New M1 Carbines

G&A recently featured this new production carbine. If the price came down to, say...$600, I would pick one up.
I think the M1 carbine is a near-perfect home defense weapon, but I hate to shoot my old Inland WWII bring-back. I would hate to wear out the old girl.....plus she isn't always so reliable.

I have been watching them. I spoke with them at the NRA convention. I would like to get one, but I feel I have to wait until the price is closer to a Mini-14 or Mini-30 for me to get serious. I think the price will get there.

Rockola is also supposed to be making a new M1.

Of course neither this new "Inland" or the new "Rockola" have anything to do with the original manufacturers (yet they show pics of the old factories as if to imply that they are somehow a continuation of the manufacturing expertise and quality of them).

If they are cast receivers, I can't see any reason why they should fetch a higher price than the Karh/Thompson M1 carbines.

I had an M1 Carbine built on a Springfield receiver years back. It was a good looking gun built all with GI parts on a new receiver. To bad they never really got it off the ground.

WB

Hillbillyz said:

Rockola is also supposed to be making a new M1.

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James River Armory owns the Rockola name and makes their new production carbine receivers from machined billet steel. Supposed to be pretty decent and built to GI spec which is the important part.

Fulton Armory also makes their own......supposed to be really well made.

Neither of these commercial carbines are any cheaper than a real GI.

I have no idea what kind of quality to expect from Kahr.

My Auto Ordnance M1 has been flawless for years. Runs perfectly with all sorts of ammo, even Wolf.

bainter1212 said:

James River Armory owns the Rockola name and makes their new production carbine receivers from machined billet steel. Supposed to be pretty decent and built to GI spec which is the important part.

Fulton Armory also makes their own......supposed to be really well made.

Neither of these commercial carbines are any cheaper than a real GI.

I have no idea what kind of quality to expect from Kahr.

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My Kahr is of fine quality and after about 60 rounds of break-in has worked flawlessly. (For about 3000 rounds, Mikey). I bought a couple cheap magazines (30 and 40 round) that it doesn't like but all my original mags work fine. I paid $630 NIB.

I have a '43 IBM, a '43 Inland, and a 70's vintage Plainfield. Love 'em all, they all shoot great. If I could afford to, no doubt I'd start a collection of these new M1 carbines, the Auto Ordnance, Inland, Rockola, even the 9mm Citadel, and whatever else is out there. And every GI model I could get my grubby paws on.

Guess you could say I have a Jones for M1 Carbines.....

Hard to go wrong with an original. Value as a collectable will only continue to go up.

I have my Dad's Inland from WWII. I wouldn't take a million bucks for it.

I had one Saginaw that was nice for years, but 1 day it fired off 4 rounds on one trigger pull by my 8 year old son. I had it apart and was going to replace the bolt but just sold it for parts.

I love the history of these guns, but I also firmly believe the M1 carbine design is STILL one of the very best defensive rifles the average U.S. civilian can own. Therefore, I want one.

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I disagree. The lever action thurty-thurty is simpler to operate and has longer effective range than the 30 Carbine. And how can John Wayne, Randolph Scott and all of those other western heros be wrong?

As much as I hate to admit is I am coming over to the AR dark side. I am have become convinced (well mostly convinced) of the advantages of using the .223 in home defense. The current issue of The American Rifleman has a article about this topic.

With all that said I agree with their rich combat history. But they are too rich for my books. However all it not lost. Take a look at the kits that Brownells sell that converts a Ruger 10/22 to the appearance of the M-1 carbine. I know it doesn't give me any advantage over the stock Ruger but it is very cool looking.

Funny thing is those 10/22 stocks are basically children of Rim Fire Central gun board.

Back a half dozen years ago a couple of guys modified original carbine stocks to handle 10-22s and another member with commercial stock making abilities got excited.

Most folks tend to go with Tech Sights on their M-110/22 but some have gone novak and at least one has played around with an original Carbine rear with Tech Sight fronts.

There are wildly varying reports on the Chiappa .22 M-1 Carbines.

The one "M-1 Carbine" I never hear about and would love to have (if it worked) is the old Crossman BB gun version. One pressed in the barrel to cock it like the old Winchester Suicide Special semi auto shot guns of the early 1900's (Bet they wish they HAD bought JMB's design). As a kid a buddy had one of the Crossmans and it was just TOO COOL.

I once had a Universal with the open op rod handle you could see the bolt ear through and the plastic guard over the scope mount holes on the left of the receiver. I should say I was once had by a Universal commercial for it was a dog with everything in the way of ammo using the mags that came with it and the mags from my GI carbine that worked fine in my GI Carbine. Oddly my neighbor had one of the green Teflon coated Universals that seemed to just crank them out, though admittedly I only saw it shot on two occasions.

Someone here or on one of the current M-1 carbine threads meantioned suppressors. For a bit a buddy's little brother was shooting 150 grain JSP bullets meant for a .30-30 in his GI carbine at something less than the speed of sound and having the gun cycle. Shades of .300 BO decades too early.
No idea what this did to his carbine long term but it was sort of neat the few times I saw him use it. Could not have been a lot of room left in those .30 Carbine cases once those heavy bullets were seated to correct OAL.

-kBob

Fulton Amory makes nice ones also. I recently acquired an Inland GI that was made in 1943, and am very happy with it.

I would buy one of the new reproductions but find the $1,300 price for a Rockola a bit pricey. Kahr builds one for around $800 and that seems more appropriate.

We have three of the Kahr built "Inlands" at the gun store where I work. Decent looking, feel good, they stayed true to the design. But not $1K worth.

I recently looked at one of the new Inlands and probably would have purchased if the price had been a tad lower ... Would agree that they are a bit overpriced.

The one "M-1 Carbine" I never hear about and would love to have (if it worked) is the old Crossman BB gun version.

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I have one ... it was brandnew in 1969. Best BB gun ever. Great sights, too. Haven't tried shooting it for over 30 years (my dad keeps it out as his camp in upper Michigan).

Calm down. I didn't mean to get you so upset. Gosh if the M1 floats your boat get a paddle and enjoy it. It was good enough for Audie Murphy.

As for the 30-30 it was Tom Horn's pick (never mind Hollywood).