M1 Carbine - Commercial Copies

Commercial Copies

Several companies manufactured copies of the M1 Carbine after World War II, which varied in quality. Some companies used a combination of original USGI and new commercial parts, while others manufactured entire firearms from new parts, which may or may not be of the same quality as the originals. These copies were marketed to the general public and police agencies but were not made for or used by the U.S. military.

In 1963, firearms designer Melvin M. Johnson introduced a version of the M1 Carbine called the "Spitfire" that fired a 5.7 mm (.22 in) wildcat cartridge known as the 5.7 mm MMJ or .22 Spitfire. The Spitfire fired a 40-grain (2.6 g) bullet with a muzzle velocity of 2850 ft/s (870 m/s) for a muzzle energy of 720 foot-pounds force (980 J). Johnson advertised the smaller caliber and the modified carbine as a survival rifle for use in jungles or other remote areas. While the concept had some military application when used for this role in the selective-fire M2 Carbine, it was not pursued, and few Spitfire carbines were made.

More recently, the Auto-Ordnance division of Kahr Arms began production of an M1 Carbine replica in 2005. The original Auto-Ordnance had produced various replacement parts for IBM during World War II, but did not manufacture complete carbines until the introduction of this replica. The AOM110 and AOM120 models (no longer produced) featured birch stocks and handguards, Parkerized receivers, flip-style rear sights and barrel bands without bayonet lugs. The current AOM130 and AOM140 models are identical except for American walnut stocks and handguards.

An Israeli arms company (Advanced Combat Systems) offers a modernized bullpup variant called the Hezi SM-1. The company claims accuracy of 1.5 MOA at 100 yards (91 m).

Other commercial manufacturers have included:

• Alpine of Azusa, Calif.
• AMAC or Jacksonville, Ark. (acquired Iver Johnson Arms)
• AMPCO of Miami, Fla.
• Bullseye Gun Works of Miami, Fla.
• Crosman Air Rifle; produced an M1 Carbine look-a-like
• ERMA's Firearms Manufacturing of Steelville, Mo.
• Erma Werke of Dachau, Bavaria serviced carbines used by the West German police post World War II. Manufactured replacement parts for the same carbines. Manufactured .22 replica carbines for use as training rifles for police in West Germany and Austria. Also for commercial export worldwide.
• Federal Ordnance of South El Monte, Calif.
• Global Arms
• H&S of Plainfield, NJ (predecessor of Plainfield Machine)
• Howa of Nagoya, Japan, made carbines and parts for the post-World War II Japanese and Thai militaries, and limited numbers of a hunting rifle version
• Israel Arms International (IAI) of Houston, Texas assembled carbines from parts from other sources
• The Iver Johnson Arms of Plainfield, NJ and later Jacksonville, Ark., (acquired M1 Carbine operations of Plainfield Machine) and followed the lead of Universal in producing a pistol version called the "Enforcer".
• Johnston-Tucker of St. Louis, Mo.
• Millvile Ordnance (MOCO) of Union, N.J. (predecessor of H&S)
• National Ordnance of Azusa, Calif. and later South El Monte, Calif.
• NATO of Atlanta, GA
• Plainfield Machine Company of Plainfield, N.J. and later Middlesex, N.J. (P.O. Box in Dunellen, N.J.), M1 Carbine manufacture later purchased and operated by Iver Johnson
• Rock Island Armory of Geneseo, Ill.
• Rowen, Becker Company of Waterville, Ohio
• Springfield Armory of Geneseo, Ill.
• Texas Armament Co. of Brownwood, Tex.
• Tiroler Sportwaffenfabrik und Apparatenbau GmbH of Kugstein, Austria manufactured an air rifle that looked and operated like the M1 Carbine for use in training by Austria and West Germany.
• Universal Firearms of Hialeah, Fla. - Early Universal guns were, like other manufacturers, assembled from USGI parts. However, beginning in 1968, the company began producing the "New Carbine", which externally resembled the M1 but was in fact a completely new firearm internally, using a different receiver, bolt carrier, bolt, recoil spring assembly, etc. with almost no interchangeability with GI-issue carbines. Acquired by Iver Johnson in 1983 and moved to Jacksonville, Ark. in 1985.
• Williams Gun Sight of Davison, Mich. produced a series of 50 sporterized M1 Carbines