Fulton Armory M1 Carbine Review

As some here may know, I’m a bit of a “carbine bug” as it were. One of my favorites is the M1 carbine, and I believe in redundancy. My original 1943 Underwood is a dandy, but a very valuable and historically collectible dandy. As a camp or truck gun, it’s got too much inherent value that goes beyond the price tag. I cringe at the thought of damaging it.

Enter the Fulton Armory M1 carbine I just picked up from my dealer’s today:



This is a top tier, world class reproduction of the famous War Baby. Now don’t run away just yet, many experts in the M1 field consider Fulton Armory M1 carbines to be the very best repros ever made, with quality that meets or even exceeds the originals (yes, you read that right).

These guns feature forged and milled Lewis Machine & Tool receivers, Criterion match grade barrels, and a mix of original USGI and 100% milspec parts throughout. Even the stocks are linseed oil finished (and boy do they smell good!). Nope, as you might guess these new rifles aren’t so cheap, but they are really, really nice and are MILES ahead of any other repro made, be it past or present.

Upon arrival at home I stripped the gun and degreased the thick factory preservatant, replacing it with CLP. I noticed the machining on all parts was extremely well done. Dark and even parkerizing throughout. The bolt was extremely smooth. Trigger is a service example but is very crisp with no excess creep, quite nice for a milspec trigger. Everything fits together and locks solidly into the wood stock.



With plenty of daylight left, I loaded up 200 rounds of Korean ball and three 15 round virgin never used USGI “UN” (Union Hardware) magazines into my bag and drove into the desert. To sum it all up, the Fulton Armory is an EXCELLENT weapon:



The carbine fired all 200 rounds with perfect reliability. When shooting off the trunk of my sedan, it deposited the casings into a handsome pile at my 4 o’clock rear. Consistent ejection, perfect feeding, just ideal. I even did a 15 round mag dump firing as fast as I could pull the trigger and the gun happily chugged along.

Shooting off the elbows, inconveniently with the sun in my eyes due to the range design, at a target 30 yards away the gun placed all rounds into a roughly 1” group. I am absolutely sure it would shoot much tighter than this off a bench in better lighting conditions, and I am certainly pleased with these initial groups. The rifle was sighted dead on at this distance for windage and I’ll check/adjust elevation on my next outing to the local outdoor rifle range.



Can you tell I’m happy yet? These carbines are made to order one at a time by hand so there was a waiting period, but I am VERY happy to have waited. This carbine is SUPERB and I’ve finally got my desert companion and range gun that I won’t be afraid to run hard and hit the trail with.

The Fulton Armory M1 Carbine scores a 10/10!

-J.C.F.

sarduy said:

Uhhh somebody is having some fun lately, good job man, enjoy the hobby

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Indeed. Now that I can’t shoot my AK due to the recent happenings, my focus is shifting back towards M1 carbines.

Old Dog said:

So I note that Fulton Armory's website shows a suggested retail price of $1949.95 for the standard M1 carbine.

Out of curiosity, if you don't mind, is that more or less what you paid for this beauty?

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I paid less. I ordered this about 10 months ago and asked to delay the build as I was out of the country. I recently returned and it took them about a month to do the work. Their prices have risen since I place my orde (what hasn’t risen).

Rudolph31 said:

No bayonet lug, but it’s got the adjustable sight and rotary safety. I wonder if they were ever issued like that.

Beautiful gun though.

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They were. I ordered my carbine with the type-2 barrel band (wider than the earliest type) yet with no bayonet lug as on the type 3 band. I don’t really need a bayonet for anything and the type 2 wide band keeps the barrel snugged to the stock for increased accuracy, at least that’s what dedicated carbiners claim.

Late war rifles such as some Winchester shipped from the factories with adjustable sights and as guns of all types were repaired in the field at depot, they were upgraded with the new features so a mix of things could be seen on carbines late in the war. It’s true that the vast majority of guns would have earlier features but no doubt some were equipped as such.

GBExpat said:

I was able to address my M1 Carbine Jones that I think many/most of us guys eventually experience in Summer'07 when i ordered a pair of the first batch of Inland M1 Carbines (the least expensive of the MFRs, $495/ea) from the CMP (one, each, round bolt & flat).

I checked & adjusted their sights at 25yds, as is my wont, so that the test is more of a rifle test than an eye test.

I was stunned at how accurate both of these little rifles are.

After finishing up the 2nd one, before I took it back into the basement, I sat down and fired 3 rounds slowly at an open target section:

View attachment 1020166

Ayup, both of them shoot that well. Amazing ... to me, at least.

Odd thing is, that the barrel timing on both is apparently goofy. Both require that the rear sight be adjusted 14-15 clicks left from center, effectively maxing out the adjustment in that direction. Seems to me that I should be able to easily see that much of a barrel-rcvr clocking discrepancy by eye, but I cannot.

Not a biggie. I am not one to apply in-the-field mechanical windage adjustments, anyway. Especially when I won't be aiming at anything much over 100yds.


EDIT:
Here is one of a few "section" pics that I found of my carbine#2:

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My Underwood is like that. The rear adjustable had to be shifted nearly all the way to the left.

Another photo:



This is a 6-round magazine modeled after rear echelon field modified examples. Lt Col John George describes such a magazine he made in the Pacific campaign during WW2 in his excellent book Shots Fire in Anger, describing it as making the carbine the “neatest weapon in the world” and carrying better than a Colt M1911A1.

Batty67 said:

Very nice! I picked up a rebuilt, re-sprung, and re-parkerized mix-master (by a gunsmith on hard times).M1 back in 2013 or so. I made it tacticool, putting an ultimak forward rail, choate synthetic stock with pistol grip, and a red dot (recently upgraded from old Vortex SPARC to a Holosun). It runs like a top. Maybe 1-2 misfires out of 2-3k rounds. Plenty accurate (say 3" group at 100m). If I did not go that route I would have gone Fulton, Enjoy your carbine!

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Nice! I have an Ultimak rail as well and it works very well. Really turns the gun into a very modern little fighting rifle. I might eventually put it on this Fulton and keep my ‘43 Underwood in correct military configuration.