▁in ▁the ▁case ▁of ▁units ▁that ▁came ▁under ▁inten se ▁fire ▁or ▁were ▁fl ank ed ▁or ▁surrounded ▁by ▁enemy ▁forces . ▁The ▁Gar and ' s ▁en - b loc ▁clip ▁system ▁proved ▁particularly ▁cum bers ome ▁when ▁using ▁the ▁rif le ▁to ▁launch ▁gr en ades , ▁requiring ▁removal ▁of ▁an ▁often ▁partially ▁loaded ▁clip ▁of ▁ball ▁am mun ition ▁and ▁replacement ▁with ▁a ▁full ▁clip ▁of ▁blank ▁cart rid ges . ▁ ▁By ▁modern ▁standards , ▁the ▁M 1 ' s ▁feed ing ▁system ▁is ▁arch a ic , ▁re lying ▁on ▁cli ps ▁to ▁feed ▁am mun ition , ▁and ▁is ▁the ▁principal ▁source ▁of ▁criticism ▁of ▁the ▁rif le . ▁Official s ▁in ▁Army ▁Or dn ance ▁circles ▁demanded ▁a ▁fixed , ▁non - pro tr ud ing ▁magazine ▁for ▁the ▁new ▁service ▁rif le . ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁it ▁was ▁believed ▁that ▁a ▁det ach able ▁magazine ▁on ▁a ▁general - issue ▁service ▁rif le ▁would ▁be ▁easily ▁lost ▁by ▁U . S . ▁soldiers ▁( a ▁criticism ▁made ▁of ▁British ▁soldiers ▁and ▁the ▁Lee – En field ▁ 5 0 ▁years ▁previously ), ▁would ▁render ▁the ▁weapon ▁too ▁sus cept ible ▁to ▁c logging ▁from ▁d irt ▁and ▁de br is ▁( a ▁belief ▁that ▁proved ▁unf ounded ▁with ▁the ▁ad option ▁of ▁the ▁M 1 ▁Car bine ), ▁and ▁that ▁a ▁pro tr ud ing ▁magazine ▁would ▁comp licate ▁existing ▁manual - of - ar ms ▁dr ills . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁invent