recently aquired .30 carbine universal

[buntline]

Just inherited several guns, and that one had been ill-treated with a bit of rust here and there. Filled the magazine and worked the slide a few times and every round that tried to feed on one side crunched into the feed ramp and jammed.

I don't mind buying a new magazine and doing a few minor things to the gun if the payoff will be worth it, but I'll never have any less $ into it than I do right now, and if I'd be smarter to pass it on to someone more ambitious this would be a good time to make that decision. I kind of like it's weight and the way it handles, but if it is going to be unreliable, it's not worth fixing it up and buying dies and such for it.

Any opinions?

Thanks......Joe

 

[Steel Horse Rider]

Check the fit of the magazine and be sure it is inserted front first and pushed up to lock the lug on the back. My Universal does not like anything but original GI magazines. Most feed problems are magazine related so maybe clean up the lips, spring, and be sure the bolt springs are good.

 

[rcmodel]

+1

Buy a good GI mag and try it before you do anything else.

Aftermarket Carbine mags cause more problems then you can shake a stick at.

rc

 

[Snyper]

I wouldn't put much money in it since Universals are not Mil-Spec

 

[Ibmikey]

It is not so much a Universal is not mil spec as the fact they used castings and re-engineered parts for cheap production and the majority just do not function correctly. Some of the early ones used a cast receiver and GI parts but most are just not reliable enough to shoot a full mag without stoppages. Wood is usually a plain birch and few of the parts are interchangeable with GI parts. You can try different mags but probably will only frustrate yourself trying to make a rifle out of it. Universals, since their inception have had the poorest resale of all the M1 copies.

 

[ford8nr]

WhT serial number range is your Universal? Early ones were good, later ones got worse and worse. 6 digit numbers were the best if memory serves me correct.

 

[tkopp]

Data point of one, but I picked up a Universal with a chewed-looking sporter stock at a pawn shop a few years back because it was nearly free. It had some extraction issues (which explained why it was there) and I had to take down everything to clean it thoroughly. If you can avoid it, never take apart that bolt. It takes three hands, a lot of patience, and I ended up building a tool to hold the damn thing together so the spring and other small parts wouldn't fly across the room (again).

With that ordeal behind me, it's run like a sewing machine. Feeds any crap ammo I put in it, and is accurate enough (~4" 10-round groups at 100y). I've tried putting a scope on it, since it's drilled and tapped to accept a weaver scope mount, but the scope sits directly over the ejection port and the ejecting brass likes to beat up the scope and then fall back down to jam the action. I recommend sticking with the iron sights and enjoying the rifle for what it is.

 

[MachIVshooter]

If you can avoid it, never take apart that bolt. It takes three hands, a lot of patience, and I ended up building a tool to hold the damn thing together so the spring and other small parts wouldn't fly across the room (again).

Hahaha. I just replaced the extractor in my neighbor's carbine. Fun, aren't they?

For future reference, use a slave pin to hold the ejector while you deal with getting the extractor past it's retainer.