All too often people forget that the little carbine was a replacement for a handgun�it�s a Carbine, not a rifle. In an urban environment, with fighting at short ranges the Carbine could be nearly ideal. As for the cartridge, most FMJ cartridges tend to suck. Stoke a Carbine with a 110 JHP like the Winchester factory load, or a the 110 grain X bullet load from Cor-Bon, and predictably, it becomes a whole new animal, with power outstripping a .357 magnum. Now add in that the M1 Carbine could hold its own with the AK in the reliability department and now the little carbine begins to rise to the top. For defense of my neighborhood, I�ll take an X bullet loaded M1 Carbine over any AR. Sure, the AR an accuracy edge, but the Carbine is a much more reliable weapon, and certainly accurate enough for anything you�re likely to encounter. And inside 100 yards, I�m betting a 110 grain X bullet from a .30 carbine will do more soft tissue damage than any 5.56 FMJ.
