M1 Carbine Power

[INLAND44]

The .45 ACP is rated at 830 FPS and 356 ft. lbs. energy. In a submachine gun, it has notorious performance (Thompson/Tommy Gun). Then imagine a round at 1990 FPS with about 900 ft. lbs. of energy in an M2 select-fire carbine - all things considered, including magazine capacity with the small-diameter round, I think you would have just about the most powerful sub-gun of all. The Israelis may still be using a bull-pup version of the carbine in that role. What a chopper! Even in semi-auto and standard stock, with soft-point/hollow point ammo it is arguably the best home defense carbine there is. As long as you think of it as a pistol-caliber defense carbine you won't find any faults with it. The trouble starts when it is compared to assault rifles with short rifle cartridges and battle rifles. And when viewed in it's original role of more firepower for troops that would normally be armed only with pistols, like Harlan said, 'one of the over achievers of all time'.