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

[stanc]

Rather than the fantasy of what any of us think should have been done (because we are smarter than everybody else)...

LOL.

...the US Govt pulled 2 aces out of the deck when they came up with the M1 Garand and the M1 Carbine.

More like a jack and a queen. Germany drew aces, with the MG42 and StG44.

Yes, they could have been better. Yes, they should have been better.

Precisely.

Of course the challenge is to get 2 people to agree on what "better" is.

Even the US Army eventually (three decades later!) acknowledged that the assault rifle was a better idea than the battle rifle.

But they served our country in times of great need and they served brilliantly.

They were used because nobody had the vision to make something better. That doesn't make them brilliant.