Riomouse911
Member
I know one former deputy who carried an M-1 carbine while on patrol in the high Sierras of Ca. He quit carrying it when the dept went to AR's years ago. (He also carried a 6" Python until he left there.) He had confidence in the rifle for use against people, but he admitted he didn't think it was going to be great when it was snowy/wintry out and everyone was bundled up in 3 layers of down. (I guess he read too many Korean war complaints about .30 carbine ineffectiveness against heavily-clad Chinese/NK troops). Like the vast majority of patrol rifles it was deployed on calls numerous times but never fired at a suspect, so I can't say how effective (or ineffective) he found it to be.
I now own the gun, as the owner moved to the Caribbean and is living the carefree ex-pat 'Jimmy Buffett' lifestyle on a sandy beach somewhere warm...
I will say that my second (or is it third?) cousin was a deputy in Central Texas and used a .30-30 Winchester 1894 to kill an armed man after a shooting/standoff occurred several miles outside of San Antonio about 20 years ago... he got that call while off-duty and he grabbed his hunting rifle to respond to the scene.
In any event; Yes the carbine and its .30 cal cartridge could be used in a patrol rifle function, as could just about any mag-fed semi-auto centerfire rifle. (Remember Clyde Barrow was shot and killed by Dep. Prentis Oakley with a Model 8 in .35 Rem., and Frank Hamer also had one that was hi-cap mag equipped.) But will the M-1 Carbine or .30 Carbine round ever replace the M-4 / AR-15 or Mini-14 style carbine in 5.56 / .223 in any modern police department or Sheriff's office? No.
I now own the gun, as the owner moved to the Caribbean and is living the carefree ex-pat 'Jimmy Buffett' lifestyle on a sandy beach somewhere warm...
I will say that my second (or is it third?) cousin was a deputy in Central Texas and used a .30-30 Winchester 1894 to kill an armed man after a shooting/standoff occurred several miles outside of San Antonio about 20 years ago... he got that call while off-duty and he grabbed his hunting rifle to respond to the scene.
In any event; Yes the carbine and its .30 cal cartridge could be used in a patrol rifle function, as could just about any mag-fed semi-auto centerfire rifle. (Remember Clyde Barrow was shot and killed by Dep. Prentis Oakley with a Model 8 in .35 Rem., and Frank Hamer also had one that was hi-cap mag equipped.) But will the M-1 Carbine or .30 Carbine round ever replace the M-4 / AR-15 or Mini-14 style carbine in 5.56 / .223 in any modern police department or Sheriff's office? No.
