War Baby

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JCooperfan1911

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Here is my wonderful U.S. Carbine, Caliber .30, M1:

168-D60-DD-629-F-4-B6-E-A12-C-B343-E1-B371-D1.jpg

1943 Underwood pre-Korea refurb with bayonet lug and adjustable sights etc. The carrying case, sling, oiler, stock pouch, magazines, and ammunition are all WW2 vintage and in excellent serviceable condition. It shoots great with the 1943 Lake City ball. Would not hesitate to grab this carbine to defend freedom even today. They built them to last back then. I wish my best love to you all on this Holdiay season. Thank you.
 
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I got the carbine bug a couple of years back. Of course I had no interest in them when they were going for around $250, and had to wait until they were around $800-1000+. :eek:

Had five if them there for a while, and came to my senses and cut back to three. :)

Currently have a couple of Winchesters and an Inland.

They are a lot of fun, but so far, all Ive had, have required a bit of work to get them to be "fun". They are 75+ year old guns and not all of them were maintained like they should have been.

All of mine have been re-arsenaled, and were about 60% function reliability wise when I first got them, and all had their rear sights knocked out of the staking.

I had to rebuild the bolts on all of them (extractor, ejector, and springs), replace the recoil spring, and ditch the USGI mags for new KCI Korean mags. That brought them up to about 95-98% now, and the aggravation level went down pretty quick. :)

Those Korean mags are well made are a great deal, and work great. Every GI mag Ive had has been a problem, and the couple Im still using, are usually the mags in the gun when I do have a stoppage.

For some reason, people seem to like to knock the updated rear sights out of their staking, and that too was some aggravation. When installed as they were and properly, the sight doesnt look like its centered, and Im guessing thats why they were knocked out. Once pushed back to where they were originally staked, and restaked, and everything was good to go, for the most part. A couple of guns I had to re-zero the front sight to get the rear sight markings to come to zero. The CMP has some good info on doing that.

The only other issue Ive had was the slide sheared off just ahead of the charging handle on the first one I bought and had to be replaced. The gun is a Winchester, Blue Sky import, and it looks like it was a Korean replacement part in the gun. Got a US replacement from Numrich and all was good again. :)

Personally, I prefer the gas pistons to be loose, as I clean it each time I shoot. Two of the five of mine still had the pistons staked in and I havent broke that, yet anyway.

I wouldnt have a problem using one for serious things. They are nice and light and handle and shoot very naturally.

I think all the BS you used to hear about their being ineffective is just that, BS. From what Ive read and heard from those who actually carried them and used them, they worked well for the task at hand and were well liked.

The only complaints seemed to be the mags, which were considered disposable items, and new mags were apparently plentiful with each new ammo resupply. One thing is for sure, they dont seem to get better with age. :)

Heres the family before two left......

enhance.jpg
 
AK103K said:
I got the carbine bug a couple of years back. Of course I had no interest in them when they were going for around $250, and had to wait until they were around $800-1000+. :eek:

Had five if them there for a while, and came to my senses and cut back to three. :)

Currently have a couple of Winchesters and an Inland.

They are a lot of fun, but so far, all Ive had, have required a bit of work to get them to be "fun". They are 75+ year old guns and not all of them were maintained like they should have been.

All of mine have been re-arsenaled, and were about 60% function reliability wise when I first got them, and all had their rear sights knocked out of the staking.

I had to rebuild the bolts on all of them (extractor, ejector, and springs), replace the recoil spring, and ditch the USGI mags for new KCI Korean mags. That brought them up to about 95-98% now, and the aggravation level went down pretty quick. :)

Those Korean mags are well made are a great deal, and work great. Every GI mag Ive had has been a problem, and the couple Im still using, are usually the mags in the gun when I do have a stoppage.

For some reason, people seem to like to knock the updated rear sights out of their staking, and that too was some aggravation. When installed as they were and properly, the sight doesnt look like its centered, and Im guessing thats why they were knocked out. Once pushed back to where they were originally staked, and restaked, and everything was good to go, for the most part. A couple of guns I had to re-zero the front sight to get the rear sight markings to come to zero. The CMP has some good info on doing that.

The only other issue Ive had was the slide sheared off just ahead of the charging handle on the first one I bought and had to be replaced. The gun is a Winchester, Blue Sky import, and it looks like it was a Korean replacement part in the gun. Got a US replacement from Numrich and all was good again. :)

Personally, I prefer the gas pistons to be loose, as I clean it each time I shoot. Two of the five of mine still had the pistons staked in and I havent broke that, yet anyway.

I wouldnt have a problem using one for serious things. They are nice and light and handle and shoot very naturally.

I think all the BS you used to hear about their being ineffective is just that, BS. From what Ive read and heard from those who actually carried them and used them, they worked well for the task at hand and were well liked.

The only complaints seemed to be the mags, which were considered disposable items, and new mags were apparently plentiful with each new ammo resupply. One thing is for sure, they dont seem to get better with age. :)

Heres the family before two left......

View attachment 965425
Click to expand...

Very nice guns. I have not had your same experience with the U.S. magazines. People will buy them that have an unknown past and are used heavily and will blame them and call them “disposables”.

All of mine were new in the wrapper USGI (used to be a lot more affordable) that were never issued to the soldiers. Once cleaned of the grease coating them they have all been 100% over several thousands of rounds.
 
Very beautiful gun! I definitely wouldn’t mind getting my hands on some good looking WWII relics.
 
The GI mags I have came with the guns. Got a bunch of them and only currently use two to shoot with.
Reliability goes way down when I use the others.

These days too, it seems the original mags, especially those in the wrap, are becoming somewhat collectible. At least price-wise anyway. I can usually get 4 or 5 new KCI 15 round mags for what I last saw a GI mag in the wrap going for. I can get 3-4 of the M2 30 rounders for that too.

Personally, I prefer the 15 round mags though myself. Either way, at $10-$14 a mag, they are a good deal.
 
That gun and its accessories are stunningly beautiful. Great picture! I never had a G.I. carbine but back in the 1990's I had one of ones built by Plainfield Machine Co. for the civilian market. Was a nice shooter and back about 1995 my son used it to shoot a few NRA Hi-Power youth matches. IIRC all my magazines were G.I. and I don't recall any being problematic. Never had any problems with the gun itself either. Sold it in the late 90's and now I'm regretting it.
 
Nice carbine there, JCooperfan1911. I still have my father's 1944 Inland. It has a few dings in the wood so I guess it has some unknown war stories buried in its soul.
Speaking of off center rear sights; when I inherited mine I recalled my father saying it shot to the left. Well, upon close examination, what I found was simple. It had the early L type flip sight and it was all the way to the left in the dovetail. A trip to a gunsmith who had the right tools and it hits right on center now. That gunsmith offered to buy the carbine, saying he'd never seen one with such a solid like new lock up in the action. Well, no I am never going to sell this M1 carbine. :neener: I own 5 guns my father owned and none of them are going anywhere.

As for the carbine sight being off; my father hunted some but mostly with shotgun and some .22. The carbine was a Korean War bring-back and I think he shot it a few times maybe before I came into being, but not after. It lived in a gun case in a closet for 99.% of my life.
 
Ooooohhh, a Carbine thread!
index-21.jpg
Funny carbine story. My Dad and I loved going to gunshows when I was a kid, and almost never left empty handed. We would pore over Mausers, Enfields, Arisakas, Krags, Springfields........but I could never talk him into getting a Carbine.
Only a couple years ago, I finally got him to shoot one of mine for the first time. Its been a long time since Ive seen him have so much fun. I was spotting for him and watched him put round after round through the same ragged hole at 50yds. He thought I was messing with him as I called out the hits- until we walked up to the stand and he saw for himself.:)
 
If you want a nice M4 Italian made bayonet for your M1 Carbine Carbine Coleman's Military Surplus has them right now. I bought myself one for Christmas at just under $100 including tax and shipping. It had a bit of rust looking patina on the blade but I sprayed it with WD40 and buffed it with steel wool and it cleaned up nicely. Fits like a glove on all 3 of my Carbines. Mine was dated 1950.
 
Steel Horse Rider said:
If you want a nice M4 Italian made bayonet for your M1 Carbine Carbine Coleman's Military Surplus has them right now. I bought myself one for Christmas at just under $100 including tax and shipping. It had a bit of rust looking patina on the blade but I sprayed it with WD40 and buffed it with steel wool and it cleaned up nicely. Fits like a glove on all 3 of my Carbines. Mine was dated 1950.
Click to expand...

Thank you but I own a Vietnam era Conetta Made in U.S.A.
 
Been tempted to snag one of these over the years; do have a 10-22 tricked out to look like one.
Probably talked myself out of it because the ammo wasn't as easily reloaded as handgun cartridges. On reflection, could have gotten enough ammo to keep me happy.
Glad yinz like yours.
Moon
 
I still am kicking myself for selling the one I owned. Had all the accessories for it too. At the time I was in a gun unfriendly part of the state with no real good place to shoot. I moved after I retired and that is all I do now.
 
I have a Saginaw Steering built in 43. Like you, I wouldn't hesitate to grab it in time of need. I owns an SKS, AK, and AR15, but sonething about the M1 carbine just feels "right". Beautiful carbine and accessories. Chech out Classic Firearms. I got a really nice post war Bayonet for $45. It is Italian manufactured under a US contract, and comes with the bayonet frog.
 
One of the finest semi-auto shooting experiences in the world is a Carbine.

I've taken a couple-three deer in Minnesota/Wisconsin with them and a couple-few East Coasters when in the Army as well.

GREAT whitetail gun.

Like my Garand, I went to a gun show and bought a $5 rear sight to cut&file into a modified buckhorn.

Getting low-cap clips and magazines in the day was quite the challenge though.

After all the Carbines I've been through, and given the costs of righteous G.I. gear of quality, I've settled on an I.B.M. (THE coolest name to have on a surplus gun!) and a Winchester as *never-sells*.

Todd.
 
halfmoonclip said:
Been tempted to snag one of these over the years; do have a 10-22 tricked out to look like one.
Probably talked myself out of it because the ammo wasn't as easily reloaded as handgun cartridges. On reflection, could have gotten enough ammo to keep me happy.
Glad yinz like yours.
Moon
Click to expand...
I used to think the same thing about reloading for them until I actually started reloading it. One or two extra steps (lube and occasional trimming), but really nothing bad, and they pretty much load like a handgun round.

Makes shooting them a lot cheaper, which means shooting them a lot more. Which equates to more fun. :)
 
Old guy memory...
I recall M1 carbines being offered for a small sum of money - even figuring the inflation factor backward. In the later 1950s and 1960s, no one wanted a Carbine.

They were too weak for deer. Which they are, if one uses GI FMJ ammo. With the proper - expanding - ammunition they are still not the universal big game round, but will do for deer and smaller if used close up and shoot at the right target.

They were short ranged and inaccurate. Until one realizes they were designed to be replacements for handguns. The complaints about inaccuracy were spurred by those who wanted to shoot half-inch groups at one hundred yards and further (1950s and '60s, remember). The idea was to defend against enemies of the realm at ranges of less than 125 yards or so.

I don't remember exactly, but collectors 'discovered' the M1 Carbine in the middle 1980s or so.

I had a early (no bayonet lug) version in the early 1970s. They were still relatively cheap. I sold it or traded it for something nicer in the late '70s. It was before the collector rush, so I didn't make much on the deal. About fifteen years ago I found an inexpensive carbine - had an aftermarket stock and poor sights - so I bought it. It is my 'house gun'. Has a holographic sight, almost no recoil and serves for home invaders up to one hundred yards. In that function, very utile.

The collectable one's would bankrupt a liability attorney.
 
ARguy555 said:
Very beautiful gun! I definitely wouldn’t mind getting my hands on some good looking WWII relics.
Click to expand...

They might be a relic in name but they are anything but relics for defense.

They are combat proven and send a 110 grain projectile out at 2000 FPS from 15-30 round mags as fast as one can pull the trigger, weigh but 5.5 lbs, and are handy as can be. This is my bedside gun. ARs, while good guns, and better in some ways, are not a huge improvement for most practical purposes from this humble “relic”.
 
Archie said:
Old guy memory...
I recall M1 carbines being offered for a small sum of money - even figuring the inflation factor backward. In the later 1950s and 1960s, no one wanted a Carbine.

They were too weak for deer. Which they are, if one uses GI FMJ ammo. With the proper - expanding - ammunition they are still not the universal big game round, but will do for deer and smaller if used close up and shoot at the right target.

They were short ranged and inaccurate. Until one realizes they were designed to be replacements for handguns. The complaints about inaccuracy were spurred by those who wanted to shoot half-inch groups at one hundred yards and further (1950s and '60s, remember). The idea was to defend against enemies of the realm at ranges of less than 125 yards or so.

I don't remember exactly, but collectors 'discovered' the M1 Carbine in the middle 1980s or so.

I had a early (no bayonet lug) version in the early 1970s. They were still relatively cheap. I sold it or traded it for something nicer in the late '70s. It was before the collector rush, so I didn't make much on the deal. About fifteen years ago I found an inexpensive carbine - had an aftermarket stock and poor sights - so I bought it. It is my 'house gun'. Has a holographic sight, almost no recoil and serves for home invaders up to one hundred yards. In that function, very utile.

The collectable one's would bankrupt a liability attorney.
Click to expand...

Very well said, but the max effective range is more like 300 yards from a firm position. That is what the Army stated and I have fired them at that distance. They will connect. Not a powerhouse at that range for sure, but a round center mass will still ruin an enemy soldiers day at 300 JMHO.
 
JCooperfan1911 said:
Very well said, but the max effective range is more like 300 yards from a firm position. That is what the Army stated and I have fired them at that distance.
Click to expand...
I won't discuss the difference between "official claims" and "my experience'. If the Army says so, it says so. I think the point is well established the M1 Carbine was not made to be a long range sniping or hunting round. In my life, that's the role they take. No offense taken, no anger intended.
 
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