M1 Carbine prime contractors were: Winchester, Inland (Division of General Motors), Underwood-Elliot-Fisher, National Postal Meter (A very limited number were made under the name Commercial Controls Corporation), Rock-Ola, Quality Machine and Hardware, Standard Products, Saginaw Steering Gear (Division of General Motors), International Business Machine (IBM), Irwin-Pederson Arms Company (their contract was taken over by Saginaw). Although the price of the carbine varied by contractor and contract, the average cost was approximately $50 per weapon. Many of the prime contractors involved in the carbine program had no previous gun making experience, many of them manufacturers of music boxes, automotive parts and business machinery, rallied for the war effort to manufacture 6,079,648 carbines by 1945. A number of diverse companies manufactured the carbine during the war these prime contractors were supported by hundreds of subcontractors. By the warвЂ™s end there were more carbines manufactured than any other U.S. The Winchester carbine used a unique short-stroke tappet gas system, and was adopted as Carbine, Caliber. The Winchester Repeating Arms entry was the eventual winner of the light rifle trials. The fire control components of a semiautomatic M1 (top) and the select-fire M2 carbine. The weight was increased to 5.5 pounds and the full-automatic requirement eliminated. As a result of the preliminary testing certain changes were recommended in the original requirements. Several weapons that were submitted were immediately rejected. Within a few months, twenty-five corporations and individuals were invited to submit a design with testing scheduled for at Aberdeen Proving Ground. 30 carbine caliber cartridge and minimum chamber requirements. The requirements were presented to eleven manufacturers and individuals by the end of 1940 including:Д¬oltвЂ™s Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company.Д®ach concern received a circular listing weapon requirements, a drawing of the new. The desired characteristics for the light weight rifle were prepared by October of 1940 and were approved at an Ordnance Committee meeting. The rearward position was for semiautomatic fire. With the selector on an M2 carbine in the forward position (shown) the carbine fired full-automatic. It was estimated that 500,000 of the new light rifles would be needed, which turned out to be a very conservative figure. Secretary of War, the Chief of Ordnance was ordered to undertake the development, testing, and selection of a light rifle. This time the suggestion was considered and by June of 1940 the War Department acted to initiate a weapon development program. With the German invasion of Poland in 1939, the Chief of Infantry resubmitted his request for the development of a light rifle. The use of a new light rifle was not favorably considered at that time. An evaluation of the Chief of InfantryвЂ™s request was made in November of 1938. The document dated September, 1938 requested consideration by the Office of the Chief of Ordnance.

In these requirements he stated that the advisability of equipping ammunition carriers, machine gun crew members, mortar crews and administrative personnel, with a light-weight shoulder weapon. Army Field Forces, the Chief of Infantry outlined to the Adjutant General, and the Chief of Ordnance, certain weapons requirements of the infantry. In 1938, as a result of numerous surveys of the U.S. This article is a brief history of the M4вЂ™s predecessors. military issue M4 carbine, but some may not know why it was designated as the M4. Most readers of SAR are familiar with the current U.S. ABOVE: Circa 1950, an Air Force officer with his modernized version of the M2 carbine featured an in-line stock, raised sights, muzzle brake and bipod.

Inland m1 carbine serial numbers