M1 carbine

Carbine, Caliber .30, M1
M1 carbine
TypeSemi-automatic carbine (M1)
Selective-fire carbine (M2/M3)
Place of originUnited States
Service history
In service
  • 1942–1973 (United States)
  • 1942–present (other countries)
Used bySee Users
Wars
Production history
Designer
Designed1941
Manufacturer
Unit costAbout $45 (WWII) (equivalent to $790 in 2023)
Produced
  • July 1942 – August 1945 (U.S. military)
  • 1945–present (commercial)
No. built6,121,309 (WWII)[9]
VariantsSee Variants
Specifications
Mass5.2 lb (2.4 kg) empty 5.8 lb (2.6 kg) loaded w/sling
Length35.6 in (900 mm)
Barrel length17.75 in (451 mm)
Cartridge.30 Carbine
ActionGas-operated (short-stroke piston), rotating bolt
Rate of fire
  • 60–70 aimed rounds/min (M1/A1)
  • 750 rounds/min (M2)[9]
Muzzle velocity1,990 ft/s (607 m/s)
Effective firing range219–328 yd (200–300 m)[10]
Feed system15- or 30-round detachable box magazine
Sights
  • Rear sight: aperture; L-type flip or adjustable
  • Front sight: wing-protected post

The M1 carbine (formally the United States carbine, caliber .30, M1) is a lightweight semi-automatic carbine that was issued to the U.S. military during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.[11] The M1 carbine was produced in several variants and was widely used by paramilitary and police forces around the world after World War II.

The M2 carbine is the selective-fire version of the M1 carbine, capable of firing in both semi-automatic and full-automatic. The M3 carbine was an M2 carbine with an active infrared scope system.[12]

Despite having a similar name and physical outward appearance, the M1 carbine is not a carbine version of the M1 Garand rifle. On 1 July 1925, the U.S. Army began using the current naming convention where the "M" is the designation for "Model" and the number represents the sequential development of equipment and weapons.[13] Therefore, the "M1 carbine" was the first carbine developed under this system. The "M2 carbine" was the second carbine developed under the system, etc.

  1. ^ Bloomfield & Leiss 1967, pp. 80–81.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Pigs was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Rifles of Bolivia 1900-1990". Archived from the original on 4 December 2022.
  4. ^ Katz, Sam (24 March 1988). Arab Armies of the Middle East Wars (2). Men-at-Arms 128. Osprey Publishing. pp. 40–41. ISBN 978-0-85045-800-8.
  5. ^ "Warga Aceh serahkan delapan senjata api ke TNI AD". gorontalo.antaranews.com (in Indonesian). 3 January 2019. Archived from the original on 20 November 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  6. ^ "Nayarit Update". Borderland Beat. Archived from the original on 2 August 2019.
  7. ^ Brian Wood; Johan Peleman (1999). The Arms Fixers. Controlling the Brokers and Shipping Agents (Report). PRIO. p. 40. Archived from the original on 13 May 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2023. At the busiest US port, Long Beach in California, an average of 8,400 cargo containers in the port area could be checked every day – but US Customs has fewer than 135 inspectors there. It was therefore almost by accident that, in March 1997, federal agents at the US–Mexico border opened two suspect sealed containers from Long Beach, and this led them to the largest illicit arms shipment ever intercepted en route from the USA to Mexico.2 The arms, including M-2 automatic rifles, had originally been left behind in Vietnam by the US armed forces.
  8. ^ "Small Arms Captured by SAA During Operation BASALT". 7 August 2018. Archived from the original on 7 April 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  9. ^ a b Thompson, Leroy (22 November 2011). The M1 Carbine. Osprey Publishing. pp. 25–30, 32, 41–56, 57–70. ISBN 978-1-84908-619-6.
  10. ^ "M1 Carbine | Weaponsystems.net". 26 November 2022. Archived from the original on 26 November 2022. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  11. ^ Meche, W. Derek (6 June 2013). "M1 Carbine: The collector's item you can actually use". Guns.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  12. ^ Hogg, Ian V.; Weeks, John S. (10 February 2000). Military Small Arms of the 20th Century (7th ed.). Krause Publications. p. 290. ISBN 978-0-87341-824-9.
  13. ^ International Encyclopedia of Military History. James C. Bradford. Routledge, 1 Dec 2004. p. 886