Over the years many M1 Carbine enthusiasts and collectors have had a poor opinion of the carbines produced by Universal Firearms. Some complained about the design changes, some claiming the changes were unsafe as they did not meet the standards set forth by U.S. Army Ordnance. Many companies in the history of firearms have manufactured "carbines" of various different designs, operating actions, calibers, etc. None comparable to the standards of a U.S. M1 Carbine simply because they were not based on the design and changes approved by U.S. Army Ordnance for the Caliber .30 M1, Carbine. Different is not the same as better or worsse. Confusing this issue is the fact the first 8000 carbines manufactured by Universal Firearms were of the same design as the U.S. M1 Carbine and most of the parts were interchangeable with surplus GI carbine parts.
Many owners of the carbines manufactured by Universal Firearms have enjoyed them for many years without encountering any problems. As with any other firearm, every part thereon and therein has a lifespan. All semi-automatic centerfire rifles share a number of common safety features that should be inspected periodically and when buying a used one. With a used gun, it's not the name on the firearm that matters as much as having a competent mechanic check under the hood before we drive it.
All of this should be kept in mind if and when you may encounter negative comments regarding the carbines manufactured by Universal Firearms. Investigations conducted by this author have found the majority of complaints were either not from first hand experience, did not include examination by a knowledgeable person to determine exactly why something went wrong (think semi-auto rifle gas systems, headspace, poor quality or worn out magazines), or one complaint was posted on an internet discussion forum and quoted on a dozen others making it sound like more than one. The issues discovered with a Universal Carbine or Universal M1 Carbine have been consistent with all commercially manufactured carbines, regardless of who made them. Refer to the Safety issues page on this website. Remember, a used semi-auto rifle requires more maintenance and safety inspections than most other firearms. Also keep in mind that if the carbines manufactured by Universal Firearms were as bad as the rumors, how did they manage to stay in business so long and make so many carbines?