M1 carbine
| M1 Carbine | |
|---|---|
 M1 Carbine | |
| Type | service rifle |
| Service history | |
| Wars | US: WW2, Korea, Vietnam |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 2.36 kg empty |
| Length | 904 mm |
The M1 Carbine (more formally the United States Carbine, Caliber .30, M1) was a lightweight semi-automatic rifle and carbine that was a standard firearm in the US military during World War II and the Korean War. In a select-fire version, it was known as the M2 and M3 Carbines. It has also been a popular civilian firearm as well.
History
The weapon was developed in part due the cancellation of the .276 Garand, lessons learned for earlier wars, observations of conflicts during the 1930s and earlier, and dissatisfaction with existing submachine guns and rifles. The Garand was orginally developed for a new lighter .276 round, but this version was cancelled in the 1930s. This delayed introduction of the Garand, now chambered for 30-06 until 1936 or so, and left the army without the lighter, handier rifle it had wanted. Troops in the rear, or frontline troops that had to carry a lot of other eqipment (such as medics and engineers) had found the older full-size rifles too cumbersome, and pistols and revolvers not to be powerfull enough. Submachine guns like the Tommy Gun, were powerful for close range encounters, but did not have much more range than pistols (and were much more expensive). Much the same applied to Paratroopers, a concept that was also under consideration at the time. The 30-06 Garand then entering into service in the late 1930s was as heavy and cumbersome as the existing service rifles; it was decided a new weapon was needed for these other roles.
In 1938, the Chief of Infantry requested that the Ordnance Department develop a light rifle or carbine, though the formal requirement for the weapon type was not approved until 1940. This lead to a competition in 1941 by major US firearm companies and designers. Winchester Repeating Arms at first did not submit a design. The company was too busy perfecting the Winchester Military Rifle in .30-06. The rifle originated as a design by Jonathan Edmund "Ed" Browning, the half-brother of inventor Jonathan Moses Browning. A couple of months after Ed Browning died in May of 1939, Winchester hired ex-convict David M. "Carbine" Williams, a some-time bootlegger who had devised a short-stroke gas piston design while serving a prison sentence for murder. (This unlikely true story, a natural for the movie industry, was the basis of the 1952 movie Carbine Williams starring James Stewart.) Winchester hoped that Williams would be able to complete various designs left unfinished by Ed Browning. Williams first design change for the rifle was the incorporation of his short-stroke piston design. After Marine Corps semi-automatic rifle trials in 1940, Browning's rear-locking tilting bolt design was considered to be unreliable in sandy conditions. As a result, the rifle was redesigned yet again to incorporate a Garand-style rotating bolt and operating rod.
By May 1941, the rifle prototype had been shaved to a mere 7.5 pounds (3.4 kg). Winchester contacted the Ordnance Depatment to examine their design. They believed that the design could be scaled down to a carbine which weighed 4.5 to 4.75 pounds (2.0 to 2.2 kg). In response, Major René Studler demanded that they produce a carbine prototype as soon as possible. The first model was developed in 13 days by William C. Roemer and Fred Humeston. It was cobbled together using the trigger housing and lockwork of a Winchester M1905 rifle. The prototype was an immediate hit with Army observers. After the initial Army testing in August 1941, Winchester set out to develop a more refined version. The improved model competed successfully against other carbine candidates in September 1941, and Winchester was notified of their victory the very next month. Standardization as the M1 Carbine was approved October 22, 1941. Contrary to popular myth, Williams had little to do with the carbine's development. As a matter of fact, he went about creating his own design apart from the other Winchester staff. Williams' carbine design was not ready for testing until December 1941, two months after the Winchester M1 carbine had been adopted and type-classified.
The weapon was designed primarily to offer non-frontline troops a better weapon than a pistol in terms of range and hitting power, but without the cost or weight of a full power weapon. The weapon would give rear-echelon troops a better chance to defend themselves if directly attacked by front line forces. It was also easier for less experienced soldiers and smaller framed people to fire the weapon than the full power rifles of the day. In addition, it was useful for soldiers like radiomen, engineers, and medics that had to carry a lot of other equipment. Also, officers or NCO's would sometimes choose it over a submachinegun. The automatic and dedicated paratrooper versions would further expand its use.
The first M1 Carbines were delivered in mid 1942. Initially the weapon was going to be automatic-fire, but this feature was dropped on the production version. The feature would be added again on the M2 Carbine, a selective fire M1. The weapon ended up being popular among frontline troops as well and would go on to be used heavily in WWII, Korea, and to a degree in Vietnam. The weapons started to be replaced by M16s in the late 1960s, and many of the older carbines were given to the South Vietnamese.
The M1 series was finally replaced by the M16 in the 1960's, though it continued to be used as a civilian firearm. The M1 series was the most produced US weapon for several decades, until surpassed by M16 production.
Design
Although the M1 Carbine is sometimes described as a development of the M1 Garand rifle, at a technical level was not. It has a different internal design, based upon a lightweight tappet-and-slide gas system and a detachable, large-capacity magazines. It fires a smaller and lighter (.30 Carbine) (.30 caliber (7.62 mm)) cartridge which is very different, in both design and performance, from the full-sized .30-'06 cartridge used by the Garand.
The weapon was also issued to some regular troops, particularly officers, drivers, and radio operators, since it was lighter and more handy than the M1 Garand rifle, and was still considered suitable for shorter range combat. Variants including folding stocks for paratroopers and select fire versions (M2 and M3).
The Carbine was a intermediate weapon for the period; the muzzle velocity from its 18 inch barrel was 600 to 585 m/s (depending on the round), as opposed to sub-machine guns (typically 300-400 m/s), but less than full power rifles of the day (typically 700-800). For example, the M3 "grease gun" had a muzzle velocity of 281 m/s, while for the German assault rifle StG 44 it was 647 m/s, the Bren light machine gun, 744 m/s, and the Garand , 853 m/s.
The firearm's power should not be confused with a number later, shorter barreled firearms using the round (such as pistols). With a much shorter barrel, much less power is extracted from the powder than with a longer barrel. Another misconception is that a few layers of heavy clothing can stop bullets, but this has been shown to be incorrect in ballistic tests. Even at 300 yards, the round has more energy (under 300 ft-lb / 400 joules) then many common pistol rounds have to begin with (initial muzzle energy). In other words, even at the firearm's maximum listed range, being hit would be similar to being shot with a small pistol at point blank range. The quality of the original 300 yard (270 meter) sight was also a subject of some criticism, as was its performance in extremely cold temperatures, outside of its designed operating temperature.
The M1 carbine's capabilities was between those of typical submachine guns of the period at the low end and long rifles (e.g. battle rifles) of the period at the high end. The weapon's cartridge was weaker compared to full powered cartridge/rifle combinations of the period, though the muzzle velocity (600 m/s;1970 ft/s) is beyond any SMG of the period. The 'blunt'-nose is actually more of parabolic round shape bullet. Rounded bullets in general can be more likely to result in bullet expansion, though it is has full metal jacket.
The M1 carbine had a high practical rate of fire and typical combat did not require the range of a full-power rifle, and the carbine's light weight, compactness, and low recoil made it a convenient self-defense weapon. These advantages made the weapon popular with many soldiers. There has often been debates about what category the M1 Carbine series fits into, especially in a historical context, but its complicated because of its hybrid nature. Its muzzle energy and range are beyond any SMG of the period, but less then the heavier rifles of its era.
Variants
Carbine M1A1
- Folding stock
- Paratrooper usage
- about 150,000 produced
Carbine M2
- Early 1945
- The M2 Carbine was a select fire (capable of fully automatic fire) version and was used with a thirty round magazine.
- about 600,000 produced
Carbine M3
- M2 with mounting for an early active (infrared) night vision sight.
- Saw extensive use in the battle of Okinawa. An improved version of the M3 was used in Korea as well.
- about 3,000 produced
Round types
The rounds used by the military with the carbine include:
- Cartridge, Caliber .30, Carbine, Ball, M1
- Cartridge, Caliber .30, Carbine, Grenade, M6
- Cartridge, Dummy, Caliber .30, Carbine, M13
- Cartridge, Caliber .30, Carbine, Ball, High Pressure Test, M18
- Cartridge, Caliber .30, Carbine, Tracer; M27
Production & usage
A total of 6.25 million M1 Carbines of various models were manufactured, thus making it the most produced small arm in American military history. Despite being designed by Winchester, the great majority of these were made by other companies. The largest producer was the Inland division of General Motors, but many others were made by contractors as diverse as IBM and the Rock-Ola jukebox company.
Numerous M1 Carbines were obtained and used by the Israeli Palmach-based special forces in the Israeli War of Independence in 1948. Because of their compact size and semi-auto capabilities, the M1 carbines were given to reconnaisance companies of the Israeli Defence Forces.
It was also used by police and border guard in Bavaria after WW2 and into the 1950s. Weapons that were used were stamped accordingly. For example, ones used by the border guard were stamped BUNDESGRENZSHUTZ. Some that were used were modified with different sights, finishes, and even barrels.
After the Korean War the Carbine was widely exported to US allies and client states, and was used as a front-line weapon well into the Vietnam era. The M1 was quite popular in both the Korean and Israeli militaries. Surplus Carbines are popular among firearms enthusiasts in the US and elsewhere. Starting in the mid-1950s, U.S. military surplus M1 Carbines were sold through the National Rifle Association for $20. When surplus stocks began to wane there was limited civilian production of the design by Iver-Johnson, Universal (who made some changes in the parts), and then Israel Arms International. This extended production into the 1990s. As of 2004, the M1 Carbine was again being manufactured commercially by a subsidiary of Kahr Arms - Auto Ordnance.
The M1 Carbine is still in use today by many civilian shooters and police. The .30 Carbine is used for a number of types of hunting, incuding that of white-tailed deer. Note that the round is considered underpowered for larger North American game such as elk, moose, and bear, which are significantly tougher than humans. Also, the rules do not take into the account the ability fire multiple shots, and the automatic version is highly restricted. The gun's inherent accuracy, combined with a somewhat diminished risk of over-penetration due to its round-headed comparatively lightweight projectile, is considered to be of tactical use in urban areas, where civilians may be on the other side of walls. The bullet is actually about twice as heavy 5.56 mm NATO bullets, and has a order of magnitude higher penetration then submachine guns, as various ballistic tests confirm. The Israeli police still use the M1 Carbine as standard rifle for non-combat elements and MASHAZ volunteers.
Current Production
The Auto-Ordnance division of Kahr Arms began production of an M1 Carbine replica in 2005. It is largely a faithful reproduction of the original, albeit with a different stock (birch vs walnut) and handguard (stamped metal instead of wood), and later lever-safety (instead of the more common button safety).
See also
- List of firearms
- List of World War II firearms
- List of individual weapons of the U.S. Armed Forces
- Military technology and equipment
External Links
- Bullet penetration test with M1 Carbine ("Temporarily unavailable" as of August 7, 2005)