The original M1 carbine was developed during World War II (1939-1945) to better equip U.S. paratroopers when entering combat and to provide vehicle crews and second-line soldiers with a viable weapon to fight against them A way out is needed. The weapon became a historic part of U.S. involvement in the conflict, culminating in more than 6.1 million samples being manufactured and used worldwide. It began with an investigation in 1938 and gained momentum in 1940, when the United States was closer than ever to joining the war in Europe.
The result was a very effective semi-automatic product that met the expected battlefield elements well and spawned several noteworthy variants.
The M2 Carbine is a branch of the legendary M1 tree that originated in May 1944. While the M1 carbine can only fire semi-automatically, the M2 variant has selective fire capability and supports a 30-round magazine and a detachable arc magazine. The original M1 design had selective fire capability, at least initially, but this feature was dropped during development to expedite the M1's entry into service.
It's also limited by a 15-round detachable magazine.
During the fighting in Europe and the Pacific, the M2 came into being as the American demand for more powerful light weapons emerged. M1 carbines have excellent characteristics as they are convenient, portable and used in combat at short to medium range. These qualities should carry over to the M2 branch, but higher ammo counts with fully automatic capabilities will give infantry more firepower in the field.
Known as the "T4" in pilot form, the new weapon was designed by engineers at General Motors' Inland division.
The core of the M2 is just the M1 with built-in selective fire capability. The switch lever is located on the left side of the gun body and relies on the trigger mechanism for its general function.
The frame is still solid wood, although heavier than the M1, the metal parts are inlaid as usual, while the grip, shoulder rest and front end are all one piece. Aiming is via the same front/rear iron fittings as in the modified M1 form. Sling loops were added to the shoulder rest and forearm to attach the shoulder straps for easy carrying of weapons on the march.
The trigger assembly hangs below the receiver in a typical fashion, and the magazine well is directly in front. Internally, the same gas-operated rotary bolt-action rifle was used (though the bullet was improved from the original flat-top design), and the same bayonet lugs were in use.
Effective range is between 200 and 300 yards with a fully automatic rate of fire of 750 rounds per minute. Even when fired this way, this weapon is very handy despite being light and compact.
It also provided good range and long-range penetration, leading many to prefer this carbine over the more limited, albeit full-fledged, submachine gun types of the time.
The production of the new guns was around 600,000 and was made between 1944 and 1945. Inland was awarded the first 500-car contract in September 1944, and this early contract was used to refine the T4/M2 design before the T4/M2 was widely accepted as a wartime design. It began to be available in large quantities in early to mid-1945 when the "T17" and "T18" field conversion kits were introduced to make appropriate modifications to the existing M1 model.
However, as the European war ended in May 1945 and the Pacific War ended in August, this late entry limited its impact.
Despite the end of the war, this weapon continued to be significant, being shown in the upcoming Korean War (1950-1953) and the subsequent Vietnam War (1955-1975). During the Korean War, the M2 represented the most quantitative carbine in combat operations. During the Vietnam War, the M2 was still in the hands of U.S. soldiers (i.e. special forces), even though the weapon was past its heyday.
It was eventually dropped with the arrival of types like the Colt AR-15/M16, which covered its role on the battlefield.
Only one notable variant of the M2 carbine appeared, the M2A2, which was an armory refurbished model.
- Close Combat (CQB) / Personal Protection
- Frontline/Attack
905 mm (35.63 in)
460 mm (18.11 in)
2.55 kg
Front and rear irons; optional optical group.
Selective fire (semi/fully automatic) capability; pneumatic short stroke piston
2,000 feet per second (610 meters per second)
750 rounds per minute
650 ft (198 m; 217 yd)
M2 Carbine - Base Series Name
M1 Carbine (US Carbine, .30 caliber, M1) - Official in-service designation; production reached 600,000 units.
M2A2 - Model refurbished by Arsenal.