# help on buying a M1 carbine



## jayzbird (May 19, 2005)

Looking at buying a M1 carbine with my hard earned income tax refund. I'm looking for something to shoot and to add to my rifle rack next to my Garand. I was at a gun store yesterday and saw quite a few different versions of the gun. I would love a Winchester but I'm sure I can't afford it. Any of you have any recommendations? What not to buy/ what to look for? I'm looking for a shooter but I don't want a piece of junk either. Don't know much about the carbines.... help please!


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## Gil Martin (Jan 18, 2003)

It also depends what is available. I would suggest looking at IBM, Inland Div. of General Motors. Standard Products, U.S. Postal Meter or Winchester. There were a lot of Blue Sky M1 Carbines that came in from South Korea some years back. Prices vary, but condition is everything. All the best...
Gil


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## jayzbird (May 19, 2005)

I saw a few by Universal and IAI and weren't familiar with them at all. They were priced from the low to mid 300 dollar range. Are these good guns? One of the salesman there told me that they were cheap copies, but you know how well you can take a gun salesmans advice......:lol:


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## Munsterlndr (Oct 16, 2004)

I can understand wanting one from the collectors standpoint but from the shooters standpoint, they are too underpowered to be much good to hunt with and ammo is pretty expensive for plinking. I think Esox was commenting on what an essentially useless rifle they are not too long ago, you might want to search for that thread.

From a collecting standpoint, matching serial numbers instead of an arsenal rebuild will be the most valuable.They were made by almost a dozen different manufacturers, some are more collectible then others. Besides Winchester, they were made by a bunch of companies converted over from producing civilian goods to war supplies. Underwood, Saginaw Steering Gear, Rock-Ola and IBM are a few of the others. The post war foreign knock-offs have much less value then the US built originals.


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## jayzbird (May 19, 2005)

I'm not really looking for a numbers matching rifle. My Garand is a rebuild with a new Kreiger barrel. So, not looking to pay out the nose for a numbers matching as issued speceman. I'm just looking for a decent gun that I can take out and shoot and enjoy it. You know, looking for advice on what to look for and what is junk. Maybe there is some info out on the internet someone can recommend on reading? I know there is a book on the M1 Garand and carbine but I don't feel like shelling out almost 40.00 on it. I kinda remember from some time ago about a guy telling me that the operating rod is different between the good guns and the junk ones but I can't remember exactly what.... I have wanted one of these little rifles for years. Not intending to hunt with it or make it a self defense weapon, I have numerous other choices in my collection to do those with. My reason for wanting one is that I'm a history freak and especially anything WWII. I've got a Mosin, a Mauser, and a Enfield also. After I get a carbine, it's off to save to purchase a '03 Springfield.


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## inland44 (Dec 1, 2008)

Decent shooter grade USGI post war rebulids are out there at a relatively good price $500 to $700 or so if you look around. Check out gunbroker.com gunsamerica.com and the M-1Carbine forum. The first 2 will give you a good price range and the last site has some pretty knowlegable guys that can help you steer clear of AS ISSUED knock offs and some of the later commercial copies(Universal and IAI as mentioned by another poster). Khar arms does make a very nice reproduction of the WWII era and a post war era carbine but are as much if not more $$ in some cases as orginals. 

Surplus ammo is still out there when you can find it at a decent price, Wolf and a few others make good plinking ammo as well. I shoot mine just for fun and keep it around for the accasional 4 legged varmints. It sits just below my Garand (44 dated Winchester reciever but post war rebulid). They are not going to fund my retierment but they look good on the wall just the same. Mine is a Inland with orginal 3-44 barrel, I picked it up at an antique store as a matter of fact. A dealer had some military stuff and he and I got talking. He said he had something I might like and I made him a cash offer on the spot. 

Lock that money away, do some research and hit a few gun shows to decied what you want and how much you are willing to spend. There are lots of them out there and the rebulids arent going to double in value over night.


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## Hammer62 (Oct 20, 2010)

If I were you I would look up the Civilian Marksmanship Program, you could possibly obtain your M-1 from the armory in Ohio through their program. That would probably give your best bang for you buck, you just have to meet the criteria to buy from them or know someone who does. Thats where I got my Garand. Look into it you won't regret it. In the meantime try this site for reading up on mil-surps http://www.surplusrifle.com/.


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## roger23 (Jan 14, 2001)

I would not waste my money on a M1 Carbine,,what do you want to use it for,I used a M2 it was good to about 100 yds if you were lucky ,,it is basically a pistol round,,I would spend it on a Garand a lot better gun,,M2 was basically a spray and pray 30 rounds in a hurry fine in elephant grass


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## inland44 (Dec 1, 2008)

I believe that the CMP is out of M-1 Carbines with no plans to aquire more. Several thousand were avalable from the South Korean govt but our current administration would not allow them to be imported. Also the OP stated he already has a Garand. Granted the old "war baby" was not really sucessful as a military weapon and they really are not useful as a hunting rifle but they are still fun to shoot and make a nice addition to anyones collection who wants one.


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## Hoppe's no.10 (Sep 16, 2007)

inland44 said:


> Granted the old "war baby" was not really sucessful as a military weapon ....




General George S. Patton: "...the greatest battle implement ever devised." 

Hoppe's no.10


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## inland44 (Dec 1, 2008)

Hoppe's no.10 said:


> General George S. Patton: "...the greatest battle implement ever devised."
> 
> Hoppe's no.10


The "war baby" refers to the Title of a book writen by Larry L. Ruth about the M-1 Carbine.(and a good book at that) General Patton's quote refers to the M-1 Garand...


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## Petronius (Oct 13, 2010)

Hoppe's no.10 said:


> General George S. Patton: "...the greatest battle implement ever devised."
> 
> Hoppe's no.10


I think inland44 was referring to the M1 Carbine. Patton was referring to the M1 Garand. inland44 got his post in before I did.


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## Hoppe's no.10 (Sep 16, 2007)

petronius said:


> I think inland44 was referring to the M1 Carbine. Patton was referring to the M1 Garand. inland44 got his post in before I did.


I knew Patton was referring to the Garand , thought inland44 was also - my misunderstanding.

Hoppe's no.10


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## Petronius (Oct 13, 2010)

Hoppe's no.10 said:


> I knew Patton was referring to the Garand , thought inland44 was also - my misunderstanding.
> 
> Hoppe's no.10


Terminology can sometimes be confusing. Awhile back, I was talking to friend about the M1. A guy next to us told us everything we said was wrong. Turns out we were talking about the M1 Garand and he was talking about the M1 Carbine.


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## jayzbird (May 19, 2005)

roger23 said:


> I would not waste my money on a M1 Carbine,,what do you want to use it for,I used a M2 it was good to about 100 yds if you were lucky ,,it is basically a pistol round,,I would spend it on a Garand a lot better gun,,M2 was basically a spray and pray 30 rounds in a hurry fine in elephant grass


 Yep, like Inland said I already own a Garand. Like I had said in a earlier post I'm not looking for a carbine to fill a purpose like self defense or a varmint gun, I want one because I have always wanted one. If I were only to buy a firearm for purpose as a tool, I would only buy a shotgun and be done as it can serve as a deer gun, a bird gun, self defense, a hammer, or whatever you needed it to do. I own several firearms just because I'm a gun junkie like a lot of guys on here.....  Sorry to get off topic, and thanks for the useful info guys. I joined the M1 carbine forum and there is a ton of great info in there. Hopefully I'll have one in my hands soon.


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## GIDEON (Mar 28, 2008)

Do your self a favor and Hold out for a Winchester. The price difference that is paid now will reflect in the guns value later in life. Earlier this year in Kingman, I picked up a Winchester, right numbers, markings, even had WRA stamped on stock.....$650.

The M1 .30 cal. carbine was actually a rifle designed around a cartridge.

Winchesters history with the M1 .30 cal. carbine is long and distinguished. During the time that Winchester was gearing up to build the governments M1 rifle (1940), they received a contract from the government to develop a cartridge that would be used in the, Government Model Light Rifle trials.The cartridge was to be based on Winchesters 32 SLR. However the new round was to be reduced to not larger than .30 diameter bullet, weight- 100 to 110 grains, with approximately 2000 fps, when fired from an 18"barrel.

The cartridge was then supplied to nine firearms companies and designers who were vying for the contract. Winchester was not one of them. Trials were held in May 1941, and the government rejected all nine submissions. New trials were scheduled for September 1941, and at the governments urging Winchester developed a rifle for these tests. In what has been called an amazing design and engineering feat, Winchester finished its proto-type with only hours to spare. Winchester won the contract, changed the name from Government Model Light Rifle-.30 cal, to M1 .30 cal. carbine, and the rest is history. 

The governments definition of a "light rifle" was, a five pound auto-loading rifle,designed around Winchesters .30 cal cartridge. Its purpose was to replace pistols issued to soldiers whose primary duties did not involve fighting with rifles.

FWIW------the original M1 Garande rifle was designed in a .276 cal. cartridge.


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## jayzbird (May 19, 2005)

Thanks for the info Gideon. I believe I just read that arcticle doing "research" in my bathroom in one of the latest issues of one of the popular gun magazines. Interesting stuff..... BTW congrats on the purchase of the Winchester, nice find!!


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## GIDEON (Mar 28, 2008)

Actually the information was out of an old textbook. Winchester history is fascinating.


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## rough water (Feb 19, 2004)

Sent you a pm. Give me a call and we can talk. I did a ton of homework b4 I bought mine. I'll help you out if I can.

RW


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## Bucket-Back (Feb 8, 2004)

Universal changed their part specs so many times the factory doesn't even know what model has what . Their parts won't interchange with their own name , let alone the military grade ones . That being said my walnut sporter stock sure looks good on my Uni , and I know how many rounds have gone down the barrel since the '67 riots


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