M1 Carbine
Encyclopedia : M : M1 : M1C : M1 Carbine
 M1 Carbine | |
| M1 Carbine | |
|---|---|
| Type | Carbine |
| Nation(s) of origin | United States of America |
| Era | World War II to Vietnam War |
| History | |
| Date of design | 1938–1941 |
| Production period | September 1941— |
| Service duration | July 1942 to 1960s (U.S.) |
| Operators | U.S. and Allies, Bavaria, Israel, Norway, South Vietnam, Brazil |
| War service | WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War |
| Variants | M1A1, M2, M3 |
| Number built | Over 6.25 million |
| Specifications | |
| Type | Semi-automatic carbine (M1 and M1A1) |
| Caliber | 7.62 x 33 mm (.30 in) |
| Ammunition | .30 Carbine |
| Feed system | 15 or 30-round detachable box |
| Firearm action>Action | Gas-operated, rotating bolt |
| Length | 35.6 in (904 mm) |
| Gun barrel>Barrel length | 18 in (458 mm) |
| Weight | 5.2 lb (2.36 kg) empty |
| Rate of fire | Semi-auto (M1/A1); 650–700 round/min (M2/M3) |
| Muzzle velocity | 1,970 ft/s (600 m/s) |
| Effective range | 300 yd (275 m) |
The M1 Carbine (formally the United States Carbine, Caliber .30, M1) was a lightweight semi-automatic carbine that became a standard firearm in the U.S. military during World War II and the Korean War, and resulted in a number of variants. It found favor with many frontline troops, and came into wide use over several decades.
In selective fire versions capable of fully-automatic fire, it is designated M2 Carbine. The M3 Carbine was an M2 with an active infrared scope system. It has also been a popular civilian firearm.
History
The United States Army's M1 Garand rifle was originally developed to chamber a lighter .276 round, but this design feature was cancelled in the early 1930s, delaying the introduction of the rifle until 1936. The M1 rifle would eventually be chambered for the same powerful .30-06 Springfield standard round used in other service weapons of the time, such as the Springfield M1903, the BAR, and the M1917/M1919 machine guns). This left the army without the lighter, handier rifle it had wanted. This, along with lessons learned during earlier wars, observations of conflicts during the 1930s, and dissatisfaction with existing submachine guns and rifles contributed to the development of the M1 Carbine.Troops in the rear, or frontline troops required to carry a several other equipment (such as medics and engineers) had found the older full-size rifles too cumbersome, and pistols and revolvers to be insufficiently accurate or powerful. Submachine guns like the Thompson were more than sufficiently powerful for close range encounters, but lacked effective range and were not significantly less difficult to carry and maintain than the existing service rifles (such as the M1903 and Garand).
Much the same constraints applied to airborne infantry, a concept that was also under consideration at the time. Prior to the development and issue of submachine guns such as the M3 "Grease Gun", a submachine gun like the Thompson was also much more expensive than pistols and most rifles of the period. 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 that a new weapon was needed for these other roles. While the range of a pistol is about 50 yards (45 m) and the range of existing rifles was several hundred yards, the requirement for the new firearm called for a range of 300 yards (275 m).
A carbine version of the standard-issue semi-automatic rifle was considered, but the .30-06 round for which the M1 Garand was chambered was found to be too powerful. The requirement was for a weapon lighter and handier than the Garand, with less recoil than the rifle, but at the same time, greater range, accuracy, and effective stopping power than the M1911A1 pistols currently in use. The M1 Carbine was particularly intended for soldiers who needed a lightweight rifle — such as paratroopers and engineers — and for infantry involved in such shorter range engagements as commonly occurs in urban and jungle warfare.
In 1938, the Chief of Infantry requested that the Ordnance Department develop a lightweight rifle or carbine, though the formal requirement for the weapon type was not approved until 1940. This led to a competition in 1941 by major U.S. 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 the famous weapons designer John Browning. A couple of months after Ed Browning's death 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 the 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 Department to examine their design, who 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 in 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 recoil, cost, or weight of a full-power weapon. The weapon would give rear-echelon troops a better chance to defend themselves if directly attacked. 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 many other pieces of equipment. Also, officers or NCOs would sometimes choose it over a submachine gun. The automatic and dedicated paratrooper versions would further expand its use.
The first M1 Carbines were delivered in mid-1942. Initially, the weapon was scheduled to be developed with selective fire capability, but the decision was made to put the M1 into production without this feature. Fully-automatic fire capability was incorporated in the design of the M2 Carbine, a selective fire version of the M1. The M2 Carbine proved to be quite popular among frontline troops as well, and would go on to be used heavily in late WWII, Korea, and in the earlier years of the Vietnam War. These weapons began to be replaced by the M16 in the late 1960s, and many M1, M2, and M3 Carbines were given to the South Vietnamese.
The M1 series was finally replaced by the M16 in the 1960s, though it continued to be used as a civilian firearm. The M1/M2/M3 Carbine series was the most heavily produced family of U.S. military weapons for several decades, until surpassed by production of the M16 series. The M1 remains the most produced specific model.
Performance
Although the M1 Carbine is sometimes compared to the M1 Garand, it has a different gas system and trigger mechanism design. It is based upon a lightweight tappet-and-slide gas system and uses detachable, large-capacity magazines (originally with capacity of 15 rounds, and later 30 rounds with the introduction of the M2). It chambers the .30 Carbine, a smaller and lighter .30 caliber/7.62 mm cartridge that is very different, in both design and performance, from the larger .30-06 Springfield cartridge used in the Garand.
The .30 Carbine cartridge was intermediate in both muzzle energy (ME) and muzzle velocity (MV); from the M1 Carbine's 18-inch barrel, it had a muzzle velocity of approximately 580 to 600 m/s (1,900 to 1,970 ft/s), between those of contemporary submachine guns (approximately 280 to 490 m/s or 920 to 1,600 ft/s) and full-power rifles and light machine guns (approximately 740 to 855 m/s or 2,400 to 2,800 ft/s). For example, the U.S. M3 "Grease Gun" chambered in .45 ACP had a MV of 281 m/s (920 ft/s), the British Bren light machine gun in .303 British had a MV 744 m/s (2,440 ft/s), and the M1 Garand firing .30-06 Springfield had a MV of 853 m/s (2,800 ft/s). It is important to realize that the barrel length affects the muzzle energy and velocity; more recent and shorter-barreled firearms (such as pistols) using the .30 Carbine cartridge are much weaker. At the M1 Carbine's maximum listed range, its bullets still have about the same energy as small pistols like the Nambu pistol.
One characteristic of the .30 Carbine ammunition is that it was specified that non-corrosive primers be used. This was the first major use of this type of primers in a military firearm. Because the rifle had a closed gas system, not normally disassembled, corrosive primers would have led to a rapid deterioration of the gas system.
A common misconception is that the M1 Carbine is insufficently powerful for general military use. A standard issue bullet weighs 110 grains (7.1 grams) and has a muzzle velocity of 1,900 ft/s, (580 m/s) giving it 880 foot-pounds (1,190 joules) of energy. In comparison, a .357 Magnum revolver fires the same weight bullet at about 1,300 ft/s (396 m/s) for about 410 foot-pounds (560 J) of energy. (Reference: [Winchester Ammunition]). The inadequacy myth likely stems from erroneous, exaggerated, or misinterpreted battle reports or a simple visual comparrison of the size of the cartridge compared to the issue 30 caliber rifle round.
The M1 Carbine had a high practical rate of fire. This, and the carbine's light weight, compactness, and low recoil made it a convenient self-defense weapon. With a much-reduced kick compared to the M1 Garand, a soldier was able to fire multiple aimed shots more rapidly.
Categorizing the M1 Carbine series has been the subject of much debate. The M1 Carbine is sufficiently accurate at short ranges. At 100 yards, the Carbine can deliver groups of between 3 and 5 minutes of angle. Its muzzle energy and range are beyond those of any submachine gun of the period, but less than those of other service rifles of the period. The classification of the M2 and M3 is also a controversial subject. It can be argued that the M2 is among the first of the modern "assault" rifles, in league with the AK-47 and Sturmgewehr 44, although the cartridge gives up significant muzzle velocity (roughly 350 ft/s or 100 m/s) to both. Whatever the case, these carbines used an intermediate-power cartridge and have much in common with the M16 rifle series that replaced it in the U.S. Army — although with shorter effective range (about 275 m versus 400 m) due to the superior aerodynamics and muzzle velocity of the 5.56 x 45 mm NATO. The 18-inch barrel of the M1 is two inches shorter than the M16's, but longer than the M4 Carbine's.
Variants
Carbine M1A1
- Folding stock, 15-round magazine
- Paratrooper usage
- About 150,000 produced
Carbine M2
- Early 1945
- The M2 Carbine was a selective fire (capable of fully-automatic fire) version and was used with a 30-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
Related equipment and accessories
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
Attachments
The M1 Carbine was used with the M8 grenade launcher, which was fired with the M6 cartridge. The M1 Carbine was designed to be used with the M4 bayonet. The M4 bayonet formed the basis for the later M6 and M7 bayonet-knives.During World War II, the T23 flash hider was also developed, which could greatly reduce muzzle flash; it was developed from an earlier model for the M1 Garand.
The M3 Carbine was initially used with the M1 sniper scope ("Snooperscope"), which was an active infrared scope system. Before the M3 Carbine and M1 sniper scope were type-classified, they were known as the T3 and T120, respectively. The system continued to be developed, and by the time of the Korean War, it was used with the M3 sniper scope. Eventually, the scopes would be superseded by passive infrared scopes. All the M1 attachments would fade out of U.S. military service during the 1960s, when the M1 Carbine would be replaced by the 5.56 mm firearms — the M16 and its carbine variants, such as the XM177/CAR-15. Many of the attachments continued to be used with other countries that also used the M1, such as South Vietnam and Israel. Civilians also bought many surplus attachments.
Production and 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.
The German designation for captured Carbines was Selbstladekarabiner 455(a). The "(a)" came from the country name in German; in this case, Amerika.
The SAS used the M1A1 Carbine after 1943. They were found to be perfectly suited for the kind of operation the unit carried out. It was handy enough to parachute with, and, in addition, could be easily stowed in their jeeps.
A variant of the M1 Carbine was produced shortly after WWII by the Japanese manufacturer Howa Machinery, under U.S. supervision. These carbines were issued to the Japan Self-Defense Forces, and large numbers of them found their way to Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War.
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 reconnaissance companies of the Israeli Defence Forces.
It was also used by police and border guard in Bavaria after WWII and into the 1950s. The carbines were stamped according to the branch they were in service with; for instance, those used by the border guard were stamped "BUNDESGRENZSCHUTZ". Some of these weapons were modified with different sights, finishes, and sometimes new barrels.
After the Korean War, the carbine was widely exported to U.S. allies and client states (such as South Korea and other European allies), and was used as a frontline 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 U.S. and elsewhere. Starting in the mid-1950s, U.S. military surplus M1 Carbines were sold through the National Rifle Association for $20 (USD). 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 Company.
The M1 Carbine is still in use today by many civilian shooters and police around the world. The .30 Carbine is used for a number of types of hunting, including 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 to 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 as 5.56 mm NATO bullets, and has an order of magnitude higher penetration than submachine guns, as various ballistic tests confirm. Unlike the unsteady 5.56 mm round, however, the .30 Carbine has far less ricochets.
The Israeli police still use the M1 Carbine as a standard weapon for non-combat elements and MASHAZ volunteers. During the late 1990s, the police started to issue a modernized M1A1 with lightweight plastic stock replacing the wooden "furniture", but a limited budget ensured they never completely replaced the earlier version.
In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a police battalion named BOPE (Batalhão de Operações Policiais Especiais, or "Special Police Operations Batallion") also uses the M1 Carbine.
Operators summary
- Allies of World War II (1940s)
- Bavaria (1940s–50s, Border Guard)
- Brazil (present, BOPE)
- Israel (1945–1957, Israeli Defence Forces; 1970s–present, Israeli Police; 1974–present, MASHAZ)
- South Vietnam (1960s–70s)
- United Kingdom (Royal Ulster Constabulary, as of 1992)
- United States (1940s–60s/70s, Armed Forces)
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 later lever-safety (instead of the more common button safety). The AOM110W and AOM120W models feature a birch stock and handguard, parkerized receiver and flip style rear sight. The AOM130 and AOM140 models feature American walnut stock and handguard, parkerized receiver, flip style rear sight, flat bolt and a barrel band.An Israeli arms company called "Advanced Combat Systems" offers a modernized bullpup design of the M1 Carbine called Hezi SM-1. The company claimed accuracy of 1.5 MOA in 100 yards with the weapon. [link]
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
References
External links
- [Bullet penetration test with M1 Carbine]
- [Bullet penetration test with M1 Carbine (another test)]
- [M1 Carbine Article]
- [M1 Carbine Family: M1, M1A1, M2, M3]
- [Auto-Ordnance M1 Carbines]
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