Universal 30 Carbine

[ThomasT]

I went to the range today to shoot my new to me Ruger 77/22. A young guy was sitting down from me and he had a universal 30 carbine. It was really clean. He said he paid $175.00 for it. I told him he stole it.

I watched him shoot it for a while and did a little spotting for him. When I was getting ready to leave he asked if I would like to shoot it. He didn't have to ask twice.

Wow what a neat little rifle. No wonder everyone wants one of those. The funny thing is, is that it felt like it recoiled a little more than my new Mini-14.

I had this exact same rifle about three years ago and traded it for an ADL in 30-06 before I had a chance to shoot it. I wish I had it back now.

Oh well, I guess it's time for a new quest.

 

[armslist]

I've seen them around a bunch, but I've never fired one. Looks like I might need to.

 

[jdub42]

Well

They can be a hit or miss, the later productions had some problems as they ran out of parts and started manufacturing there own. There are also stories of them firing OOB and causing serious injury or death. I have seen them with parts cracked after a few houndred rounds. I have a friend that is a gunsmith/shop owner and wont touch em.... I bought one and traded it the next day for a WASR for $300 sold the WASR last week for $750, now have a AMD-65 on the way. Thats my universal carbine story.

 

[jcwit]

I've got a GI carbine "saginaw gear" in my collection that I don't shoot. But also have a Plainfield that I use as a fun shooter/plinker. I've got over 3000 rds of my own reloads thru it so far and lord knows how many previous owners put thru it.

I doubt there's much to the stories about the little guns causing death to the shooter. Good Grief can you imagine the media and the Lawyers on that one. Would be all over the headlines and on the national news.
Unsafe guns killing their own shooters------nah.

However I would still try to get one from the CMP as my 1st one.

BTW keep the bolt clean. Its a soldiers weapon and therefore your best friend.

 

[Tinpig]

As long as CMP has Service Grade Inlands for $495, and Rack Grade Inlands for $419, I'd go for the real thing.
http://www.thecmp.org/m1carbine.htm



Tinpig

 

[jcwit]

OH YEA Nice photo, I've got the same three and would like a M1A but can't justify the price, maybe someday. Gives me something to look forward to.

 

[Sunray]

"...as they ran out of parts..." It wasn't about running out of parts. Some bright light at Universal thought he could improve the design. He didn't. Using poorly made stamped op handles and the new design being totally different from the original so no milsurp parts except mags would fit, didn't help. The Late model Universals are junk.
$175 is still a good price though.

 

[SaxonPig]

I got one at a pawn shop about 6 years ago for $165. Works fine and uses military mags without a burp.

 

[LibShooter]

My Universal works great. Dad bought it for me when I was 12. Now I'm 46. Shot the heck out of it until I moved away from home. It gathered dust in Dad's gun case for about 20 years.

One day Dad says, "Would you please take that little Carbine home, already." The 15 round magazine still had 5 or 6 rounds in it. It shoots ball ammo very well. "Soft Points" don't work quite as well. Stay away from 30 round magazines.

That little Carbine is the one they'll have to pry from my cold fingers.

 

[ThomasT]

Its fun talking about getting one but I suppose I don't need a new caliber to load for or chase nonexistant ammo for.

I did like its small size and light weight. Sorta like a 22 with a lot more kick.

 

[Snowdog]

My late-manufacture Universal was a tack-driver, it really was. However, though it started out reliable, the action began to bind on occasion as one of the two recoil rods would work its way loose of the block holding one end in place. None of my "temporary" fixes would work for long, never longer than a 15 round magazine or so.
I traded it at a loss to a friend who was convinced he could "fix" it. To my knowledge, he still hasn't.
If it continued to work properly, I would probably still have it.

Now I have a Kahr/AO M1 Carbine and couldn't be happier. M1 Carbines are just so darn fun!

 

[Lloyd Smale]

i had two of them in the past and both were junk compared to the real thing.

 

[61chalk]

I think it was the Universal that my friend an I bought back in 1978 from JC Penny. They were around 149.00, we had the 30 rd. magazines an scopes, an we reloaded hot rds....my friend got the perfect one, he could hit anything you could see...almost..ha...but mine, was junk, there was NO way of ever knowing were the next bullet would hit...it wasn't the scope....we looked at the end of the barrel a few weeks later an the muzzle was oval type shaped...ain't it suppose to be round!!! I got sick of its none accuracy an sold it, saved, an bought a AR. Great photos in post 5!!!

 

[JimJD]

Another Universal M1 Carbine question...

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[benzy2]

I had a plainfield version for a while. The local shop had it for $150. I played with it for a year or two and got bored with it. I ended up getting $400 for it on gunbroker. Not a bad deal to play with a rifle for a couple years. Now that I am allowed to buy from the CMP I don't see why I would buy anything but USGI.