Pop-Pop-Pop!

So goes the sound effects on my Steel Panthers: World at War game whenever some GI HQ unit returns fire with their M1 Carbines. Denise at The Ten Ring brings her carbine out of the vault and posts a great article on the most-produced small arm in America's WWII arsenal.

I've got two M1's, both by Universal Sporting Goods (not GI spec); one with a polished bolt and richly grained furniture, the other parkerized, with a plain stock and GI sling (was the first rifle I ever bought...from a USAF tech school Combat Arms instructor). It's coming up on 20 years since I've last fired them. At first, I tried reloading for .30 Carbine, but somehow most of my rounds were out of spec. Now, if I ever run into a batch of inexpensive ammo, I might get a few hundred rounds to get acquainted with the fun little gun.