The "New" Inland M1 carbine

Faulkner

Faulkner

Member
Joined
Oct 24, 2004
Messages
6,506
Reaction score
36,381
Location
Arkansas Ozarks
I read with interest the cover story article in the current Guns & Ammo magazine about the newly manufactured M1 carbine by a company called Inland Manufacturing. They are marketing three models, a "1944" with a type II barrel band and comes with a 10 round magazine for sale in the constitutional restrictive states, a "1945" model with type III barrel band with bayonet lug and comes with 15 round magazine for sale in the mostly free sections of America. They are also manufacturing a M1A1 model.

Article claims new Inlands are true to fit and finish of the original USGI and parts are interchangable, though internal parts are marked accordingly so as to help deter "fraudary" when used on original M1 carbines. They come with milled rear sights, round bolt and a push button safety. From the pictures in the article they looked good. Priced at a little under $1,100 for the 1944 and 1945 models, just over $1,100 for the M1A1.


I wasn't impressed with author Garry James' brief history about the M1 carbine. Anytime someone supposedly in the know gives full credit to the M1 carbine's development to David "Marsh" Williams it's an indicator they probably got their information from Wikipedia.
 
Register to hide this ad
M-1 Carbine

We qualified on M-1 carbines one year when I was stationed in West Berlin. Rattletrap old rifles left over from WWII but they were fun to shoot. So light, little recoil and easy to qualify with. Take down was simple too, if I remember correctly (it was a few decades back, you know!).

I planned to buy a carbine from CMP when they had them but fooled around too long until they were sold out. One of my most regretted episodes of procrastination.

So when these come out and I can handle one I might be interested if they prove to be reliable and get good reviews.

The concept was a good one, as a defense weapon for support troops. The way I hear it, the carbine got a bad rap because it was issued so widely, often in place of the Garand, which was never the role for which it was designed. It couldn't do the Garand's job.

I always wanted a decent one to go along with the Garand and 1903A3 I got from CMP - maybe there is still hope to snag one - it won't be a "real" one but what the heck!
 
I bought my daughter a USGI Inland a few years back. It was arsenal reworked from one end to the other, and I believe a re-import. There was something on the bottom of the barrel that I thought was a scratch made by mounting the bayonet, it was not legible even with magnification. The stock was split behind the receiver and I replaced it with a IMI take-off stock. Off a rest and a bench it would shoot about a 4" group. She did not care for it, though it fit her perfectly. I thought it was a fun little plinker and was a joy to carry. My aging eyes could of used a scope. I eventually sold it.
2789carbine1.JPG
 
What's the relationship, if any, between the current "Inland Manufacturing" and the Inland that made carbines for WWII? Just curious. I have an all-original WWII Underwood Carbine. :)
 
Carbine

I'd rather have the real thing too but the trouble is, from what I see at the gun shows (I'm going to one today shortly) is that the real thing is usually pretty worn and still costs TWO arms and a leg!

For a shooter, which is what i would use it for, I'd rather have a new reproduction, provided it functions 100%, than an original that's well worn and might have problems. JMHO.
 
G-Mac said:
What's the relationship, if any, between the current "Inland Manufacturing" and the Inland that made carbines for WWII? Just curious. I have an all-original WWII Underwood Carbine. :)
Click to expand...

None. The original "Inland" was the Inland Division of General Motors. The Inland Manufacturing Division of General Motors was organized in 1922 and manufactured wood wrapped steering wheels. The Inland division utilized the buildings that once belonged to the Dayton Wright Airplane Company. At the start of WWII Inland had over 3,000 employees and was turning out 719 products for airplanes, escalators, streamlined trains, automobiles, tractors, refrigerators, and washing machines and was eventually chosen as one of nine contractor-established manufacturing facilities that tooled up and turned out M-1 carbines during WWII and was considered one of the nation’s best effort of ordnance manufacturing during the war. In 1989 the Inland Division of General Motors merged with other companies of General Motors and ultimately became part of Delphi Automotive Systems leaving General Motors in 1999.

The new company, Inland Manufacturing, LLC was founded in 2013. In addition to the M1 Carbines, Inland Manufacturing is also offering two models of the 1911 Semi-Auto Pistol. The original Inland Division never produced any 1911 style handguns as part of their war effort.

I have several USGI M1 carbines manufactured by Inland in my collection.

25534171.jpg
 
Last edited:
Faulkner said:
None. The original "Inland" was the Inland Division of General Motors. The Inland Manufacturing Division of General Motors was organized in 1922 and manufactured wood wrapped steering wheels. The Inland division utilized the buildings that once belonged to the Dayton Wright Airplane Company. At the start of WWII Inland was manufacturing Inland had over 3,000 employees and was turning out 719 products for airplanes, escalators, streamlined trains, automobiles, tractors, refrigerators, and washing machines and was eventually chosen as one of nine contractor-established manufacturing facilities that tooled up and turned out M-1 carbines during WWII and was considered one of the nation’s best effort of ordnance manufacturing during the war. In 1989 the Inland Division of General Motors merged with other companies of General Motors and ultimately became part of Delphi Automotive Systems leaving General Motors in 1999.

The new company, Inland Manufacturing, LLC[/]i was founded in 2013. In addition to the M1 Carbines, Inland Manufacturing is also offering two models of the 1911 Semi-Auto Pistol. The original Inland Division never produced any 1911 style handguns as part of their war effort.

I have several USGI M1 carbines manufactured by Inland in my collection.

25534171.jpg
Click to expand...


Good Lord! Now that is my kind of collection!

I want one of the carbines one day, suspect I will wind up with a repro.
 
My first M-1 Carbine was a piece of junk, Universal, the pot metal trigger housing started to not retain the magazines, so I had I at a gunsmiths shop, where it was stolen. The replacement was brand new and sold unfired! Since then I have had many GI's and I now have an 1944 IBM with a T-3 night scope and a 1943 IBM "normal". These are great guns, and the only reason there are complaints are these aren't M-1 Garands. They predate the M-16 by 25 years and fill much of the same roll. Compared to the pistol caliber carbines the are fantastic! The only real problem I see in general will be ammo availability.

An interesting accessory I have is a scope mount that fits the rear sight dovetail, made in Spain in the 60's or 70's. It then amounts to a Weaver base about 3" long, 1 1/4 inches above the bolt and in line with the bore. With a red dot, no magnification scope, this is a handy little set up. (the T-3 scope base is a Redfield base about 1 foot long and clamps around the barrel and requires the hand guard to have a 1/2" square hole through it, and anchors in the rear sight dovetail.) Most of the rebuilt Carbines have a bayonet lug and some have a clamp on flash "suppressor", mostly these are a waste of time and money! (All the T-3 fitted Carbines were equipped with the clamp on flash suppressor, it is worthless with all the different ammo I tried both for night scope use or just to protect you night vision on a standard Carbine.) Ivan
 
We had those things in the USAF until replaced with AR-15's.

They're cute, but don't hit like a rifle and there were reportedly quite a few stopping failures. Softpoint commercial ammo may remedy that.

Those that I've fired were not very accurate, and I actually shot as well or better at 25 yards with a .38 revolver, from the two-handed sitting position. I lacked confidence in the .30 carbine and am glad that I never had to fire one in earnest.
 
Kahr (Auto-Ordnance) has made a reproduction M1 and M1A1 Carbine for a few years. They look nice, don't know their pricing or how they are selling.
 
My FIL has an original. He says his guns will not be given to outlaws, grandkids nor kids and will be sold after he goes. Well he has a WW 2 1911 also.

He had his 4 kids list 3 things they wanted in the will, my wife held out, told him it would make her feel like a vulture waiting for them to go.

Her 3 siblings filled out their list quickly. Mostly expensive jewelry.

One year at Thanksgiving the FIL jumped my Daughter to give him the list as it's holding up finalizing the will. She relented and told him 2 rings of her mothers that were not claimed. And said that's it, just 2 things. He said no pick 3. I kicked my wife on the ankle to get her attention, she gave me the LOOK. I whispered in her ear, the Weatherby. She said oh yea Dad I want the Weatherby. I thought he was going to blow a gasket. Turned a little red, huffed and puffed, turned to me and said a banned word and said OK you get it.

He got over it and when he worked his last job it was out of state, VP of a large company, he left all his guns in my safe. When he retired he picked them all up except the Weatherby, he reminds me my wife's gun is his until he goes. I've killed elk and lots of Deer with it. Nice early German one. Accurate. I love it.

I know some of his grandkids, not our kids, will strip the place when they go. My wife does not really think the rings she chose will be there, one granddaughter who thinks she is special may have taken those and some others already.
 
There is a gun manufacture named Inland located about 2 miles west of the original plant on the same road on the outskirts of Dayton. The original Inland plant is torn down except for the portion that was originally The Wright Brothers airplane factory. It has been preserved and will soon be making airplanes once again.
 
My Uncle was in Tanks in the Korean War. Real straight guy, never appeared prone to lying or exaggeration. Told the story a few times of hitting bad guys with the Carbine. Could see their outerwear move from the hits....and they would keep on coming. He wasn't impressed with the Carbine.
 
Would love to have a modern repro of the carbine in M1A1 trim, but I've heard iffy reports on these modern versions. Perhaps I should have kept the Plainfield mfg version I sold many years ago, or were they no good, either?

As to ballistic effectiveness, NYPD Stakeout officer Jim Cirillo reported stopping power with commercial 110gr JSP loads.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rpg
My first 6-7 years in the military I qualified with the M1 Carbine.

When they went up for sale in the early 60's I sent in my $20 and got a nice one delivered to my home.

They were nice, light, weapons but served no useful purpose in my civilian life. Plinking is all they were good for - or very small game.

I let my brother-in-law talk me out of it. He later traded it for a real deer rifle!!
 
Kahr makes, or made, a tactical model that was better as a weapon than the old M1A1, it uses a Choate folding stock that will lock open. The old GI models had non locking stocks. I have had a number of M1 carbines. Back when they and the mags were cheap...they were a good value. At the price of a good M4 clone or double a Yugo AK? Not so much. The 5.56 and 7.62x39 are not exactly hard kicking cartridges and deliver better down range power.
 
It is interesting to read the various comments concerning the effectiveness of the M1 Carbine. I must confess I am very fond of the Carbine, I carried one for two years as a young Policeman in the late 60's early 70's. While I personally never shot anyone with it there were a couple of other officers who did use one to good effect. Is it a great infantry weapon, probably not as good as an M1 Rifle in30-06. Does it work well as a urban gun or for that matter small game gun, yes it does, especially with Corbon or soft point ammo. If you consider it a long barreled pistol and use it accordingly I don't think you will be disappointed. My friend Faulkner, can give you a way more current LE prospective than I. While today there may be better choices, I still would not feel under gunned with it, but I still use and carry 4in. S&W 357's and 1911 Colts. I should mention my father, who saw combat in both WW11 as well as Korea, kept one in his closet for years and at 91 years of age, still does.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

cmdrcody
My newest carbine
Replies
11
Views
669
45Smashemflat
4
Glenn R. McMannly
“New” .30 Carbine Cowboy Companion
2 3
Replies
48
Views
2K
bulletslap
B
Retired W4
Early Winchester M-1 Carbine
Replies
4
Views
783
Faulkner
Faulkner
A
Ruger LC Carbine
Replies
4
Views
633
Bald1
Bald1
M
M-1 Carbine, best new one out there?
2 3
Replies
57
Views
2K
AJ
AJ

Latest posts

Back
Top