Used M1 carbine, good buy or avoid?

S

Stressfire

New member
So as title states, I am thinking of getting an M1 carbine.

My FiL wants to sell his to me for $250. Its a National Ordnance produced sometime between 1961-1962 - wood stock, pretty much standard.

Sounds like a good deal and I know it will never be a collector's item.

My concern is (not knowing much about the M1's) that the action is very very "rattle" prone. It shoots nicely and is very accurate, but the action is so darn sloppy and I'm wondering if it is supposed to be that way? FiL also has a tendency to "Bubba" some things (sometimes desirably and sometimes not:confused:) and I don't want to be a victim of kitchen table gunsmithing.

Ammo cost being a secondary concern, .30 carbine is somewhat hard to come by in my area.

So good buy or get something else/a "new" one?
 
Lots of WWII era firearms are supposed to be a little loose in the action. 1911s, Thompson, etc will rattle, and that's actually a good thing. It lessens the likelihood of a jam, and allows for more time between cleanings. That's what I understand anyway.

As to your question, personally $250 sounds pretty good, bit I don't really have a frame of reference.
 
That is a GREAT buy. As far as the action being "sloppy", That type of action has a tendency to feel that way, when in actuality it is one of the most reliable semi-auto actions of all time and has been used on the m1 garand, M-14 and Mini 14 as well as your M1 carbine. The roller block action is a tried and true performer, but does feel like it has play in it when its unlocked, simply due to the way the caming roller operates. 250 is more than reasonable for these rifles, as even copies of them sell for 300-500.

Do it and feel good about it...
 
Lots of WWII era firearms are supposed to be a little loose in the action.
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That is actually what I was thinking, especially if being used as a battle weapon and being carried through rain, mud and other conditions not conducive to weapons with tight-fitting parts - was curious if this still held true for "period" weapons produced 20+ years later.

Tobpr, I found that site when the offer was first made - made for some informative reading, but not much on the technical aspects.

I guess I'm wondering if its worth taking the chance - considering the variables: possible bubba-ing and subsequently availability of replacement parts to correct aforementioned bubba-ing, ease of repair for the carbine novice, and how much caca is going to hit the ventilador when the fiance discovers I bought one of her dad's guns:eek: - or to just simply save up a bit more for something else - don't really want a pistol caliber carbine though.
 
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Lots of WWII era firearms are supposed to be a little loose in the action.
That is actually what I was thinking, especially if being used as a battle weapon and being carried through rain, mud and other conditions not conducive to weapons with tight-fitting parts - was curious if this still held true for "period" weapons produced 20+ years later.

Tobpr, I found that site when the offer was first made - made for some informative reading, but not much on the technical aspects.

I guess I'm wondering if its worth taking the chance - considering the variables: possible bubba-ing and subsequently availability of replacement parts to correct aforementioned bubba-ing, ease of repair for the carbine novice, and how much caca is going to hit the ventilador when the fiance discovers I bought one of her dad's guns - or to just simply save up a bit more for something else - don't really want a pistol caliber carbine though.
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Except, naturally, that this is not a USGI carbine at all, despite looking like one. It's not a 'first model' National Ordnance either if made during those years, it is very likely a non-USGI cast receiver, so I'm not sure where 'rattly WWII firearms" comes into play :)

Personally I would not buy it at half the cost, not when USGI ones are out there

Also, I don't consider either my 1944 M1 rifle or my 1943 M1 carbine 'rattly' at all
 
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Stressfire:

Diring the 1960's through the 1980's there were several so called clons of the U.S. 30 caliber M1 carbine. None of the parts in these clones would work in the other clones nor the U.S. M1. The clones, all of them, were prone to major malfunctions. I'm not refering to a real clone on the M1 carbine.

Semper Fi.

Gunnery sergeant
Clifford L. Hughes
USMC Retired
 
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I only have one 'experience' with an M1 carbine.

A regular at my range came into the shop with his face bloodied, holding the M1 he just rented.

Seems the case head ruptured on the UMC cartridge, sending powder and shrapnel back at his face. It was later found the case wasn't fully chambered, yet the pin still struck the primer somehow.
 
I'd jump on the deal, CMP ran out of Carbines (excluding for a few special high priced auction guns). They indicate they wont get any more. When I got mine they were $495 for the field grades. $250 is a steal.

If you don't reload, CMP sells good ammo for about $200 per 500 rounds.
 
It's too bad CMP is out. I'm glad I ended up with a nice deal on my own carbine

But although I like what the CMP does, 600 for an M1 carbine from them and 250 for this carbine...it's just not the same rifle. The CMP offered a nice deal on USGI carbines with all USGI parts. Their prices were hardly 'going rate'; that was a 'hey get on the good-time bus while you can' price. But you can still get USGI carbines at good prices even if the CMP is out. I just can't see the allure of the commercial receiver M1 carbine.
 
When the National Ordinance Carbines hit the market, they were considered crap in the box, unfired. It's the holy grail of a good firearm gone bad. Quite a few had major catastrophic failures of the actions with just a few hundred rounds out of the barrel. I've refused to shoot one and know of one that went in a landfill that didn't have 100 rounds thru it. It is NOT a military weapon, just a cheap crap look-a-like. If you get it, best of luck. Here's the history:
http://www.m1carbinesinc.com/carbine_natord.html
 
OK I have a crap clone of an M1, the Universal. It was well used when I got it, I have had it for 15 years, and it works just fine.

I would not shoot a real WW2 gun. These belong to history now.

A cheap shooter is nothing to sneeze at. They are a blast to shoot.

Buy it
 
M1 carbine

I have to agree with Ridgerunner.
The postwar commercial copies of the M1 carbine have a very mixed reputation, most of it bad. The surplus genuine M1 carbines are almost universally good. My Inland Division 1944 carbine is very accurate and stone cold reliable. But I was lucky - I got it for $20 from CMP in 1965, delivered just as I was starting primary flight training in Pensacola. For those who can't afford original M1 carbines, and want to shoot what they own (and who doesn't?) an SKS is an excellent surplus rifle that is robust and a good shooter, although much larger than the svelte and light carbine, with poorer sights. But the ammo is cheap, and trust me, you can't break it. I am not a particular fan of Yugo's, but a Russian (preferable), Chinese, Albanian, etc. SKS will provide a lot of enjoyable shooting at low cost. Also a very acceptable SHTF longarm if you feel that need.
 
My FiL wants to sell his to me for $250. Its a National Ordnance produced sometime between 1961-1962 - wood stock, pretty much standard.
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I would pass. These are well know to be very problematic. It may look like a GI Carbine but it well not function like one.
 
I have shot a few boxes through it and it seams to function fine, loved shooting it as well. But, yeah, pretty sure that offer is only to me:)

Thanks for the feedback all, at the moment it is between the M1, a shotgun, or yet another pistol - so am still on the fence, but good to know that it would be, at the least, a decent buy.
 
$250 sounds real cheap to me. If you don't like do you think you could sell it for $250, or more ? If you are worried about it being 'Buggered' in some way, a trip to your local gunsmith ought resolve that question.

I bought several of the Italian returns from the CMP. One for each of my grandkids. I'm glad I did. I really enjoy shooting this carbine. I bought the ammo can full of .30 carbine ('Canned Heat') from Georgia Arms and am still having fun when I go to the range. I bought a .30 Carbine Carbide Die from Lee also and reload the cartridge now also. Lots of fun.
 
I have shot a few boxes through it and it seams to function fine, loved shooting it as well. But, yeah, pretty sure that offer is only to me
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It sounds like one that does function, some do and some don't. If it a good shooter then $250 is a steal, about 200-250 under market.
 
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