King Arms M2 Carbine GBBR; Real Wood

The Real M2 Carbine

The M2 Carbine can be viewed as an early forerunner to the modern Personal Defence Weapon. It was originally developed to arm second-line troops, such as support, logistics, and administrative personnel who needed something more capable than a pistol, but lighter and easier to handle than a full-sized rifle. Compact, lightweight, and simple to operate, it represented a major upgrade over the M1911 pistols previously issued.

While the M1911 was generally effective only out to around 25 metres, the M2 Carbine extended that effective engagement distance to approximately 100 metres. This made it far more suitable for defending against paratroopers, raiding parties, and behind-the-lines incursions by enemy special forces.

The M2 Carbine was developed from the earlier M1 Carbine, adding a higher capacity magazine and a fire selector capable of fully automatic fire. This greatly improved close-range firepower, but also led to criticism regarding reduced effective range. Later analysis suggested these complaints were less about the platform itself and more about ammunition being rapidly expended in full auto. Soldiers who relied primarily on semi-automatic fire at longer distances generally reported far fewer issues with the Carbine’s performance.

The King Arms M2 Carbine GBBR

King Arms has done an outstanding job recreating the M2 Carbine, both in terms of visual authenticity and mechanical realism. This gas blowback replica delivers an exciting and immersive shooting experience, with a fully functional GBBR action that feels lively and engaging.

The replica is constructed almost entirely from aluminium and real wood, with a handful of steel components used where additional strength makes sense. In the hands, it closely mirrors the real Carbine’s famously low weight and excellent handling, making it immediately comfortable and intuitive to use.

Starting at the muzzle, the outer barrel features no threading, meaning there is no easy way to attach modern accessories such as tracer units. This is a blessing for historical purists, as it preserves the clean, correct silhouette of the Carbine. Moving rearwards, the front sight is flanked by protective wings with circular cut-outs designed to allow more light into the sight picture.

The front sight itself is a fine blade-style unit, which lines up neatly with the adjustable rear aperture sight mounted at the rear of the receiver. The resulting sight picture is highly effective and will feel familiar to anyone who has used an M14 or M1 Garand. The precise rear aperture lends itself particularly well to accurate semi-automatic fire.

Behind the front sight sits the bayonet lug, which was a late-war addition to the M1 Carbine following feedback from troops in the field. The real rifle accepted the M4 bayonet, derived from the earlier M3 fighting knife. While we cannot confirm whether the lug on this replica is functional, its inclusion adds another layer of authenticity to an already faithful reproduction.

Moving further back, we encounter the front barrel band and sling swivel. Both are constructed from steel rather than alloy, offering increased durability and flexibility. Finished in a realistic gunmetal grey, these parts add subtle contrast to the overall appearance and enhance the rifle’s realism.

The sling swivel is intended for use with a correct M2 Carbine sling, which uses an oil bottle to retain the sling within the rear sling slot. Replica slings are readily available, but if sourcing one proves difficult, other slings can be adapted with a little paracord ingenuity.

The stock fitted to this replica is the late-war “pot belly” pattern, identifiable by its wider and more ergonomic fore-end. This design was introduced during wartime production to strengthen the stock and improve handling comfort. Its distinctive shape contributes heavily to the Carbine’s instantly recognisable profile.

Both the stock and the upper handguard are constructed from real wood, and the finish is excellent. It looks almost factory fresh, likely far cleaner than most surviving real Carbines today, but representative of how they would have appeared when newly issued. Those seeking a more battle-worn aesthetic can, of course, age the wood themselves, but we are glad King Arms chose not to pre-distress it.

The handguard features a central groove that allows proper alignment of the front and rear sights, matching the geometry seen on late-war M2 Carbines. It also provides a comfortable place to brace the support hand thumb, almost mimicking a modern C-clamp grip, which makes the rifle surprisingly pleasant to shoot.

On the right side of the stock and handguard, a cut-out allows the charging handle to protrude, similar in appearance to the M1 Garand. While the M2 Carbine shares no common parts with the Garand, its control layout was intentionally familiar to soldiers already trained on the M1 rifle.

The receiver, bolt, and charging handle are all constructed from aluminium. This contributes to the Carbine’s lightweight feel and produces a satisfying mechanical sound when firing. Each shot sends the bolt and charging handle cycling rearwards with a sharp but controlled recoil impulse that feels appropriate for the platform.

A particularly nice detail is the slight rotation of the bolt during cycling, accurately replicating the rotating bolt mechanism of the real Carbine. Small touches like this highlight King Arms’ commitment to realism and elevate the overall experience.

The charging handle sits on the right side of the rifle, while the remaining controls are clustered around the trigger guard. The fire selector uses the late-war rotary safety design and is easily reachable from a firing grip. Just forward of it sits the push-button magazine release, which operates like an AR platform. Magazines drop free when released and have a reassuring weight to them, so it is wise to keep a hand ready.

Although there is no last round bolt hold open, the bolt can be manually locked to the rear for inspection and clearing. This is achieved by pulling the charging handle fully back, pressing the small button on top of the handle, and gently easing the bolt forward until it locks. Releasing it again is as simple as pulling back on the charging handle. This system faithfully mirrors the real Carbine’s operation and will be appreciated by reenactors and history enthusiasts.

Locking the bolt back also provides access to the hop-up adjustment, which is located above the chamber. Adjustment is performed using a small Allen key via a grub screw style adjuster. While less convenient than tool-free systems, this design holds its setting far more securely under the recoil of a gas blowback action, making it well-suited to consistent longer-range shooting.

The rear sight is a finely made aperture unit with built-in windage adjustment. Turning the knurled knob on the right side of the sight moves the aperture left or right with audible and tactile clicks. Engraved reference markings beneath the aperture allow easy tracking of adjustments and quick return to centre.

At the rear of the stock, the large sling slots on either side are designed for use with the correct Carbine sling and oil bottle retention system. Replica slings are inexpensive and widely available, but paracord again provides an easy workaround for modern slings.

Despite appearances, the stock is relatively short, which makes the M2 Carbine quick to shoulder and easy to manoeuvre without snagging on gear. The textured aluminium butt plate helps keep the rifle secure on the shoulder, and the overall ergonomics are surprisingly comfortable.

This short length of pull was one of the reasons the Carbine was so popular with vehicle crews, and it aligns well with modern shooting stances that favour a more squared-off posture.

Whether you are running a WWII, Korean War, or Vietnam era loadout, the M2 Carbine makes an excellent primary weapon. With faithful late-war externals, beautiful real wood furniture, and an authentic gas blowback action, it delivers both realism and performance. Even outside of historical impressions, it works brilliantly for unconventional builds such as rebel-style kits or sci-fi Fallout-inspired loadouts.

Features

• Full metal construction
• Beautiful real wood stock
• Steel front barrel band and sling swivel
• 17-inch barrel - Great accuracy potential
• Semi and full auto - Perfect for all firefights
• Lever fire selector on the left of the bolt - Forward for full auto, rearward for semi-auto
• Aperture iron sights - Adjustable for windage via rear sight
• Trigger/Action lock rotary safety - The rifle cannot be cocked with the safety on
• Sling slot in the stock - Perfect for replica M2 Carbine slings
• Grub key adjustable HOP-up - Located inside the action, above the barrel
• Push button magazine release - Well within reach of the trigger finger in a firing grip
• Bayonet lug included - Real-world accurate for M2 Carbines
• Round bolt upper surface - Real-world accurate for M2 Carbines
• "Pot belly" stock - Wider, more ergonomic stock

Package Includes

• King Arms M2 Carbine GBBR; Real Wood
• King Arms M2 Carbine 35rnd CO2 Magazine