The M1 Carbine turned into one of the most desired and most denigrated of the WWII weapons. Soldiers who expected .30-06 terminal effects were disappointed, those who carried the high capacity little carbine loved them, many enemy soldiers picked them up from the battlefield to use them. The German army considered them wonderful, the best thing we brought to the war. They were designed as an alternative to the M1911 pistol as a way to arm truck drivers, cooks, and tank crews, but eventually found their way into all parts of the military. They were lightweight, around 5-1/2 pounds, short (36 inches overall), and held 15 rounds of 300-yard range ammo, in a detachable magazine. That's 6 times the rated range of the .45 ACP. To top it all off, the rifle sights were easy to use, and the troop training for effective use was very short. In all, there were, 8 or 9 manufacturers of these rifles. The Underwood typewriter company was one of them.