the very last model manufactured back in 1945 or an authentic 1944 version without the scary bayonet lug. The 1944 model serves a dual purpose as it’s legal in some states that get upset about the possibility of antique bayonet crime.

While I’m a sucker for interesting historical guns, the M1 Carbine just might be my favorite. The history is fascinating, but better yet, this gun is exceptionally fun to shoot. It’s like a handy .22 rifle with just a bit of added gorilla juice.

About

Tom McHale is the author of the Insanely Practical Guides book series that guides new and experienced shooters alike in a fun, approachable, and practical way. His books are available in print and eBook format on Amazon. You can also find him on Google+, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

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72 COMMENTS

  1. One of the stories that came later in Korea was the cartridges lack of penetrative power. The box of truth did a test awhile back and basically proved that the .30 carbine had enough juice to get through thick frozen clothing. It surely is more effective in penetration than any pistol of that era. (and still more so than most pistol/revolver cartridges today)
    I enjoy plinking with it and have found it to be plenty effective on small game if kept to a reasonable distance.

      • It’s very similar to .357 fired out of a carbine with a similar barrel length, both at the muzzle.

        Which just goes to show that the myth about bullets “bouncing from thick clothing” is pure bullshit. Anyone who disagrees is invited to don Soviet WW2 heavy trench coat and stand 200 yards away while being shot with a .357 from a 16-inch 1892 level action.

    • IIRC, one of the analyst reports from the 50s addressed this. They discounted it as well; the .30 carbine will shoot thru a frozen chicom uniform just fine. So if the round is good to go, why didn’t the chicoms fall down? Maybe the GIs plain missed the target and claimed the bullet was at fault.

  2. You forgot to mention ammo cost. I know people actually shoot the things, I knew a guy with an M2 in 1964. But is there surplus ammo, or do you pay boutique prices?

    • Some higher powered defense and hunting loads will be around a buck a round; but most plinking/target ammo is in the .50-.60/round range. If you reload, you can shoot for less than .30/round.

    • Larry,
      Most plinking stuff runs about 30 bucks a box of fifty. (Around here)
      As I reload, here’s my breakdown from an order just this month-
      Wideners had a special on 110 ball projo’s. $210.00 with free shipping for two thousand rounds. I already have reusable brass.
      I use H110 powder at 14 grains a throw. So it’ll take four pounds of powder to reload those 2,000 rounds. Powder ran me $32.00 per pound.
      Primers ran about $30.00 per thousand.
      So not counting my time, about $200.00 per thousand, or twenty cents per round. Not a huge savings, but decent enough.

  3. Mines an old underwood. Love this little plinker.
    It’s just about the perfect truck or trunk gun.

    • They are great little guns. I’ve shot one, and really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, I don’t own one, and it is pretty far down my list of “desired guns”. My AK, M44, and H-P 4095 carbines were just so much cheaper. Still I’d love to have one of these.

    • I would argue that they aren’t, not anymore. Not when you can build an AR that weighs just as little, is more ergonomic, and fires more powerful ammo that is cheaper. And you can go even further and build a .300 BLK SBR (with a “stabilizing brace” if necessary) for an even more light & compact package with more oomph.

      There’s pretty much nothing that M1 Carbine (either the gun or the round) is good at that doesn’t have a better solution today. If they were also cheap, that might have been the deal breaker, but as it is, you’re looking at around $600 for a crappy Universal, and close to $1K for good stuff; while a “good enough” AR can be built or bought for under $600 (e.g. S&W M&P 15 Sport, or the Radical Firearms budget lineup).

      • Bullsauce! I served in the military (US Navy. Enlisted 7/19/1973). The .30 Carbine gives up little to the 5.56 NATO rifle and weighs 14.4 ounces LESS than the 5.56. Another thing that seems to be forgotten is that you also have the ability to use the M1 Carbine to strike an opponent with the butt of the stock.

        The ammunition for the M1 is lighter, and more can be carried than that of the 5.56 NATO. The M1 Carbine has been, and still is, effective for most police applications. It can also be used to penetrate car doors rather handily, yet can still be loaded to penetrate less than either military ball, or soft point ammunition. New loads have improved the .30 Carbine’s performance even more. These mounting facts cannot be ignored.

        The AR 15 isn’t the “be-all, end-all” of the personal armament realm.

      • 30 cal carbine’s true advantage is that there are conventional pistols chambered for this round. Blackhawk 30s have been in production for over 50 years, and while not made since 2001, Automag IIIs are not hard to find. If you only want one center fire for both pistol&rifle needs like I do, .30 carb is the only option out to 300y. Or you are are stuck with PCCs at 100 yards…

  5. “The only other single WWII item made in greater quantities was the M1 steel helmet . . .”

    I’m reasonably confident they made more uniforms than helmets, and likely more of other things. Anybody got a cite on that claim?

    My biggest gun buying regret was not snapping up a Rock-Ola at the first pawn shop I worked at in the early 80’s.

  6. There was a time when a master gunmaker/designer plied his trade while serving time for murder.

    Think about that for a sec……….

    Ch-ch-ch-changes…….

  7. I remember when you could buy these carbines, as well as most other guns, thru the postal service and have them delivered right to your door.

    Small framed people that are recoil sensitive would do well with an m1 carbine.

  8. Would still love one to accompany my CMP Garand. Friend has his Fathers, a Underwood. Shoots like a baby doll. I can see where the similarities between a lightweight M4 and M1 Carbine have the same end use. Lightweight, small ish, effective round at close range, soldier can carry more ammo.

    Sweet little carbine.

  9. Does anybody know why there are no other guns chbered in .30 carbine? It seems like a decent round.

    • Obviously a sweet little rifle, but is it available in any other than the original .30 carbine caliber? And if not, why not? Seems like it would be a good platform for a lot of pistol calibers.

      • An online search came with M1 carbines in 9mm under brand names Chiappa, Citadel and Legacy Sports. Don’t know any more about them.

      • Yes, 9mm and .22LR too, but 30 carbine is probably much easier to find and possibly cheaper than the latter. Power wise, the 30 has about the same power as standard (not full) pressure .357 magnum loads from 18 inch barrels, so it’s fair to say it’s substantially stronger than 9mm.

      • Ares Defense SCR? Traditional right stock, but takes any AR upper and optic. 5.5lbs and accepts any AR mag, too. Reviewed here a while back.

      • The problem is that it’s neither here or there. As others have noted, it’s very similar to .357 Magnum, except it’s not rimmed, and its powder load is optimized for carbine (18″) barrels. So for handguns it’s not particularly useful because it would lose too much velocity and produce too large of a blast, while in carbines it is ballistically inferior to pretty much any intermediate rifle cartridge (.223, 7.62×39, .300 BLK etc) for almost the same package weight and size. Nor is it cheap like 9mm. So what’s the point?

        About the only niche I can see it fitting is pistol caliber carbines. But then again, their main attraction is to be able to reuse cheap pistol ammo, and in many cases, magazines, neither of which would apply to .30 Carbine.

    • Ruger made a revolver a Blackhawk, chambered in .30 Carbine.

      The one pistol I’ve run into was an AMT Automag III in .30 Carbine. It had a most impressive muzzle bloom – lit up a whole indoor range with the muzzle flash. Very accurate, but kinda rare.

      • Just guessing, but being primarily a carbine round, the major manufacturers probably load it with slower burning powders than they would a pistol round. Might make a great pistol round to hand load.

  10. I regret now that I was so wrapped up in my own gun’s bad performance (not an M1 by the way) that I didn’t take the ex FBI sniper up on his offer to let me shoot his M1 last time we were at the range. Sure, he’s my brother-in-law’s buddy and we could make another trip out to the range, but now I feel like a schmuck for “blowing off” the offer.

  11. It’s a fun little carbine, easy to carry and shoot. Originals using surplus ammo aren’t terribly accurate, and prices have escalated, but who cares. Just stay away from the non-standard Universal M1 carbines. Many of their parts are incompatible with “real” M1 carbines and they may be unavailable if needed. A good Universal is a good little gun, but they did make too many bad ones.

    Tom W. said it best: “Sweet little carbine.”

    • I got a Universal carbine for a song awhile back, I knew it would be risky, but the price was right.

      It’s an okay gun, I replaced the springs in it plus magazine springs and it’ll go through a full 15 round mag 80% of the time without problem. It seems like it’s more a magazine problem, as I’ve got a quality aftermarket mag that runs better than the mag that came with it.

      I still want to get a real M1 or “real” clone, but I’m happy with it, and I’ve got less than $200, probably less than $175, into it.

      • I’m on my 2nd with no problems. I’d buy another for that price in a flash. I’ve found that the 30 rounders made by/stamped jay webley? work and always look for them at gunshows. Most other mags GI or not work like crap. I just picked up a box of soft point made by monarch for 22.00 (50 rds) @ acadamy I think. The same price for jacketed/SP. I have not shot them yet to see how they work. Universal made”polymer” 5 round single stack mag that’s supposed to be the cat’s meow. I’d love to get one but on feebay they run about $40. I have to rembember to look at the next gunshow.

  12. I love my Inland. I just wish the ammo was a lot cheaper to shoot. I used it in a shoot house for a 3 gun competition. It works really well as it is light and perfect length for indoor use. I don’t have any 30 round mags for it yet, but I think I need to change that.

  13. Replacing the pistol with a small and light carbine would provide better defensive capability and relieve pressure on infantry units to provide security for support units.
    That and most people could not hit the broadside of a barn with a 1911.

  14. Army Ordnance Depots modified M1 Carbines to run full auto and two magazines were tack welded back to back.
    The Longest Winter states this and Dad stated this was done as well.

    • There’s no dispute about this – the full-auto version of M1 was designated M2, and was issued widely in Korea.

      I haven’t heard about welding mags together, but there was a standard-issue mag coupler (Holder, Magazine T3-A1); and before it appeared, it was pretty common for soldiers to “jungle tape” magazines together for fast reloads.

  15. I’ve heard a lot about reliability issues with the new replica ones. Are they still a good cheaper more available option or are they junk for the most part?

  16. My ex grandfather-in-law has a WWII era M1 Carbine and armor piercing rounds.

    That thing is awesome. And the rounds and gun still run flawlessly. God only knows their actual age, too.

  17. Oh yeah brother !
    Thanks for this article it’s like we must be on the same wave length or something because this very type firearm has been on my mind the last couple of days.

    MasterPiece Arms makes a daddy paratrooper version replica and I mean right down to the wire folding stock.
    Guess what, it’s going in a small backpack that I always carry, I shall call it ‘homeland security’.

    .38 J-frame riding shotgun and the M1 backup.
    Life is good..

    • I think you’re thinking of Auto-Ordnance (a division of Kahr Arms). Masterpiece Arms makes those dumb MAC-10 clones.

  18. THIS is so cool…can be seen quite a bit in old episodes of “Combat”. I’d love to own one but it’s miles down the list of lust-worthy guns for me…

  19. I have a Howa made Thai Police M1 carbine. Although I guess it technically technically isn’t an M1, since it’s not USGI and Thailand used a different designation. I believe US made ones are Type 87 carbine, while the Howa made ones are Type 8 (police designation)

    Bayonet (which is different than USGI) removed with grinder becuase AWB. Thanks Clinton.

  20. It should be noted the bayonet lugs were only added in the post-war refurbishments.

    All WW2 versions lacked the bayonet lugs. It’s a good indicator of who did the research for war films. Many 1950s and 60s films show the post war carbines. Despite other flaws, “Saving Private Ryan” actually got this one right.

  21. I have a 1944 Inland M1 Carbine. They’re definitely a cool little rifle. When my kids mastered .22 bolt rifle we transitioned to the Carbine. They took to it like ducks to water, and were soon punching paper to the limit of its accuracy.

    The .30 carbine round is good at what it was intended to do, but I haven’t found any ammo for it besides MC and FMJ. I wouldn’t use the old GI steel core ammo if somebody paid me to do it!

    Federal Ordnance once made a bottom folding stock for the M1 Carbine, and I bought one for the Inland. With the folder installed it’s a cinch to sling it up close under your arm and carry it beneath your coat or slicker when running fences and checking the livestock. If the M1 Carbine has a disadvantage it’s that it’s top eject, and there’s no decent options for mounting optics without cruddying up the rifle.

  22. Cool little guns, and a handy “alternative caliber” concept. I’d like to pick up some of these some day, but would have a hard time justifying it given my more potent .300 BLK AR. Given the size and weight, I like having another 400-500 FPS over the .30 Carbine while simultaneously launching more aerodynamic bullets from a more accurate gun.

    Can’t argue with history, though. Better to own some.

  23. I’ve got a few laying around. My pops has what appears to be an authentic inland paratrooper with folding stock.

    I’ve got a universal m1 carbine pistol (quality sucks) and a couple universal receivers floating in a box with some m1 carbine slide castings. Some time, machining, and heat treatment would be required to finish those.

  24. The problem with the M1 today is the ammunition cost. They are simply too costly to feed and the cheap surplus is all gone.

    • Tula makes steel-cased ammo for around $.27 / round. Brass-cased ammo is as low as about $.37 / round. Ammoseek, gunbot and other ammo search engines are wonderful things.

  25. I have a AMT .30 cal semi-auto handgun. This monster shoots a flame about 18 inches and the gun range guys shit their pants. It used to cost 59 cents round but now about $1.00. Being a generous fellow, I allow any one who wants to fire this weapon a full mag. By the way it is for sale $1200.00 [email protected]

    • I have wondered if there is a market for a 1911 style semi-auto in .30 carbine since AMT went belly up decades ago.

      • There definitely is but only as a novelty as shortening the barrel too far just wastes the powder in a giant fireball. There would also be a slow ramp up and acceptance while ammo makers figure out we need a decent expanding bullet. It’d be a bit like a Coonan .357.

  26. This one’s on my list. Although the vintage models are starting to get a little pricey. I’ve seen the new manufacture Auto Ordinance models for around $650. Anyone know anything about them? Seems like a pretty viable alternative for the home defense carbine to the ARs. You can get 20 or 30 round mags and the fairly modest reduction in power is largely offset by lower recoil and a quieter report. And best of all, nobody will mistake you for an operator.

  27. I love the carbine, though I have these issues (IBM, Winchester)

    1) The lock to hold the bolt open is pretty sketchy, usually slams shut on me (like when cleaning)
    2) In freezing weather I have had issues of the bolt not going into battery but stopping at the point where the extractor would engage the lip of the casing
    3) I bought what was supposedly an authentic sling with oiler but try as I might I cannot get the sling/oiler combination into the stock.

    thanks

  29. Didn’t some company make them in .45 auto recently? Does that come close to the .30 carbine performance? Just thinking about the “stopping power” factor and having to introduce another cartridge during the war….

  30. Wonderful rifle, I have an original numbers matching Irwin-Pederson. (No its not for sale.)

    I prefer the early war flip site to the later one.

  31. I’ve been looking for a good one for a while now.
    Saturday, overwhelmed by “lust”, I bought a Polish AK 47 just to cool down.
    But the “Minigarand” is still in the crosshair!
    Just a bit expensive here, at 550-700€.
    But still……..

  32. I have brand new M1 Carbine, newly built, from Fulton Armory http://www.fulton-armory.com

    It works like a champ. After seeing the Box of Truth and doing some homework, I’m pretty confident this will punch a hole thru a car and is accurate enough for MOP (Minute of Pie pan). I don’t get to shoot it enough. It is fun, and mine is more than accurate with iron sights.. I’ve got a “scout” version with a rail, I’ve held off putting a red dot on it because I’m not seeing the need for it.

    Any gun that was used to kick Nazis in the crotch and defeat ravening Communist Hordes has got to be good.

    I wish Wilson Combat would make 30 round mags for it.

  35. I’ll be purchasing one sometime in early 2017. I gave up a Universal when my wife died in 1999. (I sold it to help defray her burial expenses). I adore the .30 Carbine, and as a marksman of 55 years (I began shooting at the age of six) I can still pick off a man at 200 yards with the Carbine without breathing hard.

    If I can afford a James River “Rock-ola” or “Fulton Armory” Carbine, I’ll take it. If I can’t, a new “improved” Inland M1 Carbine will do the job. Ron Norton of Inland has improved the quality of his products recently and they’ll “stand the test of time”.

    Don’t worry, the M1 Carbine can perform as well as an AR out to 200 yards. When the “feces strikes the air motivator” most of the targets will be well within this range. Newer barrels will provide you with 2 inch groups at 200 yards, and 1 inch groups at 100 yards. What more could you ask? The .30 Caliber 110 grain bullet at 2000 fps at the muzzle and 1602 fps at 100 yards (Hornady Mfg. ballistics) yields 627 foot-pounds of energy. This is sufficient for hunting deer and stopping bad people. 977 foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle makes Soft Point ammunition carry the energy in the class of the .41 Remington Magnum. If that won’t get the job done, you can turn in your “man card”.

  36. That world.guns.ru website points out that if the US Army had devoted a little attention to “souping up” the carbine, it would have had an “assault rifle” 20 years earlier with a lot less hassle, better ergonomics, and lighter weight. A couple hundred fps and ten grains more bullet puts the carbine in the StG44 class. It should be added that the original carbine cartridge substantially outperforms the WW2 submachine gun cartridges of Russia, Britain and Germany, in a platform lighter by several pounds and more accurate. The PPSh41, Sten and MP40 are the appropriate comparisons to the carbine, and it comes off very well.

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