War Baby! The U.S. Caliber .30 Carbine, Vol. 1

A year-long contest amongst America's military and civilian gun designers led to the adoption of a last-minute Winchester entry as U.S. Carbine, Caliber .30, M1 in October, 1941. From the first trickle of 'Inlands' in June,1942 through to a combined production peak of over 500,000 units per month in December,1943, over six million carbines were manufactured by a total of ten prime contractors, until program termination in 1945. War Baby! is an in-depth account of the carbine's production history, component variations, production methods, subcontractors, and markings. Perhaps most importantly, the INTEGRATION of components among the prime contractors, a process often resorted to during wartime to keep production moving, is addressed in detail; so don't trade off that "incorrect" carbine until you read what Larry Ruth has to say in this book!