Martial Pinups: M1A1 Carbine

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by Simonov

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Origin:  USA
Year:  1942
Type:  Semi-Automatic Carbine
Caliber:  .30 Carbine (7.62x33mm)
Weight:  5.2 lb empty
Length:  35.6 in (900 mm)
Barrel Length:  18 in (460 mm)
Capacity:   15 rds (can also accept 30 rd mags for M2 Carbine variant)

The M1 Carbine was an American rifle designed with the purpose of providing more firepower to support and specialist troops, such as tankers, mortar men, and truck drivers.  The concern was that the handguns issued, such as the M1911A1 and the M1917, did not provide adequate firepower and were too difficult to use accurately but that the M1 Garand was too large and heavy for these troops to carry.  Eventually a design from Winchester was selected.  Although not intended for primary use in combat, the M1 Carbine soon found itself to be a popular weapon among the troops thanks to its exceptionally light weight ( a little over half that of the M1 Garand) and larger capacity.  The Carbine would also prove popular with German soldiers who managed to capture one and the German military officially designating it Selbstladekarabiner 455(a), or “American self-loading carbine 455.”  After World War II, the weapon and its variants would continue to see combat in the hands of American troops in Korea, where controversy regarding its efficacy in the frozen winter arose, and Vietnam.  It would also see service in Malaya with the British, West Germany with German police forces, and with Israel into the modern day.

The variant showcased here is the M1A1 Carbine.  Featuring a side-folding stock, the M1A1 was designed to be used by paratroopers.  Thanks to its light weight combined with the small size it presented with the stock folded, the M1A1 Carbine was capable of being carried on the paratrooper during his jump rather than in a case that would be dropped separately.  This provided the paratrooper with the ability to defend his self and go straight into combat as soon as he landed and eliminated the possibility of his weapon being lost during the drop.

Other variants of the M1 Carbine include the fully-automatic M2, the night-vision equipped M3, and numerous civilian versions made by civilian companies throughout the past fifty years.  Manufacturers of wartime Carbines include typewriter manufacturer IBM, jukebox-producer Rock-Ola, a postal-scale maker National Postal Meter.  Inland Division of General Motors, however, was the sole producer of the M1A1 Carbine with total production of the said version totaling approximately 144,000.  Total production for the all M1 Carbine variants is estimated to be over 6.5 million.  Civilian versions remain in production to this day.

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