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Thread: M1 Carbine Help

  1. #1
    Boolit Master
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    M1 Carbine Help

    I have an iAi M1 carbine knock off that I picked up for only slightly more than the value of all the loaded factory ammo that came with it.

    I want to use it for HD as my wife has arthritic hands, but she can work the controls on it fine. It is actually in quite good condition and is reliable with every type of ammo I have put through it. I like the idea of an HD rifle for this gun due to the low recoil which also bothers the wife. Plus it's fun to shoot and she enjoys it which makes for more practice.

    Here is the part that is driving me crazy and I need help with.

    The iron sights are way off when adjusted to correct point of impact. So much so that the rear sight is so far left that it screws up the sight picture.

    I have thought about putting a Bushnell TRS red dot on it using one of the mounts that replaces the rear sight. The thing I don't like about that is having to remember to turn it on in the event of an emergency.

    I have also thought about a low powered scope, I have a Leupold 2x sitting around looking for a job.

    I am hesitant to screw around with the barrel clocking for fear of reducing the reliability, which is excellent.

    I have also thought about taking off the front sight and re clocking it, then using JB weld to keep it in place.

    Thoughts?
    Last edited by cabezaverde; 04-25-2020 at 03:42 PM.
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  2. #2
    Boolit Master


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    Sounds like you have a bent barrel. Anything you mount on the receiver is going to be affected same as the iron sights. Not a real rare condition, a good smith can fix that in a jiffy.
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  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master Outpost75's Avatar
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    The rear sight is not centered on the receiver dovetail. Center the aperture in the sight base, then drift the entire sight to align the rear sight to the bore using a collimator. Only then use the click adjustments to make final adjustment.
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  4. #4
    Boolit Master
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    The rear sight is far left in the dovetail and needs still more left adjustment with the clicks.
    Founder of the Single Shot section.

    A government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take everything you have.


    8 in the 10 ring, then I get a PING. Love my Garand.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff Michel View Post
    Sounds like you have a bent barrel. Anything you mount on the receiver is going to be affected same as the iron sights. Not a real rare condition, a good smith can fix that in a jiffy.
    I will try running a straight edge along the barrel.
    Founder of the Single Shot section.

    A government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take everything you have.


    8 in the 10 ring, then I get a PING. Love my Garand.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master Castaway's Avatar
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    Dumb question I know, but is front sight bent?

  7. #7
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Castaway View Post
    Dumb question I know, but is front sight bent?
    Doesn’t appear to be.
    Founder of the Single Shot section.

    A government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take everything you have.


    8 in the 10 ring, then I get a PING. Love my Garand.

  8. #8
    Boolit Buddy
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    At a last resort, you could get a laser sight with a "squeeze switch" on the grip for close in HD. I'd find a Smith who knows his stuff about M1 carbines if I couldn't resolve it myself..

  9. #9
    Boolit Mold
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    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	814ED3B7-790F-443C-93FC-40C94809D610.jpg 
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ID:	261045 set her up with a scout setup like this, my wife loves it

  10. #10
    Boolit Master
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    Ok, I tore the rifle down today.

    What is the best way to detect a bent barrel? It looks straight from the outside, but that doesn't mean that it is drilled straight, correct?

    Also, I see no index marks so I can't tell if barrel is clocked properly.

    The rifle was pretty dry of lubricants, but that wouldn't have an effect on point of impact, right?

    Any more thoughts?
    Founder of the Single Shot section.

    A government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take everything you have.


    8 in the 10 ring, then I get a PING. Love my Garand.

  11. #11
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rgmcfarland View Post
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	814ED3B7-790F-443C-93FC-40C94809D610.jpg 
Views:	32 
Size:	54.8 KB 
ID:	261045 set her up with a scout setup like this, my wife loves it
    I don't want to screw around with having to turn anything on.
    Founder of the Single Shot section.

    A government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take everything you have.


    8 in the 10 ring, then I get a PING. Love my Garand.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master elmacgyver0's Avatar
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    If the barrel is not bent it sounds like the front sight maybe rotated a bit to one side or another.
    Something to check.

  13. #13
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    I don't know if this may help you, but I also have a Israel Arms Houston, Tx. US Caliber .30M1 Carbine w/ metal hand guard, S/n M888-R202xxx. Mine is a bit fussy re ammo -- it seems to function best with military-style j-bullets (110 gn), but when "genuine" U S Carbines were very much out of my $$$-reach, I spied it at a gun show; affordable; and, it followed me home.
    If your carbine is same generation as mine, I can/will take photos of my sights for possible comparison with those on yours. ALSO, there is a pretty good site on our little carbine, at http://www.m1carbinesinc.com/carbine_iai.html
    PM me if you'd like a photo of my sights.
    geo

  14. #14
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by georgerkahn View Post
    I don't know if this may help you, but I also have a Israel Arms Houston, Tx. US Caliber .30M1 Carbine w/ metal hand guard, S/n M888-R202xxx. Mine is a bit fussy re ammo -- it seems to function best with military-style j-bullets (110 gn), but when "genuine" U S Carbines were very much out of my $$$-reach, I spied it at a gun show; affordable; and, it followed me home.
    If your carbine is same generation as mine, I can/will take photos of my sights for possible comparison with those on yours. ALSO, there is a pretty good site on our little carbine, at http://www.m1carbinesinc.com/carbine_iai.html
    PM me if you'd like a photo of my sights.
    geo
    Thanks George.

    Are your sights pretty centered?
    Founder of the Single Shot section.

    A government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take everything you have.


    8 in the 10 ring, then I get a PING. Love my Garand.

  15. #15
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    My rear site is a tad off-centre, as you may hopefully see from attached photos I just took and cropped for you. The rear site is set for target-centre at 68.5 meters/75 yards (as opposed to, say, a "six-o-clock bull"). I hope this is of help for you.
    Click image for larger version. 

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ID:	261145Click image for larger version. 

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ID:	261146Click image for larger version. 

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ID:	261147

  16. #16
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    I had this exact problem last year with year with my surplus carbine. I had to adjust the sight all the way to the left and drift it until it was almost out of the dovetail. It still shot about 1' to the right. I thought the frt. sight might not have been at 12 o clock but it checked fine. I thought bent barrel but with the sights off as much as they were that should have been detectable with the naked eye. I pulled the barrel anyway and spun it between centers,all good.I started to look at the barrel very carefully and noticed the the muzzle was deformed a bit. I selected a pin gauge that would slide through the bore and put it in the breech end and slid it toward the muzzle it stopped about .060" from exiting. Back to the lathe for a new crown. Now the pin gauge exits the bore. I centered up the sights and test fired it and it was almost dead on now. Someone must have dropped it on the muzzle and deformed the end of the barrel. Weird thing was it was not erratic as I would have thought just shot WAY to the right. I was pretty surprised to find this as the problem. Check the muzzle out carefully might be the issue Good Luck

  17. #17
    Boolit Master
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    One quick way to check for a bent barrel is to take a carbon fiber arrow shaft that is a snug fit and run it down the bore. If it hangs up, probably a good indication that the barrel is bent. If it drops neatly, the barrel probably is fine.

    Next, is the barrel assembly (barrel plus block) straight on the receiver? If not, either the rear of the barrel block or the face of the receiver is off.

    If everything is good, I'd give thought to the front sight and to the indexing of the barrel assembly.

    I would recommend buying a copy of "U.S. M1 Carbines, Wartime Production," 8th edition, revised and expanded, by Craig Riesch. The US Army field manual also would be beneficial. These clearly show how to check the indexing of the barrel assembly to the receiver. Note that all (or at least all the ones on which I have worked) USGI M1 Carbines have very small index marks on the bottom of the receiver at the face, and on the rear of the barrel assembly on the flat. Sometimes a magnifying glass helps.

    Good luck.

    Cheers, Richard
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  18. #18
    Boolit Mold
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    Quote Originally Posted by cabezaverde View Post
    I don't want to screw around with having to turn anything on.
    Nor does my wife, I started with a romeo5 on this scout set up, changed it to this holosun for her as it has a lot of battery on time life, auto off, movement awake, and solar power? I was like geesh... gotta try that oh and it is green dot, not red.... I change the batteries in all the goofy every year at fall time change, none of them need it, but it gives her the confidence I the garage door openers and now her PDW. Money well spent, still be fun to chase out your open sight issue but for a lady in the upper age bracket that is comfortable with the M1 a holo sight that she uses with both eyes open at our range is the big confidence builder. YMMV, I have 9 very nice weapons she has burnt through, only three are her keepers, I’ve inherited the rest

  19. #19
    Boolit Master
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    With centered rear sight and holding by grip at arms length, leveling rear what does front sight position look like?

  20. #20
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gtek View Post
    With centered rear sight and holding by grip at arms length, leveling rear what does front sight position look like?
    I need to re assemble it after a total tear down. Will advise.
    Founder of the Single Shot section.

    A government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take everything you have.


    8 in the 10 ring, then I get a PING. Love my Garand.

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BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
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GC Gas Check