What is was the M1A1 Carbine?
The M1A1 Carbine was an American semi-automatic, gas operated,
magazine fed, shoulder weapon designed as a modified varient of the
standard M1 Carbine, the difference between the two models is that
the M1A1 has a retractable steel wire stock, making it more compact
and lighter than the M1 Carbine, while the M1 Carbine had a
standard solid wood rifle stock. The M1A1 was issued primarily to
American Army paratroopers in Europe due to its light weight,
compact wire stock. The M1A1 was fed from a detachable box magazine
that contained 15 .30 carbine cartridges, the same as the regular
M1 Carbine.