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The ERMA-Werke E M1 .22 carbine goes Commercial

http://www.m1carbinesinc.com/carbine_em1.html

SPECIFICATIONS
ERMA Model E M1
Caliber: .22 LR
Mechanism Type: Semi-automatic,
gas operated, straight blowback
Sights: rear sight adjustable for windage and elevation,
dovetailed for scope mount
Rifling: 6 grooves, right twist 1 turn in 18 1/2 inches
Barrel Length: 17 3/4 inches
Over-All Length: 35 3/8 inches
Capacity: 5, 10, or 15 round magazines
Weight: 5.9 lbs

Birth of the Erma Werke Model EM1 Training Rifle
Between May 1945 and June 1949 West German police in the American Occupation Zone were provided with American handguns and and 18,966 U.S. M1 carbines. [OMGUS Civil Administration Division, Bad Nauheim, 08 Sep 1949, Semi-Annual German Police Personal & Equipment Report as of 30 Jun 1949]. More M1 and M2 carbines were provided to the newly formed West German Border police (Bundesgrenzpolizei) in 1952 and to the new West German Bundeswehr in 1956. Records of the U.S. Department of Defense Military Assistance Program maintained by the National Archives indicate 1950-1963 West Germany was provided with 34,192 U.S. M1 carbines. With the M1 carbines came a very large need for training the Germans how to use the American weapon.
The development and use of .22 caliber rifles constructed to operate and feel like a particular military weapon was fairly common in Europe during the 1900's. One example is a .22 caliber training rifle used by the Germans to train their troops for use of the Mauser K98 main battle rifle. Compared to the full size weapons, the training rifles and their ammunition were less expensive to produce, and helped newcomers to familiarize themselves with the weapons.

When Erma Werke was acquired by Fiberglide in 1961 plans were already underway for production of the EM1 Carbine look-a-like in .22 long rifle caliber for use as a training rifle. The EM1 was adopted for use in training by the Austrian Gendarmerie [U.S. Karabiner .30 M1 by Wolfdieter Hufnagl], who had obtained over 10,000 U.S. M1 carbines 1955-1957. How many EM1's were manufactured and used by the Austrian Gendarmerie is not known.

ERMA-Werke purchased surplus U.S. Army Ordnance tooling and machinery used during WWII to produce various parts for the U.S. M1 Carbines.

Many commercially available weapons were initially developed for, and used by, a country's military. Sometimes a civilian model is made available commercially, sometimes military contracts are canceled and manufacturers turn to the commercial market to keep from losing all the money and time it took to develop the weapon. Little information is known of the military use of the Erma Werke E M1 , this isn't the case with versions of the E M1 that were sold commercially.

In Europe in the mid to late 1960's ERMA-Werke introduced a sporterized version of the E M1, the EGMI Model 70. The stock had no sling hole, the front sight had an elevated single blade, and it is often found with a scope attached.