M1 Carbine owners out there?

[taprackbang]

I am considering buying an M1 carbine. I thought about buying an M1 over an AR, but just don't know much about them. Can you M1 carbine owners fill me in?

Thanks..

 

[Eightball]

They're nifty, lighter, shorter, and more handy than an AR, but you can't really accessorize them. And lots of people hate the round; as long as you think of it as a pistolish calibre carbine rather than a "rifle", and don't use WOLF, you should be fine. Stick with GI stuff (Inland, IH, etc), and the best place to get 'em is the CMP.

And soon people who don't own one will probably jump in and decry them as having no stopping power, and that they're a worthless investment aside from the history.

I, however, love mine, as does everyone who shoots it, including many of the same guys who drop $1.5k on an AR that's tricked out with every overpriced whizz-bang gadget you can obtain. For general-purpose fun, this thing'll outclass most ARs any day. Still probably one of my two favorite firearms I own, and the other one is my M1 Garand (rifle-wise).

The only reason I don't shoot it more is because my local shop is currently out of decent .30 Carbine ammo. Mine'll shoot 1.5MOA with S&B ammo. Not bad for something produced in '43.

 

[PercyShelley]

Once/If the argument about the terminal effectiveness of .30 carbine is hashed out (for the record, it's about the same as .357 magnum), expect conflicting accounts of whether the auto-ordinance repros work well, and whether their parts will interchange with GI made carbines.

 

[GarandOwner]

but you can't really accessorize them.

Thats a good thing, they are good GI wepons not barbie dolls to be "dressed up"

don't use WOLF

before I started reloading all I shot through mine was wolf, and never had a problem

M1 carbine is a great little gun, I love mine, its fun, accurate and cheap to shoot

 

[Ignition Override]

Taprackbang:

The first gun I ever bought (last October, being an older late-bloomer) was the AO Carbine. Seldom shot the Savage .22 in my younger years. From the first day, the magazine spring was bad and every third round or so mis-fed.

After two months of shooting often, despite keeping the gun clean, the bolt somehow came up on the right side and was stuck. The gunsmith where I bought it would not touch it-due to the warranty, I suppose.
While the gun was gone for repairs, I tested a used Mini 14 and fell for Minis, then sold the Carbine almost as soon as it was shipped back.
My opinion is that the gun which I bought brand-new was really overpriced: $700 or so. In hindsight, I should have learned about the GI Carbines instead of buying mine on impulse.

Did learn quickly about retail prices when nobody wanted to buy my used carbine (still looked perfect, after 500 rounds+) for more than $400, and resolved to never again buy a gun at new retail prices. My Mini 14, 30, and MN 44 were all used. The SKS had never been fired.
Many people have really good results with the AO Carbine. Even some old GI types might need an adjustment sometimes. The M-1 Carbine ammo won't work in other rifles, except maybe one, but on the other hand many experienced gun owners prefer the fun, handy carbine for a self-defense gun.
I prefer not only other dependable carbines but the versatility of both the .223 and the 7.62x39 rounds. You might want to check into the SKS or even the so-called "Paratrooper" version, if not a Mini.
"GunBroker.com" now has four full pages of Mini 14s. Thanks to Wolf and surplus Bulgarian x54R ammo prices (+ .22 prices), I can afford to shoot really often. Without Wolf, I would only have bought the Mosin 44 and Mini 14 or 30.
Good luck with your decisions.

 

[transformerguru]

Thats my Auto Ordinance on the bottom, she didn't care for Wolf ammo that much. But functions properly otherwise. I have an AR also, both are tons of fun. Unless you reload the AR will be cheaper to feed but for the nostalgia factor go Carbine.

 

[dakotasin]

the main difference between my m1 carbine and my ar-15's, other than cosmetics, is accuracy. my ar will hold about 2 moa w/ open sights to 200 yards, and the m-1 carbine holds maybe 4 moa, but only to 100 yards w/ it's open sights.

fwiw, i have a 30 carbine blackhawk that easily does 2 moa at 100 yards. tells me the round is capable of fine accuracy, but the carbine itself might struggle a bit.

the m1 carbine is a fun gun to shoot, and my 8 year old daughter just loves the thing.

 

[brlau]

I got a Carbine from CMP (an Inland from the first release) because it is cheaper than an AR, it's very easy to take apart and maintain, and also due to the history. It led me towards getting my C&R license too. With good soft points like Remington or Winchester, the Carbine is supposed to be a pretty good performer at ranges it was intended to be used.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

Whaddaya mean you can't accessorize them?



It's a 1943 Rock Ola with an Ultimak, sporting a Bushnell red dot sight and a Surefire G2 in a Viking Tactics mount. It did not require any permanent mods to the gun. I can restore it to GI condition by removing the Ultimak and replacing the original handguard, no harm done. It also has an original GI stock pouch and GI 30 round mag (I stick with 15s for serious work though).

You can also get folding stocks, both as replicas of the M1A1 paratrooper stock or Choate makes a modern plastic folding unit.

Load it with softpoints and you have a nice, light, effective HD rifle.

 

[Art Eatman]

GI Carbines are fun little shooters, and are a part of romanticized history--which makes them collectible. Prices are continually on the rise.

ARs are everywhere and it seems like everybody and his dog is in the business of manufacturing them. Not gonna run out anytime soon.

 

[USSR]

They're nifty, lighter, shorter, and more handy than an AR, but you can't really accessorize them.

Don

 

[Matt-J2]

I want one in a bad way. I'll go Gunbroker, CMP, Auto Ordinance, whatever, I gotta get one.


Course, I've never shot one, but that's never been relevant.

 

[DWFan]

I have no experience with it but supposedly it gives near AR power from an M1...

http://www.sabotreloadingpro.com/

 

[Eric F]

but you can't really accessorize them.

At one time fulton armory had a nifty stock with rails for them let me look and see nope not on their site any more but it was similar to the m14 tactical stock.

 

[vzenmn]

I have a Plainfield M1 carbine copy. It does not have anywhere near the quality of a GI but it is accurate. Reliability is great with 15 rd mags but the 30s don't work.

Need to get more 15 rounders since I only have 2 1/2 (Anybody have a good mag body I can have?) but damn have they gone up in price.

 

[wizzegun]

I would get a M1 carbine. They won't be around forever! You can throw a rock and hit an AR. I also have an Inland from CMPs release last year and I love it. Shoots great and I even use it at our local run-n-guns. Brings a smile to your face when you beat scope mounted ARs with a 60 year old iron-sighted workhorse.

If you want to add a scope and "gear it up" then I would go with an AO or other M1 carbine copy. That way you won't be destroying a piece of history. My Dad has a AO carbine with a red dot. I hate to admit it but it's fun!

 

[Steve in PA]

I got one from the CMP when they first offered them. I've only shot it a few times, but it is a great shooter. It's not exactly a "reach out and touch someone" rifle, but if I had the want or need to have a "truck gun", my M1 Carbine would probably be it.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

...if I had the want or need to have a "truck gun", my M1 Carbine would probably be it.

The gun I toss in the trunk when I go on road trips, in TSHTF when I'm away from home, is a 1943 Underwood M1 Carbine in a replica M1A1 paratrooper stock, like the one shown in USSR's post above. I use a GI surplus M60 barrel bag for a case, and carry several spare mags loaded with Remington 110 grain JSPs in a separate locked bag. The Carbine is perfect for this role, IMO.

Edit, here's a pic:

 

[USSR]

I use a GI surplus M60 barrel bag for a case...

Ah, Dave, we must be twins separated at birth.

Don

 

[Lifttech]

I would love to have one. One of the positives would be that loading 30 carbine ammo would be as simple as any straightwall pistol case. Should be able to crank those out in nothing flat on my LNL AP.

 

[younganddumb]

go with the M1 so much nicer looking IMO

 

[FMJMIKE]

My Inland house gun.........

CMP Rock-Ola...........

CMP Winchester...........

Early Winchester...........

Blue Sky Rock-Ola........

Yeah......I love Carbines.........

 

[Doug S]

My beat-up mixmaster Rock-ola is my favorite gun.

 

[pimprocket]

have you thought about a mini-14? you lose the nostalgia factor, but gain a better round.

 

[JWF III]

Quote:
I use a GI surplus M60 barrel bag for a case...
Ah, Dave, we must be twins separated at birth.

Momma musta had triplets.

Wyman