Over six million M1 Carbines were produced during World War II. That’s no small number and hints that the M1 Carbine was well-liked and functioned as it was supposed to.
What was its intended function at the time? To serve as a light, shoulder-fired weapon that was more than the 1911 pistol, but lighter than the M1 Garand. Today it would be referred to as a PDW (Personal Defensive Weapon). It was issued to drivers, clerks, cooks, mortar and artillery men, and paratroopers. Any troops who needed a light, shoulder-fired weapon.
To that end, it succeeded perfectly. But it begs the question: Is the M1 Carbine still a viable defensive weapon in our current times?
Join us as we take a look to see if this old design is still relevant.
A Few Particulars
The M1 carbine weighs 5.2 pounds unloaded and is about 35.5 inches long, with a 17.75-inch barrel. That really is short and light! It’s easy to see why the troops loved it, especially when compared to the much heavier M1 Garand, which weighs 9.5 pounds and has a length of 43.5 inches. The difference is dramatic.
The carbine is fed from either 15- or 30-round magazines. The 30-rounders came later in the war when the M2 carbine was introduced. The M2 is a select fire version, capable of semi or fully-automatic fire. The concept sounded good, but problems were quickly encountered.
The cyclic rate of fire was very high, and it sometimes caused the bolt to crack. Barrels would often overheat when the weapon was fired too rapidly. The little carbine just was not designed for full auto fire.
Aperture sights are standard on the carbine, and they work well enough for the task at hand. The sights on my sample adjust by sliding, and there are increments out to 300 yards. I think 300 yards is a little optimistic, but it doesn’t hurt to have it there.
Reliability
Nowadays, there is some criticism leveled at the M1 carbine, asserting that its reliability is not up to snuff. A few factors that must be taken into account come into play here.
First, many of these rifles were produced in the 1940’s. As this is written, that’s about 80 years ago. Springs wear out, and they play a huge role in how a firearm functions. The recoil spring in old carbines could probably be replaced, which will likely increase the old carbine’s reliability.
Properly lubing the old warhorse will also help her to function as she should. The carbine, like the AR-15, likes to run wet. Acquiesce to her wishes, and she’ll likely treat you better.
Magazines
Magazines and reliability go hand-in-hand. Old wartime carbine magazines were not the most robust pieces of gear ever made. In fact, they’re rather flimsy. If you ever handle one, you’ll see what I mean. As much as I like OEM items, I’m going to deviate here: get quality aftermarket magazines! Keep the originals as collectors’ items if you please, but get quality magazines, or your rifle will not run well. That’s the bottom line.
There are magazines from KCI, which is a Korean company. KCI makes a good 30-round magazine. They also make a 15-round magazine that is highly regarded. These magazines are modestly priced, so you can pick up a decent supply of them.
Auto-Ordnance also continues to make a variety of high-quality M1 Carbine mags. I tested a 15-round Auto Ordnance magazine, and there are also 30-round mags that they produce. These magazines are clearly better than the original GI Issue magazines, and you can tell this the moment you get them in hand.
At the time of writing, the Auto-Ordnance 15-round magazines sell for $32.99, and the 30-rounders sell for $40.99. They’re pricier than some others, but their construction is seriously solid.
For those living behind enemy lines, Auto-Ordnance also has 10-round magazines that cost $32.99 as this is written. I’ve not tested them, but I expect they’ll be as reliable as their 15-round brethren.
There are magazines from other manufacturers out there, but I have no personal experience with them and can’t attest to their reliability.
Handling
As mentioned, this is the department where the little carbine shines like a beacon. The short length helps it to handle corners like a champ. The light weight doesn’t hurt, either.
Even children can handle the M1 carbine with ease. The recoil is amazingly mild and not much more than shooting a .22 Long Rifle.
For carrying any length of time in the field, you’d be hard-pressed to find a lighter long arm than the little carbine.
Power
Although the carbine was intended to be a weapon mainly for support troops, it was still used by front-line troops, including paratroopers. The fact that these troops — who could carry any weapon they wanted — chose the little carbine says a lot.
The reason that I brought this up is because the M1 carbine’s cartridge (the .30 Carbine) has sometimes been criticized as being “underpowered.” But is that really the case?
Modern defensive ammunition has taken the .30 Carbine under its wing. For instance, Hornady developed the 110-grain FTX Critical Defense round, which sends the round along at close to 2,000 feet per second from the carbine. It delivers approximately 15 inches of penetration in ballistics gelatin and reportedly does well when fired into actual meat.
Other manufacturers such as Remington, Federal, and Buffalo Bore have developed defensive rounds of this caliber as well, among others. They certainly raise the performance above that of Full Metal Jacket rounds.
A Quick Comparison
Let’s do a quick, rough comparison between the .30 Carbine and the .357 Magnum.
From a 20-inch barrel, the .357 110-grain Winchester JHP moves out at around 1,638 feet per second.
From the M1 Carbine, the above-mentioned 110-grain Hornady Critical Defense round reaches about 1,990 feet per second.
I’m not going to compare all the different bullet weights of the .357 Magnum, instead sticking with what’s comparable to the .30 Carbine’s standard 110-grain round.
Clearly, the .30 Carbine is faster than the .357 Magnum. Here’s the thing: the .357 is a legendary man-stopper, and widely accepted as such. It gained that reputation from being shot out of revolvers, which cut the muzzle velocity by a few hundred more feet per second when compared to a rifle-length barrel.
So we’ve established that the .30 Carbine is ballistically superior to the Magnum round. When we examine the facts, we find that the .30 Carbine has plenty of power for the task at hand.
I spoke to several veterans who carried it in battle, and all said that they were satisfied with the carbine’s performance. I heard no criticisms directed toward the carbine.
The Bottom Line
I love the way the M1 carbine handles and looks. It’s just an old classic that you can’t help but love.
Its feathery weight and short length help it to handle like a dream. There are few other long guns out there that can come close to matching the little carbine in that respect.
Unfortunately, many of the wartime carbines are showing their age. Because of that, reliability might not be what we demand for self-defense purposes. Replacing springs and bringing the magazines up to date are highly recommended if you intend to put your life in the carbine’s hands.
Properly updated, the carbine can likely soldier on for a while longer. The .30 Carbine cartridge is up to the task, having sufficient power to dispatch two-legged predators.
Am I going to use an M1 carbine as my primary defensive rifle? No. Because it is 80-some years old. If I could get a new one straight off the assembly line that is quality-made, I’d consider it. The handling characteristics are just that good. Mag changes would be slower than, say, an AR-15 because the carbine’s controls are not as efficient. But with 15 rounds on tap, I wouldn’t be all that concerned about magazine changes.
As it is, I’m content to take the carbine to the range for fun and to enjoy it for what it is…an old veteran who is a wonderful piece of history. On the other hand, if you have a carbine and need to call upon it for the defense of hearth and home, it just may be up to the task.
