M1 Carbine Prices

[pccraig]

Distinguished folks,

With the recent CMP announcement regarding a "significant" number of M1 carbines being made available in March, I'm interested in everyone's opinion on how that will affect the market and the current price of these rifles at gun shows, shops, etc.

I'm hoping to get an M1 carbine to introduce my 12 yr old son to milsurp shooting, so I for one am hoping for a "significant" reduction in the price.

 

[USMC Tanker]

Lord we hope so!

I've always had the desire to pick one up myself, but the prices haven't been too reasonable as of late.

If what my economy teacher taught me in high school about supply and demand is true, the prices should fall and not only with milsurp, but with the newly manufactured ones as well.

Keep your fingers crossed!

Oh, and Semper Fi brother.

 

[Andrew S]

The truth is, no one knows right now. It all depends on how much CMP decides to sell them for. If they are significantly under the current market price there is a chance that we will see asking prices start to come down. If it is only slightly below current pricing I wouldn't expect any significant difference.

 

[MechAg94]

If the CMP carbines are in excellent condition, I bet CMP keeps them upwards near $500 like the Garands. I hope there is some spread between grades. The plain non-military carbines can still be found for under $400 so we'll see.

I have always wanted one as well, but the price was always just out of reach of what I wanted to pay.

 

[MechAg94]

To be honest, the CMP is still selling lots of Garands, but the gun show prices for Garands are still a good bit more. The new Garands are also in the $900 range and up. It seems to me that new carbines are price close to that. If carbines are priced similarly to the Garands, I wouldn't expect to see a lot of change except in the "collectors" carbines you see that people find excuses to bump up the price on.

 

[pccraig]

WOW,

I hope that's not the case. I'm not looking for a collector. We just want a couple of good looking shooters that my son and I can take out to the range on the weekend.

 

[rellascout]

I do not think that it will effect the market in a downward trend as much as others seem to.

I have a hard time believing that CMP will sell rack grade guns with mixed parts for less than $500 which is what you can find one for if you are patient. I see them for sale all the time between $500 and $600. I picked up my IBM for $450 about a year and a half ago.

Correct guns will demand more. I would bet CMP prices will start around $500 and go up from there.

 

[drsteve]

Orest Michaels mentioned (and I'm paraphrasing) in a recent CMP post that a "ballpark figure" might be around $400 to $1000 depending on condition and collectability.

 

[marine71]

I would love to see the price on an M1 under $500. It would make a nice companion to my Garand, 03A3, Mosin's, Mauser, SKS, and many other milsurps.

I think some gunshops are the worst enemy for the firearm enthusiast/industry. I go to gunshows and am sickened by the pricetags some of these thieves put on their guns. They inflate prices because they only see $$. I understand economics and everything, but to sell milsurps at huge markups does nothing to promote gun ownership. It turns away the people that don't have access to huge bank accounts, which is most people.

Sorry- I know that's cross-posting, but I'm thinking back to an M1 carbine that I saw for $550 but someone had actually ground down the receiver and cut the stock to bubba-ize the poor thing and the shop owner said the price was firm because it was a 'sporterized carbine'.

 

[akodo]

i saw a new auto-ordinance m1 carbine for sale for 450. I am tempted by the CMP stuff too, but I am pulled both ways.

I am tempted to buy a cheap beater, but then, for maybe 100 more I could get a new repro (so here's to hoping that CMP is cheap enough to push down repros) on the other hand, getting a nice one rich in history would be great too...but I woudl be hesitant to shoot it as much.

 

[KINGMAX]

I would be willing to trade for a M1 Garrand !!!

I would be will ing to made a trade for a M1 Garrand. ANYONE OUT THERE

 

[RockyMtnTactical]

I'm eager to see what these M1 carbines look like and go for. I hope they're in good shape.

 

[ramis]

If they are priced at much more the $500, other then wanting a piece of history, why not buy an Auto Ordnance M1 Carbine .

ramis

 

[Caimlas]

If what my economy teacher taught me in high school about supply and demand is true, the prices should fall and not only with milsurp, but with the newly manufactured ones as well.

Eh, the price probably won't drop all that much. Seems current M1 carbines (of the 'well used' variety) go for around $600, give or take. You can currently get a new M1 carbine from (company name I can't recall - Century?!!) for about that much. At that price, there's not all that much of a demand.

Drop the price $100, and you quadruple demand overnight, particularly with .30 carbine ammunition currently being cheaper than .223 through Wolf. That increase in demand again drives the price up to a point somewhere between the old price and the initial new price, so the actual price isn't that much lower. This is particularly true as rihgt now, there isn't a 'supply' to speak of, so any demand will have been latent.

Now, granted, it doesn't seem like the CMP really gives much of a damn about 'supply nad demand' - their prices seem to be solely based on supply, as near as I can tell, kept intentionally low so everyone can afford one. We shall see...

 

[MechAg94]

If the Garands are any comparison, the rack, field, and service grade Garands are mostly mixmaster parts and such for $400 to $550. Correct grade and collector's grade go for a good bit more. IMHO, if the mixmaster rifles are in decent condition and fully functional, it sounds like a good plan to me. They will be like my Garands anyway. I hope they keep the service grades under $500 though.

 

[DMK]

Orest Michaels mentioned (and I'm paraphrasing) in a recent CMP post that a "ballpark figure" might be around $400 to $1000 depending on condition and collectability.

I saw his post too. These will surely all be mixmasters so I don't know what Orest means by "collectability" unless he just means those in better condition with IBM and Rockola receivers. I'm really curious to see what they are going to sell for. Being a computer geek by trade, I'd love an IBM, but I won't pay through the nose for it just because they made less of them. A one of many Inland will work just fine too, thank you.