I have decided on an M1 Carbine in '17.

[Jimster]

Here's my $1,049.00 Inland Mfg carbine. It wouldn't feed rounds from a full (or almost full) magazine or cycle reliably so I returned twice for attention. They replaced the bolt the first time and the entire barrel/receiver assembly the second time (along with a free t-shirt) and it still won't run worth damn with a full or partially filled magazine. I got discouraged and it's been sitting untouched for months. I think it's probably the crappy magazines that came with it so one of these days I'll obtain a good Korean made magazine and give it another go. Very discouraging so far. I think a brand new $1,049.00 firearm should function better than this.

 

[dickydalton]

Years ago I had a Universal that worked OK but rattled and clunked. I also had a Saginaw, I believe it was, that shot OK and I put it in the closet after it went machine gun on my 6 year old son. That was scary, but I bought another bolt for it but traded it and the Universal off before I fixed it.
About 4 or 5 years ago I bought the AO that I still have. It had a few failures to feed for about 50 rounds but after that I haven't had a single one. I use GI magazines that I bought new in wax wrap on GB. It is minute of pop can accurate at 75-100 yards. I have shot a few thousand rounds through it so far.

 

[eastbank]

you could buy a used ruger 10/22 semi auto .22 and shoot that untill you saved enough money for a real m1 carbine. i,m sorry you started late in life looking for one, for me its owning and shooting a real piece of american history that relitives carried in ww-2 and korea. eastbank.

 

[agtman]

Here's my $1,049.00 Inland Mfg carbine. It wouldn't feed rounds from a full (or almost full) magazine or cycle reliably so I returned twice for attention. They replaced the bolt the first time and the entire barrel/receiver assembly the second time (along with a free t-shirt) and it still won't run worth damn with a full or partially filled magazine. I got discouraged and it's been sitting untouched for months. I think it's probably the crappy magazines that came with it so one of these days I'll obtain a good Korean made magazine and give it another go. Very discouraging so far. I think a brand new $1,049.00 firearm should function better than this.

Sorry to hear that report ...

Last year, I took a long look at some M1 carbines up for sale at the Nat'l Matches at Camp Perry - Fulton Armory's usual overpriced rebuilds, as well as others that looked to be old well-worn surplus - and decided to pass.

While the little .30 carbine does hold an interesting niche in the history of U.S mil weapons, both the cartridge and it's platform are essentially a relic by any standard.

Today it's unarguably a 5.56mm world, but if on some sunny afternoon I'm yearning to go plink with an easy-recoiling, short-range ".30-cal carbine," I'll just swap out my AR's 5.56 upper for my .300BLK upper and have at it.

 

[Jimster]

I'll post up a report after I get a decent GI magazine and maybe this little Inland Mfg carbine will redeem itself.

 

[joem1945]

I've seen AR's for cheaper than a M1 carbine. If you have your heart set on a M1 carbine bite the bullet and buy one. I reload for my carbines.

 

[CoalTrain49]

I have a pretty nice Inland (USGI) that I paid about 1K for. Barrel was replaced sometime after the war as it now has a lightly used Winchester barrel on it. ME gauges a little over 1 and it's never been recrowned. Bolt was rebuilt by me for about $40 and 30 minutes of my time. I would say it's a 3 moa rifle. I've compared AO rifles with USGI. I would never buy AO based on personal inspection. Just not in the same league. The new Inland may be better but I've never seen one to inspect.

CMP service grade rifles don't exist anymore from CMP. They had a few about 2 months ago but all were sold in a day.

USGI rifles are like all rifles. When you buy used you need to know a little about them up front. If you get one with a good bore and head space you have about 90% of the problem solved. NOS parts are everywhere and pretty cheap. I can look at a bore and tell if it's seen a lot of use. Not all have. Muzzle erosion and headspace can be checked with gauges. Springs can be replaced and bolts can be rebuilt without much expense.

New is nice if it works. Old is even better if it works. Like I said, parts are everywhere.

 

[Panzerschwein]

Someone mentioned a Ruger 10/22. That's a good idea. They make a carbine stock set for them:

http://www.brownells.com/rifle-part...r-10-22-m1-carbine-style-stock-prod40789.aspx

 

[CapnMac]

The folks over at the carbine forum are a bit nuts.
So, some of those guys are willing to buy another carbine's worth of parts just to get the one carbine back "from factory" condition--which is a pretty mythical state of affairs. In service, the armorerrs replaced worn barrels when ever the weapons came around to them. They pulled the next barrel from the stack, without regard to maker or date. Ditto for any other worn part.

Personally, I'd rather have a bit of history than a mix of parts made to look like history--and I speak from a bias of bad experience with Universals, Plainsfields and the like.

 

[Panzerschwein]

Yeah I agree with you there Mac. Considering that was their "natural state", going through the whole runaround to make a "forced match" M1 carbine is kind of ludicrous.

 

[Captain O]

I had a Universal once

It shot well enough, but had to sell it when my wife died 9/31/99. I don't want another "gussied up" or "cobbled" M1 out of GI parts. I don't give a damn if it is stamped of forged. If it shoots 3 MOA at 100 yards I'll be happy.

i plan on using it for a multitude of duties. (Hunting small/medium game, varmint and HD/PD). A great deal of the time it will be sitting muzzle upright next to my bed with a full magazine and a shop cloth draped over the muzzle.

If I can't get the job done in 15 rounds of 110 grain soft point ammunition, I'm in deep scrapple!

I think I'll make it.

 

[MAKster]

I think people are giving good advice that these new M1 carbines are inferior compared to the GI models. If you don't care about the history of the WWII guns than what is the point of a 30 carbine at all? The 30 carbine round is inferior by every measurement compared to a 223 (energy, 100 yd accuracy, cost, ammo selection). If you want even lower cost fun get a 9mm carbine.

 

[Captain O]

I hadn't asked about GI models, so getting snooty isn't going to impress me. I have a 9mm Carbine (Suomi M31) and am not impressed with it's 100 yard ballistics. If you think that the .223 is such hot stuff, try penetrating barriers with it. (Good luck with that). If I wanted the "flyweight" cartridge, I would have bought one years ago. I never liked it, nor was I enthralled with it's performance. You are welcome to shoot the smallbore "poodle shooter" all you like. Thank you, no.

I don't give a damn about "popularity" (that went out with Junior High School). I barely trust the 9mm at 25 yards, let alone 50. The "pistol" calibers are all inferior from the beginning! (Check with BBTI if you think I'm lying). Let me see... 1543 fps (608 fpe) from an 18" barreled 115 grain 9mm at the muzzle, while a .30 Carbine, engineered from the outset, to be fired from an 18" barrel churns out 1980-2000 fps at the muzzle (957-977 fpe at the muzzle). The .30 Carbine is still running a healthy 1602 fps at 100 yards and still generating 627 fpe! Your analogy may be "economic" but in the field, the 9mm Luger comes up short. I don't want to wound something and chase it into the next county. This isn't about fun, it's about multiple applications I don't need another "one trick pony". The 9mm is just that.

If you feel that the USGI .30 Carbines are so great, why don't you help me pay for one? $800.00 will pay for half of a Fulton Armory product. (Don't worry, I'll pay for the other half).

Are you in?

 

[Captain O]

The folks over at the carbine forum are a bit nuts.
So, some of those guys are willing to buy another carbine's worth of parts just to get the one carbine back "from factory" condition--which is a pretty mythical state of affairs. In service, the armorerrs replaced worn barrels when ever the weapons came around to them. They pulled the next barrel from the stack, without regard to maker or date. Ditto for any other worn part.

Personally, I'd rather have a bit of history than a mix of parts made to look like history--and I speak from a bias of bad experience with Universals, Plainsfields and the like.

This is how (and why) I feel so ambivalent about most USGI builds. You are likely not going to "get that for which you pay".

It is really quite simple.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

It sounds like you know all about what you want and don't want. I hope you find what you are looking for and are happy.

 

[Captain O]

I wasn't trying to be contentious, but has anyone considered that, with our limited time on this earth (I'm 61) that we'll only have the ability to use these rifles for a limited time? I have no heirs and no family. No one is going to care about my belongings after I am gone. No one will give a bloody rip about anything.

I just want to have a decent gun that will perform well when called upon. Is anyone else of a similar mindset?

 

[Panzerschwein]

I hadn't asked about GI models, so getting snooty isn't going to impress me.

Snooty? I don't think he was trying to be snooty. Why the sore attitude? We are trying to help you friend.

 

[carbine85]

I would probably buy one of the commercial carbines if they weren't over priced like they are. I have seen them at the gun shows and I'm mostly unimpressed with the quality and finish of the cast parts. They really don't rate well when compared to the original USGI guns. I own several USGI guns, rebuilt several and built one from parts. Can't say that I ever had a worn out GI gun even at 70 years of service.

 

[Captain O]

The phrase "If you don't care about the history of the M1 Carbine, why buy one at all"? Is a bit pretentious and uppity. (Not everyone belongs to the "I love the 5.56 x 45" club). Unless I'm shooting a .22 lr, I'm not interested in any shoulder arm chambered for a bullet that measures between .221" - .224".

No sale.

 

[eastbank]

well i,m 72 and i,m going full bore ontill i,m ripped from this earth. in july i,m going on my fourth hunting trip to africa. as my dad told me years ago, there is no trailer hitch on a hearse or roof rack either. as for my toys, i,ll die knowing i used the hell out of them when i was here and who gets them matters not to me. eastbank.

 

[CoalTrain49]

He's buying a repro. That's it. When he has to send it back to the factory the second time to get it to run he will understand. The new ones don't run any better than the old ones that haven't been rebuilt. I found an Inland for $600, rebuilt it and sold it for more than I had in it. I was 65 when I did that and now I can strip one and replace every spring and rebuild a bolt in an hour. Age has nothing to do with it. I don't like mailing guns to a mfg. just to have to send them back again when they still don't work. Repros are junk. I guess he finds out the same way we all do. Time and money. There's a reason a rebuilt USGI costs a little more than a repro.

 

[agtman]

I just want to have a decent gun that will perform well when called upon. Is anyone else of a similar mindset?

Sure, which is why I'll never get one of the *new* M1 carbines (like the Inland), nor one of the way overpriced surplus mixmasters.

Plus, I'm just having too much fun shooting all my M1 Garands.

Good luck ...

* * * Age has nothing to do with it. I don't like mailing guns to a mfg. just to have to send them back again when they still don't work. Repros are junk. I guess he finds out the same way we all do. Time and money. There's a reason a rebuilt USGI costs a little more than a repro.

Well said.

 

[mainecoon]

I thought this thread was about an M1 Carbine in 17HMR. That would be a fun rig.

 

[Captain O]

I thought this thread was about an M1 Carbine in 17HMR. That would be a fun rig.

I don't want a damned 17 or .22 caliber M1 Carbine. The .30 Carbine rifle has been in service for 74 years now. In the hands of a skilled marksman it works well. The old "it didn't penetrate the uniforms of the Chinese/North Koreans is pure bunk. Those rice-eating a**hats were so cranked up on morphine that they simply contorted a little as the ball ammunition passed through them. The NKA superiors just sent out more men (not giving a care for them, because they could always breed more).

If I wanted a "pea shooter" I would buy a .22 Long Rifle...wait... I already have one!

agtman: Why are you inserting the Garand into the thread? Nothing else to do? How does the Garand factor into any of the conversation?

Coaltrain: Why did you sell the rifle? Were you dissatisfied with the .30 Carbine? didn't is "fill a niche"? Did you "need" a 5.45 x 45 instead? Were you bored with it?

The old "if it isn't forged, it's junk" song just isn't true. If it were, between 70 and 80% of today's 1911's and other pistols wouldn't last 10,000 rounds. So save that line for someone that just came out of "knee pants"?

If you go to the auctions, it costs between $800.00 and $900,00 for a USGI Carbine. It may need between $300.00-$400.00 for parts to "make it run right". That's $1,200.00-$1,300.00 + $200.00 in a gunsmith's labor (I'm not a gunsmith) to make certain that there aren't any mistakes. That totals $1,400.00 - $1,500.00 for a USGI... with no guarantee that it will shoot well. Sure, it's a "piece of history" but there's almost no guarantee that it won't be a piece of execrement. I don't have the funds to waste on something that may shoot the way I want. If it doesn't, I'll wind up pouring several hundred more dollars into it in hopes that it will "work out". Shipping, parts and labor will all fall squarely upon my shoulders. I currently live on $1072.00 per month (Veteran's pension). Spare change?

The days of relatively inexpensive USGI M1 Carbine rifles are gone. They died last year. I won't something to shoot, not cherish as a war relic and worry about whether or not I should shoot the daylights out of it. It is being purchased as a street warrior and a field tool, not a "conversation piece".


agtman: Start your own thread about the other cartridges. This wan't about the damned 5.56 x 45 or the .300 Blackout (another marketing "gimmick").

 

[agtman]

The days of relatively inexpensive USGI M1 Carbine rifles are gone. They died last year.

Actually, that's about right.

I won't something to shoot, not cherish as a war relic and worry about whether or not I should shoot the daylights out of it. It is being purchased as a street warrior and a field tool, not a "conversation piece".

So what you're saying is ... you're going to do battle "in the streets" with unreliable commercial junk masquerading as a replica .30 carbine?

Dude, don't be a Chumley.

The good money you'll be dumping into this dog could be spent buying a reliable, "street ready" 5.56mm AR - plus optic, mags, and ammo.