M1 Carbine Fans?

.357magger · Sep 4, 2023

In view of the current running thread extolling the virtues, and rightly so, of the M1 Garand, I thought it might be fun to also throw down some love for the "War Baby".

Anyone else a fan of the most prolifically produced US longarm of WW2?

Mine below is a 1944 Standard Products, all correct and minus import marks, that obviously went through the standard post War rebuild for sights and bayonet lug. It runs like a scalded cat and is one of my favorite rifles.

Anyone else a fan of the "War Baby"?

Charlie Foxtrott · Sep 4, 2023

I have an IBM and an Inland.

Some seriously handy guns.

jdlii · Sep 4, 2023

M1 Carbine

My Dad ordered this one from the NRA in the 60's. It is a National Postal Meter with a Buffalo Arms (Marlin) barrel.

This one came with two 15 rd. magazines all for the princely sum of $17.00. Accurate, fun to shoot and over the years I have added several more WWII magazines and some 30 rd. magazines from the Korean "police action."

robvious · Sep 4, 2023

I like the M1 Carbine as well... was my first Mil-Surp... if I had only known.. lol
mine is in original configuration.. purchased from the son of the WWII Naval vet that "brought it back "
along with his mess kit canteen and his service 45.. a US&S... his widow just wanted them out of the house...

S&W Fan · Sep 4, 2023

My dad carried one in WWII, always spoke fondly of it. I’ve wanted to get one but either can’t afford those I’ve come across or I just miss a good deal on one lol.

This pic is from 1944-France, my dad is on the left, the other guy was his cousin that he bumped into purely by chance.

DWalt · Sep 4, 2023

I have a Quality Hardware with Inland barrel. QH did not make barrels, and used barrels from other sources. Mainly Inland, I think. One of my very earliest gun purchases so it has a special place in my heart.. Have accumulated far more Carbine magazines and bolts than I will ever need. Of course, it is one of the postwar updates

Mike SC Hunter · Sep 4, 2023

One of some. Underwood Elliot Fisher. Lent to Germany after the war for police work. Mine has "Bavarian Forestry Police" stamped on the receiver. 99% of what rums through mine is my cast bullets and jacketed pushed by #2400 powder. The one pictured came from CMP in Anniston.....IN the GOOd OL Days we would make a yearly trip there. And load up on rifles and ammo.......Sadly that is no more.......Just crumbs left.

LostintheOzone · Sep 4, 2023

robvious said:
I like the M1 Carbine as well... was my first Mil-Surp... if I had only known.. lol
mine is in original configuration.. purchased from the son of the WWII Naval vet that "brought it back "
along with his mess kit canteen and his service 45.. a US&S... his widow just wanted them out of the house...

Appears to not have been through the refit which many received. The rear sight nor the safety has not been altered. It doesn't have a bayonet lug on the barrel either. All of those things were modified in later production and some were added later to early production. Yours missed the arsenal refit and because of that is highly desirable with collectors. I can tell it's a battlefield rescue. Nice carbine.

I have a 43 Inland with a Win barrel. Not much to look at but the barrel is almost new. I can hit 18" steel plates at 220 yds. Real good shooter. Purchased a CMP 1911 to go with it.

Now all I really want is a Thompson machine gun but not going to happen.

alwslate · Sep 4, 2023

back in the late 60s I had one in mint condition. It had a Winchester receiver and an Underwood barrel. I paid $45 for it with some ammo. Shot up the ammo and sold the gun for my $45 back

Yes stupid. I wish now I had kept it. Prices are a little higher now.

DWalt · Sep 4, 2023

About 15 years ago, I had a neighbor who found an UNCONVERTED Saginaw at an estate sale. Rare maker, rare condition. At the time I figured that he probably could have sold it easily for at least $1K. Probably at least double that today. It was one of only a very few unconverted Carbines I have ever seen. During the postwar period, the Army's San Antonio Arsenal here, located just south of downtown, was one of the major Carbine upgrade facilities used by the Army. The facility buildings are still there, but have been used for many years as the corporate HQ of the large Texas H-E-B supermarket chain. After upgrades, Carbines were sealed in large steel cans for long-term storage, I think 20 or 25 Carbines in a can. I would sure like to find a full sealed can.. When I was in high school, the Principal spent WWII working at the Inland Carbine plant in Dayton. I don't remember what he did there. He and I were not bosom buddies to say the least.

Faulkner · Sep 4, 2023

I started acquiring USGI M1 carbines in the late 1990's, which was probably nearing the end of the golden era of purchasing carbines at reasonable prices. There is no telling how many dozens of USGI carbines I've bought and sold and traded and even parted out. I still have a few special cream-of-the-crop favorites that are part of my retirement portfolio.

I also carried one in the early 2000's as a patrol rifle. It was one that I had assembled from scratch using new old stock USGI parts mounted in an Italian made M1A1 folding stock. We all used open sights in those days and I could hold my own at the range shooting with other officers shooting open sighted black rifles or Mini 14's.

djohns6 · Sep 4, 2023

I think they would make a darn fine home defense weapon . Light , minimum recoil , and Hornady makes a Critical Defense round for it .

Glenn R. McMannly · Sep 4, 2023

Some here must be millionares, I can only afford one.

rockquarry · Sep 4, 2023

I've only had a couple of these and got rid of them some years along with just about everything military. I don't know what the carbines are really good for, but I certainly enjoyed reloading for them and shooting them.

Far more pleasant to shoot and easy to look at, unlike ARs, but gun tastes vary significantly.

loc n load · Sep 4, 2023

M1 Carbine

I have a couple WWII vintage carbines. I carried one in my patrol car back in late 70’s and through the 80’s. It was my “patrol rifle”. Always carried GI ball in it.
Also carried a M1 Enforcer pistol in the squad. It is made by Universal. Consider it an early “ PDW “.
They served a purpose. My sidearm was a revolver, so having a 30 caliber 30 shot pistol in the car was handy. The carbine gave me capability out to 150-200 yds.
I dispatched a lot of game animals & livestock injured by motorist with the M1 carbine.
The carbine in the photo is an Inland Div.

lawandorder · Sep 4, 2023

Have not been without at least one since I was 16.That was a long time ago.

Venom6 · Sep 4, 2023

Like Faulkner (great post, bro) I carried one as a patrol rifle in the 90's. I believe it be one of the most under-rated fighting rifles of all time. Much of the criticism in that regard centers on the bullet. Load it with soft-points or hollow-points (if your particular example will feed them) and it changes character materially. They are light, short, handy, reliable, and accurate enough.

My biggest personal criticism is the safety; the rotating tab is much slower than the original pushbutton. Yeah, I know why; scared 19-year-old kids would intend to push the safety off but instead inadvertently push the mag release, dumping same on the deck. But I wasn't a scared 19-year-old, so swapped the safety on mine back to the button.

Not long after, I was patrolling along the river, back to the county seat twenty miles away. Came around the corner and spotted two feral goats on a rock the size of a house above the lonely highway. Now these goats were not welcome, had been causing problems in the nearest town, so the sheriff (me) had ordered that they were to be shot on sight So, following my own orders, I stopped and stepped down, pulling the M1 out with me. Goats stood there calmly munching the grass. I chambered a round, took a sight picture, pushed off the safety, and the magazine clattered onto the pavement..

Got them anyway. While I never had to fight with that marvelous little carbine, I did kill two deer and those two goats with it, all with 110 grain softpoints. None of the four moved out of their tracks after taking one bullet to the boiler room.

22lrfan · Sep 4, 2023

I've got an Inland, two Saginaw SG's, a National Postal Meter, an Underwood and a Quality Hardware. All went through the arsenal overhaul except the Underwood. It's all matching and has all the early features.

LEO918 · Sep 4, 2023

I have a Saginaw. Moved out a couple of Underwoods.

Greyman50 · Sep 4, 2023

Have a nice non import Inland left, sold my Original WWII Winchester to friend in our gun club about 10 years ago when starting to downsize. Had all mfg’s but IBM at one time when they could be found at shows for around $100.00, those were the days.

M1 Carbine Fans?

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