Best M1 carbine makes

[Tinpig]

My view is that CMP is riding on their name now and becoming more of a shyster quick dollar place.

I couldn't disagree more.

Their non-auction prices are still almost always below market, their quality (we're talking about 60+ year-old rifles) is excellent, and if there is a problem, their customer service is unmatched.

Yeah, the wait is long but that's due to circumstances totally out of their control.

I've bought Garands, Carbines, an 03A3, many spam cans of Greek .30-06, Federal .223, and Aguila .30 Carbine from them, including this year. In my book CMP is still the best value going for US milsurp rifles and ammo.

They also support countless American shooting programs, and are doing a great job of getting these rifles out into the hands of American citizens where they belong.

Tinpig

 

[rondog]

I found a 1943 Underwood for sale in a gun shop. Looks to be in very good shape at first glance, but is priced at $720. Comes with sling and oiler, five 15-round mags, and a GI two-magazine sleeve on the buttstock. Could it be worth that much? Or is it far too high? I just can't force myself to order a rifle from the CMP sight unseen, and wait 6+ months for it.

 

[Dr.Rob]

I've always heard Winchester was the only MFG that made ALL the parts in one place.

But I think a Rock-Ola would just be kind of 'neat.'

 

[shuvelrider]

I guess it all comes down to individual experiance, I would still search locally for a sleeper deal but thats the fun of it for me. I,ll retract my shyster remark, just get tired of hearing CMP everywhere I go when looking at guns. I,ve managed to find at good prices or trade to build my collection. Still like to look and hold before buying. I realize the CMP has done alot for the shooters and collectors and thats commendable, but its all about the search for some of us rather then just send money/send gun.

 

[Sunray]

"...stay away from the commercial carbines..." Except Plainfields made by PMC. They're the best of the commercial carbines.
"...exception of Irwin-Pedersen Arms Co..." Yep. Plant as bought by the Ordnance Dept and operated by Saginaw.
"...Any shooter-grade GI gun is going to be a mixmaster at this point..." All of 'em are 'mixmasters'. Any alleged correct/original carbine was made that way by somebody with a lot of time and money. 99.99% of all carbines were Arsenal rebuilt after W.W. II.
Your maker options from the CMP are rapidly getting smaller. They're accepting Service Grade orders for 5 makers only.
Order time for ammo, not that it's a big deal, is 120 to 180 days. They were talking June in the Spring. Something nutty is going on.

 

[ulflyer]

I've made two 7 hr trips to CMP, Al this year for six carbines each trip. Nice part was being able to pick and choose from a good quantity on the racks. Admittedly, theres a lot there thats seen some hard times, mostly the wood more so than the metal, but you can also find some decent ones. I've enjoyed trading parts, buying a few, to make mine as nearly correct as possible without changing late war/rebuild additions of adj sight, bayonet fixtures, etc. I've refinished all the stocks to some extent mainly to freshen them up...not trying to make like new.

Have a mix of Inlands, Underwood, Saginaw, Nat. Postal Meter (my favorite shooter), and IBM. Still have several Inlands that I haven't shot yet but just started reloading and will test them out soon.

I've heard from a friend in AL who goes there frequently that the selection is getting poorer; that is, quality wise. And one of the folks at CMP said on the forum not long ago that the carbines would prob be gone sometime next year.

So, if theres anyone from central NC that wants to make a trip down soon, let me know...be glad to have some company and help driving for this old codger.

 

[krs]

rondog:"I found a 1943 Underwood for sale in a gun shop. Looks to be in very good shape at first glance, but is priced at $720. Comes with sling and oiler, five 15-round mags, and a GI two-magazine sleeve on the buttstock. Could it be worth that much? Or is it far too high? I just can't force myself to order a rifle from the CMP sight unseen, and wait 6+ months for it.

__________________


Ron...........the only answer to your question can be "It depends". On the face of it that is a great price for an all USGI rifle in good shooting condition and with an issue walnut stock. If the accoutrements - the mags, sling, mag case, oiler, etc. are also issue equipment then so much the better.

However, it takes someone who is well familiar with the rifle and able to identify some of the excellent reproduction equipment as such - reproductions and not original. I'm not talking about the ability to recognize the myriad of internal markings that appear on almost every part as being original to the maker or to the time of manufacture. I only mean someone with a developed sense of what is and what is not the real deal accurately.

It can take many years to gain the dubiously valuable skill of assessing old items accurately and without that ability it may be better to place your trust in the fact that whatever you receive from the CMP will be genuine military issue (if not necessarily genuine UNITED STATES military issue).

The number of parts that were manufactured by other countries (other than Italy who did manufacture entire Garand rifles and later modified that design into a quite workable removable box magazine version of that rifle) for their use in our rifles is, in general, limited to the stocks and a limited number of Danish barrels which shoot quite well in the Garand.

Because of the way you ask your questions about the carbines it's my opinion that you ought to get over your hesitancy to order from CMP. If you really can't do that then if I were you I'd schedule a drive to Ohio and trust the folks at the North Store to set you up with a rifle for under $500.

There are a lot of ripoffs, rewelds, things not as they seem in the world of guns. If you don't know the rifles yourself no one can tell you that the rifle you found isn't one of those in an internet chatboard. The CMP will not steal from you by selling you something of that kind.

 

[Tim the student]

If CMP is a schyster quick dollar place, what are the other ones? Dicks, Gander, Scheels? Uber schyster super quick dollar places?

CMP is doing great things, and offering quality that they stand behind, all while being cheaper than every where else.

 

[Tinpig]

Hey, shuvelrider, I know what you're saying about the fun of the search. And I don't mean to always be going on about CMP...it's just that they've always treated me well and that breeds loyalty.
My local gun dealer talks about CMP all the time, too.
"%(+@# *&%^&% #$%^@" is what it sounds like he's saying.

Tinpig