Not Dead Yet: M1 Carbine

[JCooperfan1911]

Easy to confuse a garand for a carbine, they have the same name. I would call the Garand long and heavy. Carbine on the other hand not so much. I like the m1c but wouldn't pay the price for one, and built a 300aac AR instead, and load 110gr 30m1c bullets to 2050 fps. At 6.2 lbs, its comparatively heavy, but still damn light.

Of course if the poster was calling the M1C long and heavy... well, I guess there is always the Davy Crickett.

This is an M1C:



These GI guns can get confusing lol!

 

[crestoncowboy]

I have never heard the M1 carbine described has "heavy and long" before, nor is it a true PCC, but to each their own...

Fair enough. And its not. For a rifle its light and short enough. in the context of it being more of a pistol caliber was what I was referring to. Certainly lighter than anything back in the day when it was fielded. My winchester was my grandpas. The family always said it was the one he carried but to me that's suspect. I never heard him imply that personally and I had dad buy the gun from him. Then it came to me. He did say that people liked them because of the light weight. He was a big guy too. Im 6 3 and 200lb and he was likely bigger than me when he was young.

This fellow seems confused. Also, the .30 carbine generates 1000 ft-lbs of muzzle energy driving a 110 grain bullet at 2000

This fellow is always confused so I may well be..... lol

A 10mm pcc or sub. will be right there and far more compact. A 357/44 or many other pistol caliber rifles would be. I just grew up with two m1 carbines (all my family had for a deer rifle) and saw what it was and wasn't. We used it for everything from groundhog to coyote to deer.. I meant for a Glorified pistol its long and heavy. Great in a Ruger revolver Not for a rifle. (Im not a big 223 fan either. I use it for varmint) It was highly regarded by my grandpa in ww2. And when one of us finally got old enough and bought a real deer rifle (a lever action 30-30) we went out to shoot it and he was shocked by the recoil and noise. Of course he hadnt shot anything but a 410 and his .30, since the war. He died long before we got old enough to afford the big boomers we have today. He hated change or anything new.

I'm not hating on the carbine. Ive been on here for years and have always said they are one of my favorite guns. I have a lot of guns worth more but that one winchester is the last one id consider selling. For any price. I just consider it more of a handgun than a rifle

But back to the original post. My company sells to some large central and South American manufacturing facilities. Occasionally they fly some of our maintenance and management down for tours and training. Ive seen a few down there carrying m1 carbines. Some had folders and some had full stocks. Taurus Beretta clones and hi powers were the semi auto handguns they had. Im not sure if they were just private security or government. I was told conflicting stories.

 

[Alaskan Ironworker]

That guys hair looks like kenny powers lol, the mullet isnt dead either!

 

[mjsdwash]

This is an M1C:

View attachment 972864

These GI guns can get confusing lol!

M1GC maybe? Still easier than the other equipment names. That M1... not the tank, the tank mine, or the rifle, or the carbine, but the carbine?

 

[Mosin77]

Anything semi auto that has removable magazines, low recoil, and doesn’t weigh a ton would be entirely adequate for that kind of duty, whether it’s chambered in .32acp or 5.56 NATO. Kudos to the Israelis for being realistic about that and using what they have, instead of spending $$$ on the latest and greatest tactical whiz-bang rifle that would not realistically guard a street corner any better.

 

[Riomouse911]

If I was to use my M1 Carbine in a self/home defense role this is the ammo I would utilize. Im confident a 110 gr Gold Dot soft point would certainly fill the need well.



Stay safe.

 

[grampster]

My biggest regret was trading in my M-1 Carbine along with an Ithaca Featherlite 12ga shotgun to make a deal on an Ithaca XL900 semi auto 20 gauge with an extra Deerslayer barrel in the 70's. I got my Carbine from the NRA back in the 60's when they offered LE to buy one for a very cheap price. One had to join the NRA; I think the dues were $20.00 and for another $25.00 you got a new in the box M-1 Carbine, or vice versa. Some of the guys modified the stock to make it into a pistol grip.

 

[CapnMac]

Always important to realize that the M-1 Carbine was meant to be a PDW, a replacement for handguns, and filling a niche for engagements out to about 150m.

It's a very much "overgrown" PCC in many ways, and unlike most SMGs pressed into the PCC role, fires from a closed bolt (even in M2 form).

 

[Demi-human]

My biggest regret was trading in my M-1 Carbine

Once as a younger man, I found a metal cover that was drilled full of holes. I asked my grandfather about it. He said it was from his carbine when he was in Germany. He said he worked on tractors, the kind with cannons on them, and winked. He really liked it but had to sell it when he came north. He missed it, greatly.
But he did have a rifle, a Remington 760 30-06.
He went to the “cold room” and open a cracked brown pleather case. In it is my most cherish rifle, though not an M1.

I’ve looked for a carbine that was not an abandoned wreck for awhile now. I had to settle on a 300 Blackout AR. But settling it isn’t, as many here already know.
A thirty caliber hole is nothing to sneeze at.

 

[CapnMac]

The QMC nomenclature system which debuted in 1936, was adopted to address issues that had come up during WWI. Where the War Department had to juggle naming of things like the Model of 1917 Browning Machine gun; the Model of 1918 Browning Automatic Rifle; and the Model of 1919 Browning Machine guns all within about 10-11 months of each other. Further, that system did not well cope with multiple manufacturers or models across manufacturers.

So, the concept would be rather than the Name of the thing then it's Model year of adoption, everything would be enumerated from Model Number One (M-1) and then subcatergorized. The subcategory became important.
So, there would be a:
M-1 Light Tank
M-1 Medium Tank
M-1 Carbine
M-1 Rifle
and so on.

Back on topic, the full-auto capable Carbine was the M2; the product improved carbine with IR sighting was the M3; the cut-down M-16 (an actual "true" carbine) is the M4.

 

[Riomouse911]

That sounds like it could be an M-1 headache for the Quartermaster Corps. to figure out which M-1 the unit is asking for .

My all time wanna-get WWII firearm is a Thompson M1 .45... .

Stay safe.

 

[Ignition Override]

If those Israeli guards, or any other private guards around the world possibly have only very limited handgun skills,
then this Carbine is a much better choice?

Supposedly it was designed, or maybe just deployed - to replace both the 1911 and Thompson during WW2.

Our gun shop in the next suburb has an attractive "GI" Carbine for about $800, but I can't justify buying it (--Nothing to do with ammo avail.--).

 

[AK103K]

$800 for a decent Carbine is a pretty good price these days. Ive watched a number in the past couple of weeks on a local shops gun broker page go for up to and over $2k, and they really werent anything special.

 

[Jimster]

I regret spending $1,249 on a new Inland Mfg (new built, not original) but I was a sucker for their slick advertising.
Wish I had bought an original instead. Whaaaaa! Boo Hoo!

 

[CapnMac]

That sounds like it could be an M-1 headache for the Quartermaster Corps. to figure out which M-1 the unit is asking for

That's what the sing-song nomenclature is for, though.
They developed a database array of individual vectors subdivided.
So, a Corps Artillery unit might have
Cannon, M1, 155mm with Limber M1A5, pulled by Tractor, High Speed, M8
And, Carbines, M-1; Rifles, M-1, and so on.
But, the supply started at the Company level and kept getting kicked up the chain to where ever the actual replenishment occurred.
Worst case would likely be an Armored Division in the 40s, where they'd have Scout Car, M3; Half-track, M3; Light Tank, M3; and medium Tank, M3 all on the books at the same time. While also having a Gun, 37mm, M1 on Mount, M3A1 on the books, too.

But, they did end the confusion of Cannon, 75mm, Model of 1895; Howitzer, Field, 75mm, Model of 1901, and Gun, Field, 75mm, Model of 1903--all of which were functionally the same weapon, just used differently (by 1919 we had three "french 75s" in service, all while fielding a US-made, US-version at the same time.

Ordnance later developed the Howitzer, Field, 75mm, M1, on Mount [fill in the blank].

 

[Carl N. Brown]

The M1 Carbine with FMJ bullet is supposed to have the same wound effect as the .38 Special.158 gr lead roundnose.
The M1 Carbine with the jacketed softnose hollowpoint bullet is supposed to the same wound effect as the .357 Magnum jacket hollowpoint.
That's assuming the ammo is the standard Winchester recommended load of 110gr bullet at 1950 fps.
CMP claims some of the military issue .30 carbine ammo issued in the 1950s and 1960s chronographed in the 1700 fps range

 

[Alex Clayton]

The Brazilians thought the .30 Carbine would make a dandy CQB cartridge for use in dense urban combat, with less noise, recoil, and penetration than the .223.

Unfortunately, the rifle that Taurus made up for it, the CT30, was a dismal failure.
View attachment 972853
https://www.armoryblog.com/news/brazilian-police-returning-1500-taurus-ct30-carbines/

Damn! I can see why they would be a little bit mad 2K each and they could not make the thing work?

 

[theotherwaldo]

That Israeli issue carbine is set up exactly like my old truck gun.
-And I'd felt like I'd been ripped of for spending $400.00 on it... .

 

[JCooperfan1911]

That Israeli issue carbine is set up exactly like my old truck gun.
-And I'd felt like I'd been ripped of for spending $400.00 on it... .

I bought my 1943 Underwood for around $75 back in the early 80s.

 

[lemaymiami]

For anyone interested, those comparisons between 38 and .357 and 30 carbine rounds are a tad mis-leading... If I remember correctly those figures were for pistol rounds at muzzle velocity compared to 30 carbine rounds... 100 yards downrange...
At relatively close quarters (50 yards) for that 30 carbine, I'll take it any day with soft point ammo instead of a pistol (almost any pistol) if and when things get ugly. Quick pointing, very maneuverable (when speed might equal life itself...) and quite handy, that old carbine will still fill the need. It's also instructive that Audie Murphy, all those years ago (supposed to be the most decorated soldier in the European theatre...) used and preferred the carbine for his adventures (and that was with issued hardball rounds - not soft points...).

 

[greyling22]

I have one of those choate stocks, but mine doesnt fold. Good ergos, needed some deburring. I had it mounted with a 2x scout scope on an ultimak rail. Shot great, but I went back old school after a while. It just looks better.

 

[AK103K]

It's also instructive that Audie Murphy, all those years ago (supposed to be the most decorated soldier in the European theatre...) used and preferred the carbine for his adventures (and that was with issued hardball rounds - not soft points...).

Im sure that his stature, and the fact that it carried double the onboard ammo as the Garand had something to do with it too.

 

[Speedo66]

I bought my 1943 Underwood for around $75 back in the early 80s.

You did well, I paid that same amount for the same year and manufacturer in the mid '70's.

Still have it, but I think it's going to go to my son soon.

 

[35 Whelen]

I would take the M1 carbine over many of the current plastic fantastics- SCAR, Tavor, etc.

This is pretty much my position too. As a personal defense weapon out to 150, maybe 200 yds., I think they're hard to beat. Also I think their ergonomics are far better for shooters who aren't accustomed to handling rifles.

35W

 

[Gordon]

I put a Burris Fast fire 3 on the Ulti Mak mount on my rebuilt an reliable Inland GI Carbine. The new Korean 30 round mags work great ! I had been using the Remington Softpoint load for decades for ranch close in predators or slaughtering un catchable live stock very well , unless I used FMJ thru the brain sometimes, either worked great . With the new Fast Fire 3 and the great Ulti Mak mount the carbine is very fast on target and deadly to 100 yards.. The women in my FAMILY REALLY LOVE IT Better than the AR format.