To the American GI of World War II, it was usually a case of love at first sight when he was introduced to the trim little M1 carbine, and especially so if his shoulder ached from lugging a 10-lb. M1 rifle over hill and dale. Often called the “baby Garand” by the troops, the Winchester-designed M1 carbine with its variations was produced in greater quantities than any other U.S. military small arm. In the hands of American and Allied soldiers, it added punch to the all-out offensive against the Axis powers.
American industry manufactured the astounding total of 6,117,827 carbines of all types from 1942 through 1945. This was a production miracle by any standard. If laid buttplate to muzzle, they would have extended for more than 3,400 miles, or some 600 miles farther than the airline distance between Seattle, Wash., and Miami, Fla.
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