What should I do?

[Tommygunn]

I own a M-1 Carbine that my father brought back from Navy service in the Korean War. It was made in early 1944 so it missed much of WW2 service, and when my father had it, he never used it; atleast I never once remember him shooting it as I was growing up.
I haven't used it myself very much, but it is in good shape mechanically (the stock has a few dings but so what) and shooting it wouldn't bother me at all.
A weak point of the carbine is the extractor. You might be well advised to get an extra one, as well as a bolt disassembly tool. You can take the bolt apart without one but you will need four hands.

Your carbine has been through a minor rebuild at one point; the new type of rear sight has been installed over the old WW2 flip type, but you have the type one barrel band on it.
Most carbines went through some degree of rebuilding or repair/refitting at the end of WW2, or a later date.

Use it in good health and make a family heirloom out of it.

 

[Dookie]

If your grandmother had left you a 65 Barracuda would you drive it or let it sit in your garage rotting?

 

[XD_fan]

I have many old rifles and shotguns. They all get trips to the range. Not on a regular basis but certainly often enough. I'm careful to use ammo that is suitable for them. No magnum or hot loads, shotguns with fixed chokes get lead shot, etc. My 64 year old Garand even gets a dose of CMP Greek ammo once in a while.

All get cleaned carefully and well oiled after a trip. Last patch through the bore is a well oiled patch to coat the inside of the bore. Before I take them to the range they get a dry patch through the bore to make sure the oil is removed to avoid adding more pressure to the barrel.

Guns are built and mean to be shot. Some more than others.

 

[cslinger]

Wine is to drink, guns are to be shot, cars are to be driven and toys are to be played with. A life philosophy that has taken me far and never done me wrong.

So my take is run some ammo through the ole' girl now and then. Give her a good cleaning and oiling and your Uncle will be smiling.

Chris

 

[h0ss]

I've only read a few of the above posts, but here are my thoughts about this. If you were a collector, yeah you probably would want to put it in the safe and take care of it and never shoot it.

But if i was in your situation, and someone from my family left me an old "collector" gun that had lots of sentimental value, and i knew i would NEVER sell it because it meant so much to me, then the value of it really doesn't matter. I would shoot it and have fun with it. And that does not mean you have to treat it like crap just because you are not "collecting" it. You can still take good care of it, and it will serve you and your children (and maybe their children) well.

 

[buck460XVR]

I have guns that belonged to my grandfathers, my father and other beloved, but now gone family members. Everytime I shoot/hunt with one of them it brings a flood of memories and there are times when I can actually feel their help gettin' the sights on target.

shoot the gun bro..........

 

[Threeband]

Standard Products Co. of Port Clinton, Ohio was one of the ten contractors (or eleven, depending how you count) that made carbines. They only produced about 4%, or 247,100 of the total made. Their serial number range was 1,982,520- 2,352,519. In contrast, Inland produced well over 2.6 million, or 43%.

Standard Products used mostly Underwood barrels, so it's probably original.

That "crossed cannons" cartouche (pronounced "car-TOOSH") is called an Ordinance Wheel. It's good to have. Don't sand it off! There should be a P in the bottom of the pistol grip, showing final proof/acceptance by the gov't.

You can clean/ maintain the stock by rubbing in a little tung oil or boiled linseed oil. Use only a few drops, and rub with your bare hand until your hand gets hot. You shouldn't need to do anything else. Don't strip it, sand it, or refinish it.

Good to hear you're going to shoot it. Your uncle would be glad to know it has a good home. Plus, they're a lot of fun to shoot.


(Source, Complete Guide to the M1 Garand and M1 Carbine, by Bruce Canfield)

 

[Aguila Blanca]

I guess I'm in a minority, but I would neither sell it (I hope that goes without saying) or shoot it. Yeah, yeah -- it's a gun, it was made to be shot. And I'm sure it was, when the great uncle was in the service. But if it broke when he was in the service, he could turn it in and it would either be repaired or replaced. It wasn't a collector's item then. Now ... it is.

There are lots of genuine military M1s around, but they aren't all in top shape. Look at the prices the CMP is charging for the few they have for sale -- and those are mostly guns reconstructed out of mixed parts. Plus, they don't have the family connection.

On another forum, awhile back, I saw a letter from the curator of the firearms museum at Aberdeen Proving Ground (which, if anyone doesn't know it, is a U.S. Army installation). He said, in writing, that they are not allowed to fire any weapon in their collection because they never know if the next round will be the one that causes the weapon to break. And if it does break, then the originality and value of the weapon will forever be compromised.

If you want to shoot an M1, buy a mixmaster from the CMP or buy one of the new ones Auto-Ordnance is making. I wouldn't shoot an heirloom.

But ... as has been stated, ultimately it's the owner's choice.

 

[KiltedClaymore]

blaze away.

 

[amprecon]

I wouldn't buy a firearm for collection purposes only, unless maybe I was stupid wealthy. I would, however, respect the wishes of the one that endowed me with it if they wished me not to fire it.

 

[rfurtkamp]

The only gun I'd consider not shooting would be a NIB one I got for investment purposes.

And I generally don't do that.

If you don't enjoy it, don't shoot it, etc., why own it?

Heirloom status doesn't seem to really apply here, you're not relating any stories etc to it, it's a tool used by the brother of your grandmother. Don't destroy or trash it, but would she want you to keep something you didn't enjoy or use?