Since 1999, the Auto-Ordnance Corp. has been part of the Kahr Firearms Group dubbing as the brand under which Kahr Arms distributes a wide array of commemorative and limited edition firearms based upon historical designs used by the US Armed Forces during World War II and the wars in Korea and Vietnam, such as the M1911-A1 pistol, the Thompson sub-machine gun and the M1 Carbine.

The latest entry in Auto-Ordnance's catalog for 2025 is the Iwo Jima M1 Carbine 80th Anniversary Edition designed to celebrate the anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima, the largest and bloodiest in the history of the United States Marine Corps: from mid-February to late March 1945, almost 7,000 Marines died and just under 20,000 were injured in the conquest of an outlying island that gave the Allies a solid foothold on Japanese land and accelerated the end of the war.

Famous for the Pulitzer-winning picture of the US flag rising on Mount Suribachi, the Battle of Iwo Jima had already been celebrated by Auto-Ordnance with a 75th Anniversary limited edition M1 carbine in 2020; the 80th Anniversary edition is a powerful artifact for collectors, historians, and anyone who wishes to own a piece of history and honor the enduring legacy of Iwo Jima, while maintaining the historical accuracy and quality that made the original M1 Carbine a legend.

The often underrated M1 Carbine was indeed a key piece of hardware for US forces in all theaters during World War II, and quickly became America's most manufactured firearm during WWII, with over 6.1 million samples produced by ten different companies, far surpassing the production numbers of the M1 Garand service rifle and M1 and M1-A1 Thompson sub-machine guns combined.

Auto-Ordnance's 80th Anniversary Iwo Jima M1 Carbine retains the iconic semi-automatic, short-stroke piston-driven working system of the original and is compatible with all M1 Carbine double-stack metal magazines manufactured by the millions during and after WWII; this specific edition will be issued with 15-rounds magazines, but 10-rounds magazines will be available for sale in restrictive jurisdictions.

Almost all features of the 80th Anniversary Iwo Jima M1 Carbine are straight out of the original WW2 M1 Carbine: all metal parts are made out of steel and blued in matte black; a sling swivel is located on the left side of the barrel band; the front sight is a fixed blade, protected by two metal wings; and the rear sight is a flip-up double peep sight for targets at 100/150 and 300 yards respectively.

The lack of features such as a micrometric rear sight, a ventilated metal barrel shroud and a bayonet lug – popular among M1 Carbine owners and shooters, but typical of post-WW2 service upgrades and thus never found on the original M1 Carbines fielded during the Second World War – is more than offset by the beautiful bespoke engravings on the walnut stock, created by the fine craftsmen at Altered Arsenal to pay tribute to the unwavering bravery and sacrifice of those who fought on the black sands of Iwo Jima.