The M1 Carbine is the standard by which all PDWs are measured.

[stanc]

One of the reasons the US adopted the M-1 Garand as a 30 caliber is the amount of ammunition in inventory. The US was already geared up to produce 30-06 ammunition. I think future conflicts were on the minds of the leadership and they chose to stick with proven or known commodity. In the mid 30’s the world wasn’t looking to mechanized land, air combined arms tactics...

The world may not have been looking to fast-paced, mechanized combat, but Germany certainly was. In the mid-1930s, Germany introduced the general purpose machine gun, and they were working on intermediate-power rifle ammo that led to the development and fielding of an assault rifle.

Meanwhile, the US was still using heavy, watercooled machine guns employed for trench warfare, and developing what was essentially an improved M1903 Springfield rifle. But then, as George Chinn said, Germany always sought to create tomorrow's weapons today, while we sought to develop yesterday's weapons soon.

The power of the 30-06 is a two edge sword but the common use of black tip amour piercing ammo tends to suggest a desire to breach barriers.

Concur. The extensive use of light armored vehicles by German forces would seem to have made it prudent to use AP ammo, instead of lead-core Ball.

In the 1930’s the M-1 Garand was a significant improvement over bolt action rifles.

Significant, yes. Great, no. It was just more of the same, a better battle rifle. It wasn't the "game changer" that the German Sturmgewehr was.

The US could have fielded an assault rifle in the 1930s, were it not for a lack of vision. All of the pieces were there. They just needed to be put together.

Intermediate-Power Cartridge (.30 Remington)





Straight-Line Stock (M1917 Winchester Machine Rifle)




30-Round Magazine (M1920 Garand Rifle)