M1 Carbine

[Skipper]

I'm getting ready to buy an M1 Carbine. Who makes the best? Inland? Auto Ordnance?

[Ickisrulz]

I'm getting ready to buy an M1 Carbine. Who makes the best? Inland? Auto Ordnance?

The reviews for the Fulton Armory M1 Carbine seem to be the best for the newly made rifles. I have to experience with any of them.

[Adam Helmer]

Skipper,

How do you define "best"? Mass produced arms come in all "flavors" and one may be ok and the next a lemon. Pay your money and take your chances. Let us hope you find a good one.

Adam

[Shiloh]

Inland is surplus. Sure wish I never sold mine. I was never happy with the accuracy. Knowing what I know now, I probably could have got it running with cast.

Shiloh

[tygar]

I'd say pay the money for a milsurp...but, the Trumper may be letting M1s & carbines back into the country. So, waiting may be a good option.

[Ickisrulz]

Inland is surplus. Sure wish I never sold mine. I was never happy with the accuracy. Knowing what I know now, I probably could have got it running with cast.

Shiloh

The new ones are not surplus. They are new manufacture.

https://www.inland-mfg.com/Inland-Carbines/M1-1945.html

[Ithaca Gunner]

Nothing beats the original G.I. carbines. Even the beat up mismatched ones are far better than anything that ain't G.I.

[TNsailorman]

I would love to have another really nice M1 Carbine. I had an original Inland that I bought thru DCM back in the early 60's and used it quite a bit for years, finally selling it in the late 80's. Ii was pretty accurate out to 150 yards but beyond that it was not all that great. I never bought a bayonet for it as I think a bayonet on that short of a rifle was a joke. Most of the old WW II vets I knew claimed they almost never had them on, using them more like a camp knife than a weapon(starting a foxhole in rough ground, cutting up food with it, etc.). The early models did not come with a bayonet. Like I said, I would love to have one but I am not going to give $1,000.00 or more for one. They would make a wonderful house defense rifle though. By the way, that .30 carbine round hits and penetrates a lot better than most the gun rag writers claimed. My experience anyway, james

[308Jeff]

I have a mix-master Standard Products that I bought for $200.00 in 1991 or so. It was so worn that the slide would "jump" out of the receiver any time a round was fired. I bought a NOS slide and recoil spring and then it was running a like a sewing machine. Thinking about sending it to someone one day to have it completely restored, including a new barrel.

I hear that the new Kahr's (Auto Ordnance) are pretty nice. Not quite GI, but close. I saw an absolutely gorgeous one at Sportsman's Warehouse several years ago. Perfectly matched stock and hardguard... Wanted to make it mine, but it got sold before I had the funds.

Don't know much about the new Inland's, but I'd like to learn more.

[Chev. William]

The Surplus USGI ones from WW2 and Korea run the full gamut from Bad to Excellent.
All have been through at least one Armory rebuild in their lives.
The Latest New Build "USGI Specification" ones like Fulton Armory, Auto Ordnance, Klar, and Inland Seem to be Very good overall.
The "Made from Surplus parts and civilian made substitutes can be good to Bad in quality, reliability, and endurance.
From reading the later "Universal" made civilian ones should be avoided as no longer repairable due to nonstandard components used in them.
You generally get what you pay for in a used firearm.
I was 'Lucky' in that I found a Good re-import Surplus USGI Winchester one for $700 a few years ago and it shoots very well. It had been sent to Korea and used there then surplussed and brought back to the USA; Marked as Such via a importer name stamped into the underside of the Barrel near the Muzzle. At the time, a New Auto Ordnance one in the same store was priced at $1200.

Best Regards,
Chev. William

[10-x]

In my experience I'd stick to an original GI. Would have to look at my old recods to see how many I've had since the first in 73, was a Rockola for $100.00. Many others that I remember, Saganaw Steering Gear, many Inlands( still have nice one) and a few original WWII that got brought home at the end of the war. Friend talked me out of the last WWII Winchester a few years ago. Dont do WWII displays any more, people are just to rude and inconsiderate these days.

[Texas by God]

+1 on the milsurps. Unless you can find a Howa Sporting Carbine like I did a few years back. It is flawless and fits better than the GI stock. Google Howa .30 carbine to find a pic. My wife took it from me the day I brought it home! She lets me shoot it to teach others how to shoot. Easy to learn.

[3006guns]

I've owned two G.I. carbines in the past and both ran beautifully. Sadly, they went to other places over the years.....one to the ex wife :(. I got the hankering for another, so when a friend who was moving offered me his I jumped. It wasn't G.I., but a copy made by I.A.I and looked really sweet. As I found out though, beauty is only skin deep.

First day on the range and the gun almost went full auto, so it was cease fire and back to the house. The first thing I found was a broken extractor. When replacing that, the little spring loaded plunger took off for parts unknown (no proper tool) so I ordered a replacement. Reassembled everything and tried again.......this time it doubled, tripled and the op rod came off the receiver! Back to the house......

Yanked it apart and found the firing pin was jammed forward, which explained a lot, although I had checked it after replacing the extractor. The pin moves forward stiffly, then jams and has to be tapped to the rear with a brass punch. Examining the firing pin hole revealed what looks like a small burr in the hole, but until my disassembly tool gets here I can't tell for sure.

What's the point of this whole long winded post? Swallow hard, pull out your wallet and buy a G.I.!

[SWANEEDB]

Have enjoyed the read on this thread, only in my humble opinion the org USGI is the way to go, if you need/want replacement parts they are to be had--for the most part. Got my 5'th one yesterday, a Quality Hardware, goes with my Winchester, IBM, Standard Prod and a NPM. Ha, only 5 more to go for the full set. Am on the search, fun.

[7of7]

I have the Auto Ordinance. It works well, and shoots just fine. I forget how much I paid for it..

[Speedo66]

I was fortunate enough to buy my Underwood from a brother officer who was retiring back in the mid 70's, a Pacific Theater Navy Seabee veteran who appropriated it during WWII. It looked almost unused when I got it, and even came with some original '43 stamped ammo, which I still have. All US military Carbine ammo was always non corrosive.

It operates flawlessly and always puts a smile on my face when I shoot it.

By the way, AIM Surplus has some Korean 30 rd. mags, very inexpensive, but work perfectly in it.