M1 Carbine

[localgirl]

A few days ago I asked for opinions on which firearm to write about for my next GunSafes.com article.

I decided to tackle the M1 Carbine first, then probably dive into some of the others.

But my brain is numb and the slough of encyclopedic information is not inspiring me.

Could you please tell me what you love or hate about the M1? Why do you think it deserves to be recognized? Do you have any stories about using it on the range or on the battlefield?

 

[jtg452]

Likes

It points better than any other long gun I've ever handled. All you have to do is shoulder it, get a good cheek weld and the sights are already lined up. It's light and maneuverable, well balanced and easy to carry either in your hand or on a sling. If you use the original 15 round mags, you can carry a LOT of them and they are not only readily available but the good after marked and original military ones still pretty cheap. Recoil is modest and you can get off follow up shots quickly.

Dislikes

It's not really powerful. It is better than most pistol rounds but as a long gun, it's the weakest cub in the pack. In a hunting/survival situation, the round is marginal at best for anything ever thought of as large game. The range is a big limitation as well. A 100 yard shot is about as far as I'm willing to go and even then it has to be under very good conditions and the target has to be standing just right for me to be comfortable with taking it. It's also LOUD. Shooting it under cover of any kind is not fun at all.

 

[TAC]

For the M1 Carbine, check out this site:
Link Removed

I am sure you will be able to find everything you need there.

 

[jtg452]

The M-1 carbine is a historic curiosity to me, as it is the first pistol caliber carbine. A concept with a lot of merit. The M-1 was designed for short range city fighting in the European theater durring WWII. Short range city fighting also paralels very nicely to LE and personal protection use as well.

Actually, it wasn't the first pistol caliber carbine. The 1860 Henry, Winchester 1866, 1873, and 1892 were all chambered for round that were also used extensively in pistols and had been around 25 to 75 years before the M-1 Carbine was even dreamed of. In the case of the Winchester '92, it could be argued that it was the first 'pistol caliber carbine' because it's major chamberings (.44WCF, .38WCF and .32WCF) were already established pistol rounds at the time of its' release. Pistols chambered in .30 Carbine didn't come into being for several decades after it's creation. It was also NOT designed for short range city fighting. It was intend for second line troops such as truck drivers because it was felt that they needed more range and firepower than a 1911 would give them while they didn't really didn't need a longer, bulkier rifle like an M1 or '03A3.

 

[gunnerbob]

I think I'm too late here but whatever,

I can't nit pick with the Carbine. For it's intended purpose, it's fantastic. Simply perfect in it's intended role. It's only when one starts trying to apply it to other roles and comparing it to other guns does it come out poorly.

I can take ANY weapon, and make it out to be the worst possible choice. From pistols to BMGs... every gun was only intended to be used in it's designed role. Nothing more, nothing less.