After World War II, the M1 carbine became a popular plinking and ranch rifle.
It is still popular with civilian shooters around the world and is prized as a historically significant collector's item.
The Carbine continues to be used in military marksmanship training and competitive target matches conducted by rifle clubs affiliated with the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP).

The M1 carbine can be used for hunting animals such as white-tailed deer and mule deer at close range (less than 100 yards), but is definitely underpowered for larger North American game such as elk, moose, and bear.
A standard .30 Carbine soft-point round weighs 110 grains (7.1 g) and has a muzzle velocity of about 1,990 ft/s (610 m/s) giving it about 967 ft⋅lbf (1,311 joules) of energy.
By comparison, a 110gr .357 Magnum bullet fired from an 18" rifle barrel, has a muzzle velocity of 1718 ft/s (523 m/s) and 720 ft-lb (976 joules) of muzzle energy.
30 Carbine sporting ammunition is factory recommended for hunting and control of large varmints like coyote, fox or bobcat.

Some U.S. states prohibit use of the .30 Carbine cartridge for hunting deer and larger animals due to a lessened chance of killing an animal in a single shot, even with expanding bullets.
The M1 Carbine is also prohibited for hunting in several states such as Pennsylvania because of the semi-automatic function, and Illinois which prohibits all non-muzzleloading rifles for big game hunting.
Five-round magazines are commercially made for use in states that limit the capacity of semi-automatic hunting rifles.

Some indoor shooting ranges may permit the use of an M-1 Carbine, as its bullet is comparable to magnum handgun rounds, whereas a .223, 7.62x39 or other rifle rounds might penetrate or damage the backstop.

Since about 1990, New Jersey has listed the "M-1 Carbine Type" as a banned assault firearm although many examples of the M1 Carbine technically meet the restrictions on semi-automatic rifles identified by the state's firearm laws.
Police Officers, Active Duty Military or veterans in living in New Jersey are also banned form owning or possessing an M1 Carbine.
 
Although not specifically banned by name, make or model, M1 Carbines may in some cases be classified as assault weapons under the 2013 NY SAFE act if the rifle has features such as bayonet lugs, pistol grips, folding stocks and flash suppressors.
10-round magazines are available for owners in New York and states that restrict magazine capacity for civilian firearms.
Although 5 round magazines have been produced, they are not very commonly found.

The M1 Carbine was also used by various law enforcement agencies and prison guards, and was prominently carried by riot police during the civil unrest of the late 1960s and early 1970s; until it was replaced in those roles by more modern .223 caliber semi-automatic rifles such as the Ruger Mini-14 and the Colt AR-15 type rifles in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

The ease of use and great adaptability of the weapon led to it being used by Malcolm X and Patty Hearst.
Both were featured in famous news photographs carrying a version the carbine.
 One of these firearms was also the weapon used in the 1947 assassination of notorious American mobster  Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel.
After World War II, the M1 carbine became a popular plinking and ranch rifle. It is still popular with civilian shooters around the world and is prized as a historically significant collector's item. The Carbine continues to be used in military marksmanship training and competitive target matches conducted by rifle clubs affiliated with the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP).
The M1 carbine can be used for hunting animals such as white-tailed deer and mule deer at close range (less than 100 yards), but is definitely underpowered for larger North American game such as elk, moose, and bear. A standard .30 Carbine soft-point round weighs 110 grains (7.1 g) and has a muzzle velocity of about 1,990 ft/s (610 m/s) giving it about 967 ft⋅lbf (1,311 joules) of energy. By comparison, a 110gr .357 Magnum bullet fired from an 18" rifle barrel, has a muzzle velocity of 1718 ft/s (523 m/s) and 720 ft-lb (976 joules) of muzzle energy. 30 Carbine sporting ammunition is factory recommended for hunting and control of large varmints like coyote, fox or bobcat.
Some U.S. states prohibit use of the .30 Carbine cartridge for hunting deer and larger animals due to a lessened chance of killing an animal in a single shot, even with expanding bullets. The M1 Carbine is also prohibited for hunting in several states such as Pennsylvania because of the semi-automatic function, and Illinois which prohibits all non-muzzleloading rifles for big game hunting. Five-round magazines are commercially made for use in states that limit the capacity of semi-automatic hunting rifles.
Some indoor shooting ranges may permit the use of an M-1 Carbine, as its bullet is comparable to magnum handgun rounds, whereas a .223, 7.62x39 or other rifle rounds might penetrate or damage the backstop.
Since about 1990, New Jersey has listed the "M-1 Carbine Type" as a banned assault firearm although many examples of the M1 Carbine technically meet the restrictions on semi-automatic rifles identified by the state's firearm laws. Police Officers, Active Duty Military or veterans in living in New Jersey are also banned form owning or possessing an M1 Carbine.  
Although not specifically banned by name, make or model, M1 Carbines may in some cases be classified as assault weapons under the 2013 NY SAFE act if the rifle has features such as bayonet lugs, pistol grips, folding stocks and flash suppressors. 10-round magazines are available for owners in New York and states that restrict magazine capacity for civilian firearms. Although 5 round magazines have been produced, they are not very commonly found.
The M1 Carbine was also used by various law enforcement agencies and prison guards, and was prominently carried by riot police during the civil unrest of the late 1960s and early 1970s; until it was replaced in those roles by more modern .223 caliber semi-automatic rifles such as the Ruger Mini-14 and the Colt AR-15 type rifles in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
The ease of use and great adaptability of the weapon led to it being used by Malcolm X and Patty Hearst. Both were featured in famous news photographs carrying a version the carbine.  One of these firearms was also the weapon used in the 1947 assassination of notorious American mobster  Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel.
M1 carbine