Why didn't all US soldiers in WWII use the M1 Carbine?The M1 Carbine was a truly brilliant weapon during the Second World War.

 Why didn't all US soldiers in WWII use the M1 Carbine?

The M1 Carbine was a truly brilliant weapon during the Second World War.

It was a compact, modifiable, reliable weapon that could be used in almost any situation. Preferred by those in confined spaces, such as tanks, or inside aircraft with a parachute strapped to your back and a bag strapped to your leg, these sturdy little weapons saw much combat.

Churchill with an M1 Carbine. Eisenhower's hand can be seen in the foreground, and Omar Bradley can be seen (partially blocked by Churchill). Colourised by me.

However, these weapons were not designed as the standard battle rifle. That was the M1 Garand.

Although the Carbine was lighter and easier to wield, along with being modifiable and having a higher ammo capacity, there were a few crucial reasons why the M1 Garand stayed as the main battle rifle for the US Infantry.

US Infantry firing an M1 Garand behind an M4 Sherman on Bougainville Island, while on an early morning patrol. Colourised by me.

Firstly, the Carbine lacked a sufficient punch. The M1 Carbine essentially used what is seen as a long pistol cartridge.

This was seen as too weak to be effective against infantry, as it would often lightly wound the enemy at longer ranges.

On the topic of range, the Carbine lacked it. As it fired a smaller round, the bullet didn't go very far.

The Garand could be counted on to hit the enemy at 600+ yards, whereas the Carbine had an effective range of about 200.

This is because it was designed as a personal defence weapon, or pdw, rather than a battle rifle.

This is what kept the Garand in service. The US needed a rifle that fired accurately, at longer ranges if necessary, and with a punch. The M1 Carbine, while accurate enough, didn't have the range or power required to do the job at hand for the infantry.

The M1 Garand. Reliable, accurate, and punchy. Colourised by me.

This is why it served so well with Paratroopers, who fought at close range, tankers, who needed a quick weapon for escaping knocked out tanks and the surrounding area, and the rear echelon, who wanted something bigger than a pistol.

The Carbine. Reliable, accurate enough, and not too punchy. Colourised by me.

TL;DR: the carbine, while having very many merits, was not punchy enough, nor did it have the range, to be the US Infantry's battle rifle.