How many M1 Carbines?

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Buck13

Buck13

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Wikipedia says the government bought about 6 million M1 Carbines. Any idea how many came into civilian hands through OUR "gun buy-back" efforts? And when those sales mostly happened?

Just curious how this military automatic assault weapon of war managed not to inspire a bunch of mass shootings back in the day, when apparently functionally similar rifles do that now. Or is it all in the evil black plastic pistol grip? :barf:
 
The M-1 Carbine was not a fully automatic weapon, it was semiauto like it's big brother, the M-1 Garand. Your source saying there were @6,000,000 carbines made is correct, but it is hard to say if it's possible to know how many came into civilian hands through the CMP.
Maybe the CMP keeps records and one might inquire with them?
Then there's always the wartime bring-backs. My father was U. S. Navy serving in a U. D. T. team in Korea. When he came back he liberated an M - 1 Carbine which is now in my gun safe.
An additional note: there was a version of the carbine made that was selective fire called the M-2. It is as regulated by the NFA of 1934 as is the Thompson, B. A. R., or any other full auto.
 
Actually there was a mass shooting with an M! carbine by a vet in the way back. Sorry I have no details, it came up during the first assault weapons bills back around the late 80's as having happened I believe after the Korean War and the vet had what we might call PTSS or some such now.

Besides the NRA program (program stopped when antis said it was not fair to require NRA membership to get a Government rifle) and DCM program a boat load were given "at cost" to police departments for around $27 during the mid to late sixties with purchase by individual officers to include auxillerymen. My dad got his through that program and the department gave me (then a 14 year old) one for "services rendered". While I was over seas about 14 years later a new chief came on board, saw the notation in the paper work and had a conniption fit and sent a uniform to "seize" my carbine form Mom and Dad's house. Real nice to come home from serving my country (again) and finding local yokel cops had stolen my first semi auto centerfire.

-kBob
 
Tommygunn said:
The M-1 Carbine was not a fully automatic weapon, it was semiauto like it's big brother, the M-1 Garand.
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I know. Every word of that paragraph was meant with an eye-roll emoticon placed after it. I was just afraid it would be unreadable if actually formatted that way.

My point being that expect for the black plastic furniture, the AR-15 and M1 Carbine are practically functionally indistinguishable. And yet, no one sees fit to blame it for everything that happens.
 
Buck13 said:
I know. Every word of that paragraph was meant with an eye-roll emoticon placed after it. I was just afraid it would be unreadable if actually formatted that way.

My point being that expect for the black plastic furniture, the AR-15 and M1 Carbine are practically functionally indistinguishable. And yet, no one sees fit to blame it for everything that happens.
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I think today's antigun movement is more aware of, and more concerned with, the modern "evil black rifle," than with older guns that are usually more prized by collectors. Even California, when passing one of their anti assault rifle laws years ago, specifically exempted the M-1 carbine so Collectors wouldn't be offended .... though I don't know if this exemption is still in place.

Soldiers who had experience with both in the early Vietnam War years usually opined both were equally effective at stopping the enemy, the carbine being more reliable (due to early problems with the M-16 rifle) but the M-16 having a flatter ballistic trajectory.

So theoretically the carbine certainly would be as useful as an AR. But do you think people like Nikolas Cruz would try to search out an expensive old carbine with somewhat rare ammo .... or prefer a cheaper modern M4orgery with easy to obtain 5.56mm. ammo?
 
Buck13,

Well no, GCA68 was not then in effect......but because he considered it a paper work error and it just wasn't right. They had 15 of the carbines for auxillerymen (reservist, part time cops, whatever you wanted to call them in your neck of the woods in those pre police standards days) and the Fed program allowed each auxilleryman to buy one and only one. for the twenty seven bucks and change.

When the guns were being looked over by the full time and auxillery officers they took them all apart and chucked all the metal bits in a parts washer full of solvent. When they tried to reassemble a few they couldn't. Someone recalled that my Dad had a 14 year old gun nut for a son and they hatched a plan. Dad another auxilleryman and a full time cop brought them all to my bedroom while I was out at a myoung men's meeting and pilled them on three GI blankets on my floor. When I got home they offered me a deal. Get them all together and working and one was mine.

Turns out a full time cop had tossed his Universal in the cleaner (so 16 guns actually) and there was one carbine I likely should have chosen as it was different from all the rest in having a separate tube the recoil spring and guide fit inside and a slot down the side the hole is normally bored in the receiver. Someone later said it must have been an IrwinPetersen experimental or some such,

Anyhow I held up my end of the deal and the then chief said "OK Fine." I shot the begibbers out of it with GI, Remington, Winchester and French Berdan Primed ammo until I went away for my enlisted tour. Came home shot the begibbers out of it while using the GI bill and getting a commission and only did not take it with me overseas as an officer because it was opined I would have difficulty re emporting it. As it was I took a .44 Special revolver, Blackhawk .45 convertible, and a Series 70 with me and bought more handguns over younder and a Mini-14.

New Chief decided what really happened was that Dad got two carbines and that was not right.

At least I had fun with it. BTW I twice took it to public school, once for a middle school history class and once for a Highschool JROTC class. With magazines , ammo , and bayonet both times. Oddly it never occurred to me to do anything stupid with it.

Hunting rifles and shotguns where common in cars parked in the school parking lot, especially during seasons. My band director had a rifle in the rack in his bronco (unlocked) everyday.

It wasn't that we did not have access to guns in the 1960's, I think people were just more responsible and polite to one another.

T'aint the arrow, its the Indian you got to worry about.

-kBob
 
Didn't the asshat in Texas use an m1 carbine up in the tower?!
In any event, i will agree that it's based allot around there "scary looking rifle".
Three shooting around my town recently and two hi points were taken into custody. Both stolen. Funny thing it's that i hear alot of guns used in street crime are hot. They should pass a law to make it illegal for criminals to possess stolen firearms.
 
The asshat (Charles Whitman) did have a carbine with him, along with several other guns. I don"t recall how many, if any, casualties were inflicted with the carbine. Some of the first return fire came from a student and NRA member with an M1 carbine, and another student NRA member with a sporterized P17 Enfield.
 
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