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Cut Down M1 Carbine into Pistol?


Dakota
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I've heard this story SO MANY times from my Uncle since he found out I was interested in military item collecting. When my Uncle was in the service, he bought a M1 Carbine from a South Vietnamese Soldier(Of Course everyone knows they were useing Military Surplus) and had cut off the stock and made it inside a pistol on his leg. Have any of you seen or heard of Soldiers doing this? They might've modified weapons in many different ways like they did in WWII etc.. But this certain story?

 

 

 

Dakota

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I've heard of it, but have never seen an example of it. It wouldn't be very hard to do, use a paratrooper stock and take the wire folding stock off. Then cut the barrel off just in front of the charging system.

I don't give this a lot of credence as it would be a very ineffective system for very little gained. By cutting the barrel off, you loose the front sight and now have a very clunky pistol with no sights and to what gain? A full auto pistol that cant be aimed very well.

Did someone do this? Very possible, but it probably wasn't sanctioned or done widespread, more of an experimental whim.

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I saw "Modified" weapons in Vietnam carried by a few SF, and Recon Team members. A cut-down full-auto carbine fired a close range would be a good weapon up-close and personal to help break contact. This would fall into the category of a "Spray and Pray" type weapon. Obviously, it would not be worth a damn if you were trying to hit a target 20-30 feet or greater away. Danny

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I was thinking the same as Carter.Those Enforcer carbines were in all the gun magazines back in the 70s.I still will see them once in a great while at a gunshow.

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I was thinking the same as Carter.Those Enforcer carbines were in all the gun magazines back in the 70s.I still will see them once in a great while at a gunshow.

Universalstoegers.gif

I saw "Modified" weapons in Vietnam carried by a few SF, and Recon Team members. A cut-down full-auto carbine fired a close range would be a good weapon up-close and personal to help break contact. This would fall into the category of a "Spray and Pray" type weapon. Obviously, it would not be worth a damn if you were trying to hit a target 20-30 feet or greater away. Danny

There was a pistol made called the "Enforcer" carbine pistol, as well

I've heard of it, but have never seen an example of it. It wouldn't be very hard to do, use a paratrooper stock and take the wire folding stock off. Then cut the barrel off just in front of the charging system.

I don't give this a lot of credence as it would be a very ineffective system for very little gained. By cutting the barrel off, you loose the front sight and now have a very clunky pistol with no sights and to what gain? A full auto pistol that cant be aimed very well.

Did someone do this? Very possible, but it probably wasn't sanctioned or done widespread, more of an experimental whim.

 

My Uncle said it was the Wooden Stock, for Infantry etc.. Not the Airborne. He might've made it the one that is shown in the picture that Carter showed.

 

 

Dakota

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I saw several so-called "pirate pistol" sawed-off carbines in VN, 1970-71. They were never primary weapons or intended for aimed fire. They were (as already said) "spray and pray", last-ditch "Personal Defense Weapons". LRRPs had some. rigged with snap-links to hang from their LBE and/or pack. I saw one with a Navy SEAL, as back-up for his Stoner and pistol. Another hung in a jeep, for emergency use, as if a fire extinguisher -- as said, to break an ambush while running for daylight. Another carried by a Huey (IIRC a 5th SFGA bird) crew chief, attached to his chicken-plate flak vest, for survival-once-shot-down use, supplementing his .45 in shoulder holster.

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I've got a book called "Paratrooper" , by Kelly and Wood, from Stackpole Books, 1967. It shows a US advisor w/ what appears to be an M1A1 stock, minus shoulder stock w/ about a 3" barrel with site. Haven't got the ability to reproduce, but this is before those Universal Enforcers, which are similar. SKIP

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Great photos and comments - Especially nice to hear from people who were there! Editorial comment, I am not sure that what I see here would or could be classified as a pistol? Even cut down much too long??

 

Best to all!

 

Bill K.

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Great photos and comments - Especially nice to hear from people who were there! Editorial comment, I am not sure that what I see here would or could be classified as a pistol? Even cut down much too long??

 

Best to all!

 

Bill K.

 

Bill,

 

An M1 Carbine in the U.S. that is cut down from its original configuration, like this one, is an NFA item classified as a Short Barreled Rifle, and all NFA rules apply. The Enforcer pistol, on the other hand, was manufactured as a pistol, and is classified as such.

 

David Albert

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I Know for a fact MACV-SOG Before they were permitted to use current issue American weapons over the fence used M2 carbines like seen in that wonderful picture. they cut down the stocks to the grip and the barrels to the stock nub. These were usually hung around the neck from a cord. They were horrible, the puny half load .30 cal ammo already had little to no jungle penetration. a tiny barrel only made things worse. After a few missions, recon men ditched such "sex appeal" weapons in favor for AKs or CAR-15s. To wrap things up, they did exist and were used.

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I bought one of those "Enforcers" back in 1968 with two 30 round mags and some surplus ammo for $130. Got it at Gabby Hartnet's in Lincolnwood,IL which is long gone. Sold it a few years ago with the mags . It wasn't the most accurate weapon I've owned by a long shot.

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I cut one up for the hell of it.

Carbines were very common. My 1st issue was a new M2.

 

I used and discarded it for all the reasons posted.

 

After a while one learns about weight and necessities.

 

We usually were out for a week at a time and became very aware of that.

 

Quite often water was the biggest issue.

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11thcavsniper

I traded an ARVN a m-16 for a cut down M2. It was cut like the one in hink441 post except it didn't have the finger grooves and had a hand grip in front of the magazine. I thought it would be a great little carry gun but after shooting is some, I had the same feelings about it as stated in Awheelers post. Traded it off to a GI for a .45 that I always carried..

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  • 4 weeks later...

Seen a Picture of a WWII G.I carrying a cut down Carbine in the ETO.

 

That's right Linedoggie, it was somewhat of a fashion in WWII, with, though I'm sure not confined to, Tank and Tank Destroyer Self Propelled Crewman in particular. In Tom Laemlein's America Firepower Series on the M1 Carbine, we see one of these cut down carbines in use. It was in keeping with some AFV crewmans habit of removing the Butt Stock on Tommy Guns.

.

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

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