NRA Gun of the Week: U.S. M1 Carbine

American Rifleman Staff

posted on February 2, 2019

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Winchester won the M1 Carbine design contract in late October 1941, but it wasn't until 1942 that these arms, chambered for .30 Carbine, arrived on the battlefields of Europe. Total production of the U.S. M1 Carbine came to 6,079,648 units, which is more than the ever-popular M1 Garand during World War II. Several factors contribute to the high production numbers, and though Winchester can be credited for the design, it wasn't the sole contributor of M1 Carbines to the war effort. Others such as Rockola, IBM and General Motors pitched in. For this week's review we take a close look at a flat-bolt M1 Carbine built by the Saginaw Steering Gear Division of General Motors. To learn more, check out this week's NRA Gun of the Week video hosted by Mark Keefe.

Specifications:
Manufacturer: Saginaw Steering Gear Division of General Motors
Action Type: short-stroke-gas-piston-operated, semi-automatic center-fire rifle
Chambering: .30 Carbine
Weight: 5 lbs., 1 oz.
Overall Length: 35.6”
Barrel Length: 18”
Production Dates: August, 1941 to mid-1945
Saginaw M1 Carbine Production: 517,212
Total M1 Carbine Production: 6,079,648

Additional Reading:
10 Things You Didn't Know About the M1 Carbine
General Motors Went to War
Winchester Goes to War
An M1 Carbine for Home Defense?
A Look Back at the M1 Carbine
The M1 Carbine in Vietnam
Redeployed: FN M1 Garands and Carbines
Inland Mfg.'s New-Production M1 Carbine