In message , tw
writes
"Jim Knoyle" wrote in message
...
M1 rifle was named the Garand: chambered for .30-06 and feeding from an
eight-shot charger.

Right-ho. That's the one with the full length stock, right?

That's the one: long, hefty brute. Good kit, though.

Also, there was the cal .30 carbine.

This is what has me confused I think - so there is the M1 Garand (which
never seemed to have a magazine - that tallies with Paul's description of
the 8 round charger) then there was a carbine which looked rather like my
old BSA Meteor air rifle with what looked like a 20 round box magazine. Were
these the same rifle but with different barrel length/stock length/magazine?
(M1 carbine and Garand)

No. The M1 Carbine was designed as a smaller, lighter weapon for troops
that didn't need a full-on rifle but if they *did* have to fight, they
needed something more effective than a pistol. (Truck drivers, mortar
teams, bakers, et cetera). So it was designed around a lower-powered
round that could reach out further than a pistol or SMG, but could still
be fired from a light and handy weapon.

To expand on Jim's listing of the M1 Carbine family, a folding-stocked
version was provided for airborne troops (the M1A1 Carbine), and later
the weapon was modified to fire full-auto (the M2 Carbine) which also
produced a 30-round magazine - the original M1 had a shorter 15-round
mag, though of course either would fit any mark. There was also a M3
designed for use with an early IR sight.


The concept's returned in the form of the "Personal Defence Weapon" such
as the H&K MP-7 or the FN P90, interestingly.

Per TM9-1276:
M1 Carbine with wooden stock, semi-automatic.
M1A1 Same but folding metal stock.
M2 Carbine with selector for semi or full auto.
M3 Same but accepts sniper-scope. ( see TM5-9341)

Thanks for that

Don't forget the M1 SMG, which was a much-simplified Thompson The US
military has a respectable selection of M1s...

I believe we used to fire them in CCF, though they had been rechambered for
.22 instead. That was the underlever rifle we used to "slosh the fuzzie
wuzzies"* wasn't it? .45 calibre originally? That must have hurt...

Zulu
"If it's a miracle, Sergeant-Major, it's a .45 short-chamber Boxer-Henry
miracle."
"And a bayonet, sir. With some guts behind it."
/Zulu

*Although Corporal Jones would have you believe the cold steel was the
better option. They DO NOT like it up 'em.

"Don't panic! Don't panic!"

--
He thinks too much: such men are dangerous.
Julius Caesar I:2

Paul J. Adam MainBoxatjrwlynch[dot]demon{dot}co(.)uk