Rube Goldberg's contribution to small arms


A look inside the M2 Carbine

If the conversion of the M1 Carbine to the M2 was not done by the great master of mechanical silliness, it was certainly done by a student or admirer. An ingenious chain reaction among a series of retrofitted parts subverts the operation of the carbine's trigger group, which  worked in a straightforward manner originally, and does it in a way that will delight all admirers of perverted design. Conceptually it most resembles the old trick of tying a bit of string to the operating handle.

This Army footage uses a large cutaway model to explain the M2 Kludgebine's internal operation:


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