We had M1 Carbines as our jail-house guard rifles for many years. They were all stamped, "Bulgarian Police" - go figure - HA! We had fun with them up on the jail's range, when I was the firearms Inst. and due to that, I have thousands of empties, once fired, of course.

Always threatened to make up a .17PeeWee on an M1Carb. - never got round to it. Without the gas tube, it would be a straight pull, bolt action, auto return. Pull the bolt back, let it go & it ejects the spent round then chambers the next round. (you'd want to keep the return spring, just because)