Maybe but the smaller size / weight requirement may have made the receiver smaller and might have prohibited that.
The U.S. Army’s “light rifle” program that produced the M1 Carbine began with Infantry requests in 1938 and was formalized by the Ordnance Department in 1940. The official request for designs was issued on 1 October 1940.
Core weapon requirements (October 1940)
Weight not more than 5 lb with sling (later relaxed to 5.5 lb after initial tests).
Effective range of at least 300 yards, with accuracy comparable to existing service rifles at that distance.
Semiautomatic operation, with the ability to add full-automatic fire via a selector that required a special tool (full-auto was dropped for the standardized M1 and added later on the M2).
Chambered for a new rimless .30-caliber cartridge (developed by Winchester from the .32 Winchester Self-Loading case) using a 100–110 grain full-metal-jacket bullet at approximately 2,000 fps.
Detachable box magazine that could be loaded with clips or chargers.
Magazines of 5, 10, 20, and 50 rounds were originally specified (the 50-round magazine was later dropped).
Simple construction with as few parts as possible; parts needing frequent cleaning or replacement had to be easily accessible, preferably using only the cartridge itself as a tool.
Protected against sand, dirt, and rain.
Aperture rear sight with only two range settings, no windage adjustment, and an eye relief of 2½–6 inches in the prone position.
Trigger pull of 3–5 lb and a safety that allowed the weapon to be carried cocked with a round chambered.
Bolt to remain open after the last round; magazine insertion possible with the bolt open or closed.
Well-balanced for shoulder firing and capable of being carried by sling.
Cartridge requirements
The cartridge itself had to be at least .27 caliber, produce a mid-range trajectory ordinate of no more than 18 inches at 300 yards, and deliver the stated velocity with a 100–110 grain bullet. Winchester’s resulting .30 Carbine load used a 110-grain bullet at roughly 1,860–1,970 fps from an 18-inch barrel.
Later adjustments
After the first trials in May 1941, the weight limit was raised slightly and the full-automatic requirement was removed for the initial production M1. A folding-stock version (M1A1) was added for airborne troops. The Winchester design was selected in October 1941 and standardized as the U.S. Carbine, Caliber .30, M1.
These specifications were intended to give support troops, officers, and specialists a weapon lighter than the M1 Garand and more effective than the M1911 pistol at typical engagement distances.
SAAMI Maximum Average Pressure (MAP), piezoelectric transducer / modern PSI:
- .30 Carbine: 40,000 psi
- .308 Winchester: 62,000 psi
- .30-06 Springfield: 60,000 psi
These are the current SAAMI voluntary industry standards (Z299.4 centerfire rifle) for
commercial sporting ammunition. They represent the recommended maximum average pressure (not a single-shot peak) measured with conformal piezoelectric transducers.
Older copper-crusher (CUP) figures still appear in some references (.30 Carbine ~40,000 CUP, .308 Win ~52,000 CUP, .30-06 ~50,000 CUP). CUP and PSI are not interchangeable because they use different measurement methods. Modern published load data and factory ammo follow the PSI MAP values above.
Always stay within published load data for your specific firearm; SAAMI MAP is an industry manufacturing limit, not a license to exceed safe working pressures in a given rifle.
