M1 Carbine

The M1 Carbine was a lightweight, intermediate cartridge firearm, developed and adopted in 1941, as a supplement to the then standard Issue M1 Garand. The M1 Carbine was to take the place of pistols for vehicle drivers, members of crew served weapons, NCOs and other secondary roles to the frontline infantryman. Despite it's lack of 'knockdown' power, it was popular, primarily due to it's handiness and lightweight and was seen in front line usage in both the European and Pacific Theaters of World War II.

Contrary to what movie and TV viewers see, the M1 Carbine did not have a bayonet lug during World War 2. There is no photographic evidence of any soldiers carrying or using the M1 Carbine or M1A1 paratrooper Carbine between 1942 and early 1945, with a bayonet lug. The version with the bayonet lug, and the replacement of the "L" peep sight with the adjustable windage rear sight was an undesignated upgrade to the model and was not given as separate model number. This upgrade officially started in late 1944, but were only seen in the field in late 1945, in the very last months of the war. Occupation troops did, however, get this version of the gun.

So the most commonly seen version of the M1 Carbine in WW2 movies is actually the Korean War/Vietnam war era variation.

The M1 Carbine can be seen in the following films used by the following actors:

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M1 Carbine and M1A1 Carbine stock and rifle variations. Top - M1 Carbine, Standard Stock; Bottom - M1A1 Carbine, Ear-shrouded rear sight and Para-trooper side-folding stock. Both with 15 round box magazines and chambered in .30 Carbine

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The Modern Manufactured version of the M1 Carbine, with standard stock, from Auto-Ordnance (affiliated with Kahr Arms and Thomson Arms). Chambered in .30 Carbine

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World War Two Era M1 Carbine, with Dark Walnut Stock, 'L' peep sight and no bayonet lug - correct for most of WW2, shown with khaki sling and oiler and a period Magazine pouch for buttstock

• Tom Sizemore as Technical Sergeant Mike Horvath in Saving Private Ryan (with magazine pouches strapped to the stock)

• Al Pacino as Sonny in Dog Day Afternoon

• Vietnamese ARVN interpretor in We Were Soldiers

• U.S. Army soldiers in Band of Brothers (with and without folding stocks)

• Robert Joy as Charlie in George A. Romero's Land of the Dead
• John Wayne,David Janssen,George Takei, U.S.Navy Seabees and ARVN soldiers in The Green Berets.
• ARVN soldiers,Saigon Police in Good Morning Vietnam
• Keenan Wynn as Col."Bat"Guano in Dr.Strangelove
• U.S.Army soldiers in The Day The Earth Stood Still
• U.S.Army soldiers and Marines in War of The Worlds (1953)
• William Holden as Lt,Harry Brubaker,Mickey Rooney as CWO,Mike Forney in The Bridges at Toko-RI

M2 Carbine

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M2 Carbine. Select-fire version used primarily during the Korean War and also by ARVN forces during Vietnam. Note the 30rd magazine and wing-screw on muzzle-break. Chambered in .30 Carbine

• A Serbian gangster in In China They Eat Dogs

M3 Carbine

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The short-lived M3 Carbine. Known by many who field-tested it as "The Abomination". Chambered in .30 Carbine.