[Wildalaska]

Ok lets here some thoughts..

I want to get my wife into shooting. She is small and delicate and totally in gun like although she likes MP5s. She handled an M1 Carbine (at my request) and seemed to like so I have been looking for one.

I found one the other day..

Its a Postal Meter with an IBM barrel. Finish is 98 %. Stock cartouche is clear, oiler present. Flat bolt, no lug, Flip sight, no stake marks to show its converted back. Push safety and mag release. Appears all original.

I can get this for About $700 which is onlly $200 more than a late model shooter.

Any problem in using this one as a shooter? Its not as cool looking as a new model, but it appears correct...good value?

WildactuallyImjustusingmywifeasanexcusetobuyitAlaska

[diyj98]

I'm not an M1 expert, but the price sounds a little high to me for a missmatch.

[Wildalaska]

Thats one of the questions..is it a mismatch...

WildtoolazytofindabookAlaska

[mini14jac]

Are your prices in Alaska significantly higher than our prices here in the lower 48?
I have always heard that prices "up there" were higher than here, so I'm curious.

I have a friend here in Tennesse that has 3 M1 carbines for sale at $400 each.
At least two were Inland guns.
I shot one, and was shocked at the accuracy.
I had never shot a M1 carbine before.
I stood at the 25yd line, and fired off 6 rounds of Winchester white box ammo, with iron sights.
All of the shots were touching!

I am starting to think I would like to have one, but $700 seems really high to me.

On the other hand, if you don't have a wide selection to choose from, and your wife likes it, buy it. ;)

[Blackcloud6]

The M-1 Carbine is an excellent rifle for your wife to learn to shoot on. Not much recoil, accurrate and just fune to shoot.

A GI issue rifle in good shape will be a great shooter. $700 is about $300 too high for this gun. You can find the between $300-$500 isf you look. Since you are getting one for shooting and not collecting look around for one of the reimports, usually form Blue Sky or the such outfits. You can usually get a very good gun for under $400 if it has import stamps on the barrel.

[Wildalaska]

Now Im getting confused because in talking to some other people and checking out some web prices, it seems that maybe its a bargain (not really that I car about $$, just like to get what I pay for)...

Its a non import, all correct parts. IBM barrels are correct for a Postal Meter (I have now been told). It has never been modified, so it is a complete WW2 issue...these arew far more valuable I ma told that reworks...

Blue Booking gives it $775 so its probably in line retail wise...

WildconfusedAlaska

PS Mini14jac tell me more about the Inlands for sale....

[Art Eatman]

The Blue Book has a good bit of info on Carbines. It gives the numbers as to who built how many.

A Postal Meter is, I think, of lesser production numbers and might be more "collectible"--which runs the price up. I just don't know about the PM receiver and the IBM barrel. So many GI weapons were arsenal rebuilt, and they didn't worry about labels.

Art

[Nightcrawler]

Don't forget, you can get a brand new IAI (made in Israel) carbine for a good price too, probably. SWAT magazine gave them a good review.

[Keith]

Yeah, what Nightcrawler said!

If you just want a shooter, get the IAI. Don't you work at a gun store? I think wholesale on those is well under $300.

Keith

[Wildalaska]

Yea I can get one of those IAI guns wholesale....

but there is just something about a real one ya know....

WildalittleloveofhistoryAlaska

[Wildalaska]

I just don't know about the PM receiver and the IBM barrel.

Neither did I so I called some "experts" who all told me that Postal Meter did not make barrels, so IBMs were used...

I kinda like the idea that a computer company and a postage meter comapny made a rifle...bet they dont want to be reminded of that the yuppie swine!

WildImmailingNPMtonightwiththeskeletonintheirclosetAlaska

[Tom C.]

The M-1 Carbine was one of the real success stories in WWII for interchangeable parts. Of the manufacturors, Inland, Winchester, Underwood, National Postal Meter, Quality Hardware, IBM, Standard Products, Rock-Ola, Saginaw Steering Gear, Saginaw S' G', Irwin-Pedersen (they only made a few), only Winchester was a gun maker. Rock-Ola made juke boxes, Underwood and IBM made business machines (this is pre-computer afterall). Inland and Saginaw Steering Gear are General Motors divisions that made the Carbine. They actually made the most, almost 3 million. Apparently none made 100% of the parts for the gun, but they all mixed and matched parts, and as the guns went through armories, they got mixed and matched again. When many guns came back from Korea in the 80's, many were mixed and matched again. Let the buyer beware. That said, if the gun is basically sound, parts can be changed to bring it up to snuff if something is wrong.
Mine is an Underwood, brought home from WWII. It actually shoots pretty well, and it is fun, particularly for people who aren't big into recoil. I like it better than the AR-15 and variants.