![]() However, the true comparison should be with the Colt M1911 pistol and Thompson submachine gun, as these were the weapons the M1 Carbine generally replaced. 30-06 cartridge used in the M1 Garand and BAR. Criticisms of the M1 Carbine generally arose when the user found himself in a situation where it did not deliver immediate stopping power against an enemy, as it lacked the devastating striking power of the. Jungle fighters such as Merrill’s Marauders appreciated the quickly changeable 15-round magazine as well. On the plains of Europe where longer shots were required, the M1 Carbine was less popular than among those fighting in jungles, where its shorter overall length allowed it to be handled more readily. Airborne troops liked the M1A1 Carbine as it was easily stowed for jumping. Fitted with a folding stock, the M1A1 version became the standard weapon of US paratroopers later in World War II. In fact, the practice of putting a double magazine pouch for 15-round magazines on the butt of the carbine allowed some troops to carry the weapon without magazine pouches on their belts. ![]() Support troops and others armed with the M1 Carbine generally liked the fact that it was lighter and handier than the M1 Garand. Troops had diverse reactions to the M1 Carbine depending on their circumstances. However, the trooper here providing rear security (foreground), who is from a glider infantry unit, has a fixed-stock M1 Carbine. Although the M1 Carbine was intended for use by support troops, it was also popular among airborne forces, and a folding-stock version, the M1A1, was developed for the paratroops. US airborne troops who jumped over the Netherlands as part of Operation Market Garden pause at the side of a road during September 1944. ![]() The war shortened the adoption and production process substantially the M1 Carbine was initially approved in October 1941, and deliveries to troops began in mid-1942. Although initially Winchester was involved primarily in developing the M1 Carbine’s cartridge, the firm would also eventually submit the winning design for the weapon itself, with a short-stroke gas-piston system. On the other hand, there were some reports of misfires due to the sensitivity of non-corrosive primers. 30-06 round was used with a slightly heavier 163-grain bullet.) M1 Carbine cartridges were produced with non-corrosive primers, one of many reasons why it was to prove especially popular with troops fighting in the jungles of the Pacific Theater. In actual practice for much of World War II, the M2 Armor Piercing. 30-06 ball round used a 152-grain bullet traveling at 2,805fps, which produced a muzzle energy of 2,742 foot pounds. 308 bullet of 110 grains traveling at about 1,900fps, which produced a muzzle energy of 880 foot pounds. 32 Winchester Self-Loading, provided the basis for the carbine round. A cartridge developed by Winchester early in the 20th century, the. The M1 Carbine’s 18in barrel meant that Winchester and the US Army had to develop a new cartridge with fasterburning powder that would give optimum performance. Traditionally, US carbines had been chambered for the same cartridge as the standard infantry rifle. An effective range of 300yd was considered optimal. Since many of the troops who would be issued the M1 Carbine had previously carried a pistol, it was considered necessary for the carbine to have greater range and firepower than the pistol. This made it far handier than the M1 Garand (9.5lb unloaded) or Thompson submachine gun (10.6lb unloaded). Because one of the problems in issuing the Garand to support troops who often had to carry other equipment was its length and weight, one criterion for the M1 Carbine was a weight of 5lb or less. Likewise, when the M1 Garand was adopted in 1936 there was no carbine version. The USA had issued carbines in the past, primarily to cavalry and artillery personnel, but, beginning with the 1903 Springfield, design philosophy had shifted to favor a standard-issue rifle with a medium-length barrel intended for use by all. However, it proved to be one of the most popular US small arms of all time, serving from World War II through at least the Vietnam War. Although some personnel who would previously have been armed with the pistol did carry an M1 Carbine instead, it did not completely supplant the pistol. In today’s terminology the M1 Carbine was an attempt to develop a PDW (Personal Defense Weapon) for those troops not involved in front-line infantry combat. The origins of the M1 Carbine lay in the US Army’s decision to develop a weapon that could replace the pistol carried by many soldiers with a more effective weapon. ![]() LEROY THOMPSON Series Editor Martin Pegler
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