World
Guns
M1/M2 Carbine "The War Baby"
| Country Of Origin: | USA |
| Designation: | Automatic Rifle |
| Cartridge: | 7.62 x 33 mm (.30 Carbine) |
| Production Date: | 1942- |
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| Weapon Dimensions: | Length: | 904 mm |
| Barrel: | 458 mm | |
| Weight: | 2.36 kg | |
| Rifling: | 4 grooves, rh | |
| Mag Capacity: | 15 or 30 rounds | |
| Rate Of Fire: | 750 rds/min |
The M1 Carbine: the War Baby. Baby because it was so much a 3/4 scale rifle; War Baby because it was the product of an urgently conceived requirement equally urgently satisfied by "Carbine" Williams and his colleagues at Winchester.
The Carbine was intended to "fill the gap" between the 9+ pound, full power M1 Rifle and the capable, but limited by its caliber, M1911A1 pistol. The intended user was the officer, the artilleryman, the signalman, the truck driver and the like, for whom the M1 Rifle was just to big and inconvenient to be practical, but who also needed a weapon with more useable reach than the pistol. At any but point-blank ranges the Carbine was easier to hit with than the pistol, too. More than 6 million Carbines were produced by a plethora of contractors, from hardware manufacturers to jukebox companies.
The U. S. Carbine, Cal..30, M1, commonly known as the M1 carbine,
is a gas-operated semi-automatic shoulder weapon with detachable box magazine.
Developed by Winchester, it was adopted by the U. S. Service in October
1941, and saw extensive use in both World War II and the Korean War. It
was used by many personnel, (officers, non-commissioned officers, administrative
personnel, and service troops), and was produced for the Government in
huge quantities.
To meet requirements of airborne troops, a modification of the M1 Carbine
designated M1A1 was standardized in May 1942. The M1A1 Carbine has a folding
metal stock, but its barrel and action assembly is identical to that of
the M 1 version.
The M2 and M3 Carbines, standardized in September 1944 and August 1945
respectively, were fitted with a selector switch permitting either semi
or full-automatic fire. They were regularly issued with a 30-round capacity
box magazine interchangeable with the 15-round magazine. The M2 and M3
Carbines, being capable of full-automatic fire, are classified as "machine
guns" under the National Firearms Act. Under the Act, a $200 fee must
be paid to the Federal Government before one can legally own, sell, or
otherwise transfer a weapon so classified.
During the World War II period there were many modifications and improvements
made to parts and accessories for the various models. These included bayonet
attachments, grenade launcher.