OH ...NOW i went and dood it.

[mozeppa]

looks all original...don't care if it ain't.

universal- hialeah , florida m1 carbine ...came with a 15 round mag.

rear sight is loose ...no problem
walnut stock ....got some marks but otherwise is solid...no cracks or gouges out of the wood

bore is perfect.

extremely light rust...almost undetectable.

action...slicker than snot on a door knob.

no sling ...easily replaced.

paid $475 (did i get taken?)

i have the ruger .30 carbine six shooter as a companion piece.

i do have two questions.

i loaded the magazine with 15 reloads and rack/chambered all 15 no problem.
all went into battery perfectly...except when racking a new round the ejection of the previous round
did NOT jump out of the receiver ....it came out 2/3rds of the way and just layed in the bolt area.

i had to reach in and get it each time before i let the bolt slam forward.

is that normal?....does the act of firing it eject the brass harder?

haven't actually fired it yet ...want to take it apart for a thorough going over before i do.

lastly ...where do i find a really good manual with pictures for dummies to do the strip down?

[gpidaho]

mozeppa:I have one of those, some 30 carbine owners bad mouth them but I've had no problems with mine. I gave $350 and got three mags with it but yours has a better looking finish. Try the Lee 120gr.RN with VV N-110 under it. My favorite. Also IMR 4227 or H-110. Have fun. Gp

[Tatume]

I expect it will eject vigorously when fired.

[gpidaho]

mozeppa: As Tatume just posted, expect vigorously ejected cases. The cases have been somewhat easier to find in the sales threads lately so I don't spend as much time as I use to searching under every blade of grass. There's just nothing shy and timid about these 30 carbines, they will launch the cases to the edge of the forty acres. LOL. Gp I'll send you a PM about what I've found out by use on mine. Gp

[WILCO]

http://www.m1carbinesinc.com/carbine_universal.html

Introduction & Overview

More than 426,000 carbines were manufactured by Universal Firearms over a 25 year period from 1961 through 1986. This was 10 years longer and more than three times the quantity manufactured by any other commercial carbine manufacturer. In the beginning the first Universal Firearms carbines were 100% compatible with surplus GI carbine parts, their carbines included many of these parts. As with every other commercial carbine manufacturer, as surplus GI carbine parts became scarce, Universal Firearms began using commercially manufactured substitutes. Unlike other commercial carbine manufacturers, some of the commercially manufactured parts used by Universal Firearms were eventually compatible with the Universal Firearms carbines only and not interchangeable with their surplus GI counterparts.

In 1967 beginning with serial number 100,000 Universal Firearms implemented a major design change to the carbines they produced. The design had been patented by Universal and the majority of parts were no longer compatible with their GI counterparts. The design change was significant enough that the carbine it produced was no longer an "M1 Carbine". What makes a carbine an M1 Carbine is the use of the design and parts of the original U.S. M1 Carbine, as set forth by U.S. Army Ordnance in the 1940's and early 1950's. The Universal Carbine retained the overall outward appearance and ammunition of the U.S. M1 Carbine, but the internal design and parts were a hybrid replica of the M1 Carbine.

Over the years many M1 Carbine enthusiasts and collectors have had a poor opinion of the carbines produced by Universal Firearms. Some complained about the design changes, some claiming the changes were unsafe as they did not meet the standards set forth by U.S. Army Ordnance. Many companies in the history of firearms have manufactured "carbines" of various different designs, operating actions, calibers, etc. None comparable to the standards of a U.S. M1 Carbine simply because they were not based on the design and changes approved by U.S. Army Ordnance for the Caliber .30 M1, Carbine. Different is not the same as better or worsse. Confusing this issue is the fact the first 8000 carbines manufactured by Universal Firearms were of the same design as the U.S. M1 Carbine and most of the parts were interchangeable with surplus GI carbine parts.

Many owners of the carbines manufactured by Universal Firearms have enjoyed them for many years without encountering any problems. As with any other firearm, every part thereon and therein has a lifespan. All semi-automatic centerfire rifles share a number of common safety features that should be inspected periodically and when buying a used one. With a used gun, it's not the name on the firearm that matters as much as having a competent mechanic check under the hood before we drive it.

All of this should be kept in mind if and when you may encounter negative comments regarding the carbines manufactured by Universal Firearms. Investigations conducted by this author have found the majority of complaints were either not from first hand experience, did not include examination by a knowledgeable person to determine exactly why something went wrong (think semi-auto rifle gas systems, headspace, poor quality or worn out magazines), or one complaint was posted on an internet discussion forum and quoted on a dozen others making it sound like more than one. The issues discovered with a Universal Carbine or Universal M1 Carbine have been consistent with all commercially manufactured carbines, regardless of who made them. Refer to the Safety issues page on this website. Remember, a used semi-auto rifle requires more maintenance and safety inspections than most other firearms. Also keep in mind that if the carbines manufactured by Universal Firearms were as bad as the rumors, how did they manage to stay in business so long and make so many carbines?

[WILCO]

http://www.m1carbinesinc.com/parts.html

What You Need to Know About Parts

There is only one standard for the dimensions, machining, quality, and life span of every part on an M1 Carbine. The standard adopted by U.S. Army Ordnance for the U.S. .30 caliber carbines M1, M1A1, M2, and T3. There is no other standard. Ordnance standards were established based on research and development, testing, field use of the carbines during WWII, and more. These standards insured the parts were interchangeable between all of the U.S. GI carbines, regardless of manufacturer. They also set the requirements each part would have to meet to pass inspection, not only by the manufacturer but also by U.S. Army Ordnance inspectors assigned to the manufacturing facilities of each of the primary contractors making carbines. If a manufacturer didn't get it right, it didn't go out the door on a finished carbine. If a manufacturer consistently and repeatedly didn't get it right they risked losing their contract.

Almost all of the post war commercial carbine manufacturers started out using as many of the surplus GI carbine parts as they could get. As the availability of each part dried up, each commercial manufacturer made, or subcontracted to be made, a commercially manufactured part that would fill the role of it's GI counterpart. While these commercially manufactured parts may have been dimensionally the same as a GI part, none of them were manufactured using the standards established by U.S. Army Ordnance. The new "standard" became whatever "worked" and was cost efficient. How well it worked and for how long was/is nowhere near the quality and lifespan of any of the parts manufactured for U.S. Ordnance. Commercial manufacturers could get by with parts that didn't meet the standards of U.S. Ordnance as their carbines were mostly made for the average citizen during peace time, not soldiers subjecting their carbines to conditions common during a war.

If a commercial carbine and it's parts were manufactured to GI dimensions, then they were "GI compatible", meaning they could be interchanged with all other parts manufactured to GI dimensions, including the surplus GI parts. Most, but not all, commercial carbine manufacturers attempted to stick to these dimensions and interchangeability. Some did it better than others.



Buying a Replacement Part

The first thing you need to determine is if the part you want to replace is "GI compatible". The table below lists the commercial carbine manufacturers and identifies which ones made carbines that have "GI compatible" parts.

If a carbine is indicated as less than 100% "GI compatible", read the web page for that particular manufacturer.

If a carbine and it's parts are GI compatible, the best replacement part is one that was manufactured for U.S. Army Ordnance (surplus GI parts-see bottom of page). There are plenty still available and still in very good condition with many years of service left in them. If the cost is above what you want to pay for a part, the commercially manufactured parts are an option. Realize the quality control standards are an unknown. Most GI compatible parts will work. The questions is, how well and for how long. Most parts will wear out quicker and need to be replaced sooner than their GI equivalent would.

The following parts should be inspected occasionally and replaced before the wear becomes excessive. Parts followed by an asterisk (*) are safety critical parts you should seriously consider replacing with GI surplus parts instead of their commercial equivalents if your carbine's parts are GI compatible. A few commercial companies may have manufactured and hardened them to the high standards necessary for safety. The problem is knowing which commercial manufacture did and how to identify their parts from those who didn't. The markings used by U.S. Ordnance contracted companies for quality control served a purpose. Commercial equivalents rarely have identifiable markings. Testing each part requires equipment and expertise that is cost prohibitive.


•Bolt*
•Firing pin
•Extractor
•Extractor spring and plunger
•Hammer*
•Sear*
•Slide*



Where do I buy the parts I need?

I do not endorse retailers. There are plenty of other retailers, just do an internet search on what you want to buy and shop around. Gunbroker.com is an auction website with hundreds of sellers offering just about any part you would need. Like any other internet auction website, common sense and caution when dealing with people you don't know is advised. On the links page there are links to parts suppliers I have found to be honest and reliable.

[oldred]

The one I bought was manufactured in 1974 and I bought it new in 1975, what a joke that carbine was! As soon as I sighted down the barrel I spotted the front sight turned about 4 or 5 degrees Counter-Clockwise and getting it into the correct position was a PITA, however that turned out to be the least of the problems. About all I can say positive about it was it went bang every time I pulled the trigger and never once failed to eject the spent cases properly or misfire. While I understand these are not target rifles it shot poorly despite my best efforts, groups were better described as patterns and nothing I could do made it any better but all I ever fired was factory ammo as I didn't reload at the time. All-in-all it was a very disappointing gun and the several I have seen later were not much if any better, no one I have ever talked with about these things had much good to say about them and if mine was an average example I can certainly understand why. Sorry to be so negative but, in my case anyway, that gun I had left me with a very poor opinion of them and nothing I have seen or heard about them since has changed my mind.

[jimb16]

If it doesn't eject when fired and the case either stays in the action or goes back into the chamber, then the extractor is bad. Even cycling by hand should kick the case/cartridge clear of the action. I suspect it may have a broken extractor.

[Gtek]

I was around a few many moons ago owned by others. Avoiding negative comment I would make sure you keep some good grease in OP-Rod/bolt lug hole and hope for the best. Op-Rod for late Universal carbine=Priceless!