A live long desire fullfilled/impulse buy

I've searched the threads, decided to start my own on this rifle. Looking through the threads after searching, seems the guns had early bugs that have been worked out.

I had to go to Shiner with the wife, quilt shop there, you know. Well, there's also a gun shop there. I walked in, saw what I've wanted since I was 10 or 12, a .22 caliber M1 Carbine. Now, I've always thought the carbine sexy, as guns go, not like it were a woman or anything, but IMHO the sexiest gun in WW2 even if not the most effective. Now, I've never really wanted an M1 Carbine, a real one, because of the caliber. But, when I was preteen I'd be looking through my uncle's old Gun Digest and there was a .22 caliber M1 Carbine made by Iver Johnson, or imported by them. Now, I was, still am, addicted to WW2 history. Read most of the books like "D Day, June 6 1944", "Guadalcanal Diary", "Thirty Seconds over Tokyo", etc, etc when in junior high and high school. Saw all the movies, "Sands of Iwo Jima", "Run Silent, Run Deep", etc. There was a TV series on every week, Tuesday or Wednesday night, think it was Tuesday. It was titled "Combat" and had Vic Morrow as Sargent Saunders. He carried a Thompson in the series, but there was a Lieutenant that carried an M1 Carbine and I drooled over that gun. When I found out there was a .22 version I just HAD to have one. I'd bug mom about it, but she never had two dimes to rub together. When she got remarried my step dad said he had one and he'd give it to me. Well, what he had was not that Iver Johnson, but a Mossberg M152 removable magazine fed semi auto with similar to the M1 Carbine wings on the front sight and a peep rear. I was appreciative, but it was NOT the gun I'd been longing for. BUT, I didn't look a gift horse in the mouth at age 14. By golly it was another .22.

So, fast forward 48 years and I'm walking into this gun shop and what do I see, but an M1 Carbine in .22LR!!!!! WOW, my jaw dropped, it was 255 bucks, probably not that good a deal considering some parts of it are plastic, mostly cosmetic stuff. BUT, I says, "I'll take it!" I explained to him the background as to why I wanted it as I filled out the 4473.

Anyway, here it is, made by Chiappa. I thought it was a Iver Johnson when I first laid eyes on it. Actually, first impression was a M1 Carbine until I walked up to it. Looks like the real deal. I've tested it at 25 yards with a variety of ammo and CCI mini mag works best. It shoots as good as my 10/22 with that, about 3/4" at 25 yards. Actually, it shoots anything with CCI on it quite well, but it HATES Federal 550 bulk pack. It feeds and extracts anything so far, but accuracy of some stuff is wanting. CCI and Eley are the only brands it seems to like. The trigger is STIFF, but no creep at all. It should break in okay, but it'll never be as light as my Volquartsen trigger in my 10/22, but I was doing some serious good at 40 yards with it sitting on the back steps shooting a 2" spinner target, so I can control it.

Had a few early jams with the first mag until it broke in good, second mag same thing. I had to put a little lube in the second mag, but finallly it started working fine. I've got one mag I haven't shot, yet. It came with 3 10 round mags. Was kinda hoping for 15 rounders like the M1 Carbine, but I guess some states wouldn't allow that or something. Anyway, I've been having fun. I really only wanted this thing for a plinker. I'm sure I could shoot it a little better with a scope on it as my old eyes don't focus like they used to, but this gun will NEVER see a scope. Actually, I don't do TOO bad with the peep. I ended up having to scope that 10/22, but could put a peep on it, I suppose. But the M1 22 was bought for other reasons than squirrel hunting or anything serious.

 

Well, it sure looks the part, bayonet lug and all.

Good luck with it! Nice to have a dream fulfilled.

Now if I can only become that wealthy playboy I've always wanted to be......

 

Nicely done!

I agree with you, I've always loved the M1 carbine. This morning, I found out that there is a 9mm clone being manufactured by Citadel, and I might have to acquire one of those one day. But, I think tonight, I'm going to fill out the paperwork for the M1 Garand from the CMP

 

You're not kidding when you say it looks like the real thing! I remember those earlier .22 M1 carbines. I thought they were made by Erma in what was then West Germany.

 

Yep, saw that 9 is new for 2014, sounds neat, but i've never really felt the need for an auto pistol chambered long gun. Now, I love my 92 lever gun in .357, but a long barrel REALLY wakes up a magnum and it becomes a rifle, not so much with an auto pistol caliber firing really fast burn powders. Way cool gun, though, using Beretta magazines. Those mags look kinda goofy coming out of a Carbine, but hey, I bet I could get used to that. Now, yeah baby, I've still to fullfill my Garand want! Over the years, I've wanted to get a CMP gun, just never went through the motions. They've gone up over the years, too, bummer.

Yes, believe the old rifle was actually made by Erma Werke in west Germany, but Iver Johnson imported it for a time during the late 50s, early 60s, and this is the gun I swooned over as a kid. I've been shooting it daily now out on the back porch, a few rounds at a session. It's like that Christmas when I was 7, getting my Benjamin .22 caliber pellet rifle from my grandpa.

 

MC,

Way to go i really enjoyed your story, seems like fulfilling dreams is a good thing even if it is 40+ years later!! Enjoy your new 22 rifle. i enjoy mine immensely!

Bull

 

I'm very wary of Chiappa guns since I've personally had an unresolvable issue with their product as have a lot of others. But if your rifle has made it successfully through the break in without issue I'd say you're golden now.

I've got my eye on one of the 9mm versions with wood stocks. They look so good that I'd be willing to gamble one more time on getting a good one or at least getting one that can be home fixed.

And yeah, there's no doubt that they look amazing. And that they are a breath of fresh air in an otherwise murky and stuffy room filled with rimfire AR wannabe's.

 

Nice i almost bought a iver Johnson about 2 years ago really wished i would have

 

Looks like a sweety! I'll take the one in 9 pa-leeeeze! !!!

 

A 'life-long' desire?

 

I want an original army trainer in .256 winmag. Rich guy I am not so that one hasn't happened yet.

 

Typo...so sue me. My fingers don't work sometimes. But, that's okay. I know I'm surrounded by perfection here.

 

Awesome find, and awesome story.


Those are the best kind of pickups you can get. A grail gun story, to be sure. Congratulations, and I'm sure you'll enjoy shooting it! Nice that .22lr ammo is coming back, just in time for this.

 

Amen, still limited in purchase, but at least I'm finding some without having to pay 20 bucks for shipping.

 

Beautiful piece of history you found yourself there. Good luck with it! Bayo lug would render it an assault weapon here in NY, lol (might be an exception for C&R but it's all non sense nevertheless)... Sure nice to be in a free state and pick up some nice guns when you find them.

 

MCGunner,

I was thinking because I already load for 9mm, but honestly, I probably won't buy a carbine until I'm finished with paramedic school, and by then, I may decide to go the 30 carbine route. Between you, me, and everyone else on the internet, I think an M1 carbine in 357, 38 super, or one of those newer 9mm Dillion and 357 Sig callibers could be a pretty neat little gun



Slightly off topic, but if you want a really good WWII and survival book, check out Assault on Norway. To give you an idea of how tough and crazy some of those Norwegians are, one of them ended up going with Thor Heyerdahl on his Kon Tiki raft trip.