Next up for The Firearm Blog  to talk about is the M1A1 Carbine, which they dubbed as the "Paratrooper's Sidekick"... "The M1A1 carbine is perhaps one of the more iconic rifles from American forces in World War Two. It was specifically designed for the Paratroopers, and was used extensively in numerous campaigns of the War. With a folding stock, it allowed Paratroopers to carry less weight, and squeeze the carbine into their gear for their combat jumps over Sicily, Normandy, Holland, and Germany with the 17th Airborne Division. Today it fetches a collector premium over other M1 carbines in their original, unaltered form."