M1 Carbine, need information.

11199 Views 45 Replies 25 Participants Last post by fragout, May 31, 2010

Jida

Discussion Starter · Apr 20, 2010

Grew up with an original M1 Carbine in the family and never thought much of it. As I get older I am seeing it in a different light. With some variety in bullets out there it is looking like a nice reloading platform to get into.

Been reading up on the variety of M1's out there and there is a lot of conflicting information.

Are there any M1's better than others that you can get now? As in, does the price of a Fulton give you a better rifle than say the Kahr Arms version?

Is there any way to make the gun 1"-2" performers? Is the ammo the limiting factor?

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1 - 20 of 46 Posts

veganfarmer

· #2 · Apr 20, 2010

Thanks for starting this thread, I'll be keeping a close eye on it.

Though I think I'm still going to save for an M1A socom, I've got a soft spot for the M1 carbine and would love to rehab a paratrooper M1 Carbine.

Masss

· #3 · Apr 21, 2010

From what i've read/heard, the older surplus M1s are the way to go, because the newer reproductions have alot more problems than the old ones. I'll let someone confirm that for me or state otherwise, but thats what ive heard.

thess02

· #4 · Apr 21, 2010

I'm not an expert on the rifle but own one and like it a lot. Mine is a Plainfield and I picked it up used in a local gunshop. It shows very little evidence of wear and shoots well. The Plainfields were commercial rifles built in the 60s - 70s using GI spec parts. I'm reloading for it using Remington 110 grain jacketed soft point bullets. It eats em up using new Korean 30 round magazines.

dcliffhanger

· #5 · Apr 21, 2010

Ammo would probably not be the limiting factor, espically with good handloads. That would be the easiest factor to eliminate. Try several componant combinations and see what works best in the individual unit.

I would expect the limiting factors to be multiple. Receivers not well bedded, barrels vibrating with unusual harmonics while the action is slapping around, chambers cut for reliability rather than accuracy, triggers needing much work, atrocious sights, and on surplus models, 60 year old neglected barrels.

I would not expect 1"@100, or 2". Honestly, I could live with 3-4"@100 with the carbine and be very happy. I have precision shooters if I need them. The carbine is the one that would be with me all day every day, handier than the AR and half the weight of the AK and able to hit a pie plate at 100.

It serves its design requirement well. A 3/4 size rifle and way more accurate than a pistol.

BlueHarvest76

· #6 · Apr 21, 2010

ok i admit it,,there is a soft spot in my heart for the M1 Carbine, it handles like a dream, packs 30 rounds, holds two clips on the stock with a standard GI mag pouch attached (way ahead of its time), and has credablility as a war baby!

however,,,,,lets face it,,its basically a pistol round in a rifle,,although a very light rifle at that,,, if u plan on using it for within 100 yards,,it can do the job, but lets face it,,it doesn't pack the punch of an AK or the accuracy and range or an AR.

I guess if i needed to be armed with a longarm while tooling around the yard, doing chores ect the M1 carbine would be great!

If i was patrolling i'd prefer something with more OOOMPFFF.

If your gonna use it for personal defence,,try corbon ammo,,it packs a punch.

this makes a great rifle for people who can't carry a full sized rifle, or are busy carrying other stuff,,ie medics, drivers, ect.

Having said all that,, i haven't handled any new made M1 carbines from fulton or Auto ordnance, but all the GI stuff I handled that were taken care of are great.

Wondering if anyone has reviews of the Korean Mags for it pouring into the country now? any reviews on the Auto Ordnance or fulton?

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sethwyo

· #7 · Apr 21, 2010

i like my inland m1 carbine, i cast lead bullets and reload it with unique cheap, wolf FMJs are about $20 a box. i once had a universal model 1000 that did 4' in groups, which is as good as an m1 will proubly get, and another universal that threw about three foot groups. the catridges are its set back, no matter how you load for it or what type of factory rounds you use it there will never be real accuracy, i use IMR 4227 for jacked reloads. iv know people who hunted and took deer with 30 carbines.

you should get one, if you dont you always will want one, and you wont ever regret owning it, but dont overestimate it either, its a 100 yard gun.

MikeK

· #8 · Apr 21, 2010

Jida said:
Grew up with an original M1 Carbine in the family and never thought much of it. As I get older I am seeing it in a different light. With some variety in bullets out there it is looking like a nice reloading platform to get into.

Been reading up on the variety of M1's out there and there is a lot of conflicting information.

Are there any M1's better than others that you can get now? As in, does the price of a Fulton give you a better rifle than say the Kahr Arms version?

Is there any way to make the gun 1"-2" performers? Is the ammo the limiting factor?

Fulton Armory makes outstanding guns. Their MIA is better than anything to come out of Springfield Armory, but you sure pay for it. Their AR-15s are top notch also. But I can't see how it's worth the extra money for the M1 Carbines. Sure they're put together well, but they aren't going to shoot or function any better than any other high quality M1.

The new Auto Ordnance M1 Carbine is a good deal. Running about the same price as the surplus ones. They're well built and accurate. I'm wishing I had bought one instead of my last Inland.

Avoid Universal Carbines. You can find them for a better price, but there's a reason. Most of the parts are not Mil-spec, so you can't interchange them. Quality was also hit or miss on them. Some worked fantastically and shot well, others didn't. There is no parts support anymore.

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The Heretic

· #9 · Apr 21, 2010

I grew up with a GI surplus M1 carbine and I never cared for it. An AR15 is just as light, IMO the AR has lighter recoil and it is certainly more lethal, especially at distances beyond 100 meters.

Personally I don't care for any pistol class caliber carbine. YMMV.

Jida

Discussion Starter · #10 · Apr 22, 2010

Technically, it is a small rifle round and not a pistol round even though it works in pistols to an extent.

dcliffhanger

· #11 · Apr 22, 2010

I often have wondered what would have happened if our military had adopted the .38 Super as pistol round, then chambered the carbine for .38 Super.

Jida

Discussion Starter · #12 · Apr 22, 2010

If so then you would have wondered why they did not adopt the .30 Carbine and what would have happened if they did.

MikeK

· #13 · Apr 22, 2010

dcliffhanger said:
I often have wondered what would have happened if our military had adopted the .38 Super as pistol round, then chambered the carbine for .38 Super.

.38 Super is one of my favorite rounds. It's the first handgun cartridge I learned to reload 35 years ago. I've used it in competition for a couple decades. Even hunted with it.

I have a 16.5 inch barrel in .38 Super for my T/C contender. I was using it to test chamber pressure on specially developed extended overall length 147 grain rounds for a custom CZ-52 in .38 Super. Even in the longer barrel, it's still not a stellar performer. Think .357 magnum carbine, then subtract about 30-35% of the performance.

No matter how hot you load it, it's still a short, stubby pistol bullet being driven at slightly over pistol velocities. It's never going to shoot as well at the distances that a .30 carbine will. It's basically a 100 yard gun.

As for military pistols in .38 Super. They're limited to using FMJ, so it's not going to perform any better than the 9mm we use today. They should have stuck with the good ol .45 ACP, in my opinion.

The Heretic

· #14 · Apr 22, 2010

Jida said:
Technically, it is a small rifle round and not a pistol round even though it works in pistols to an extent.

That's why I said 'pistol class' - in short, while it was not originally a pistol round, it falls into that class with regards to power/ballistics/etc.

I still stand by my original post - I would rather have an AR carbine than an M1 carbine. If I was willing to carry a little more weight (and I am) then I would go with an AK, and that is what I personally chose (an AK bullpup).

With either the AR or the AK you get a lot more lethality and range. With the AR carbine you only carry about 1 more pound of weight in the rifle, but the ammo is actually lighter (IIRC).

Jida

Discussion Starter · #15 · Apr 22, 2010

Agreed.

It is better than a .357 out of a rifle but it is in the same 'class' as those. My only nit on that is .22lr is a rifle round and its performance is below 9mm.

Scemantics though.

It is hard to beat modern .223 ARs though when it comes to lightweight protection.

Masss

· #16 · Apr 23, 2010

dcliffhanger said:
I often have wondered what would have happened if our military had adopted the .38 Super as pistol round, then chambered the carbine for .38 Super.

i think that all the time about 10mm auto. thatd be a bad ass round out of an mp5 or ump...

davis

· #17 · Apr 23, 2010

why cant tapco make a ts stock for 'em!!!??

Magman77

· #18 · Apr 24, 2010

Mini-14= Very reliable, very durable, better cartridge, better materials, same action and perhaps less $$.

I really like the M-1 carbine too, but every time I seriously considered them I ended up with a Mini. IMO my 580 and 581 mini's are way better than the old mini's and the carbines too. At least for me they seem to have solved the dilemma of getting an M1 carbine or not. Stainless, synthetic and .556 wins every time.

Herd Sniper

· #19 · Apr 24, 2010

If it is properly used, the M-1 carbine is a good personal defense weapon. It is not a rifle. It is not super accurate but, during the Korean War, it was used as a nighttime sniper system with an infa-red scope mounted on it. So the tactics of how and when to use the M-1 carbine are as important as the ammo itself. It is like any other firearm: it has its limitations. I've always like shooting them and have often suggested them as a possibility for certain shooters to consider for their defensive needs. It is not the perfect weapon for everybody but it is a good option for many scenarios and many people's needs.

Reactions: 1

MikeK

· #20 · Apr 25, 2010

Herd Sniper said:
If it is properly used, the M-1 carbine is a good personal defense weapon. It is not a rifle. It is not super accurate but, during the Korean War, it was used as a nighttime sniper system with an infa-red scope mounted on it. So the tactics of how and when to use the M-1 carbine are as important as the ammo itself. It is like any other firearm: it has its limitations. I've always like shooting them and have often suggested them as a possibility for certain shooters to consider for their defensive needs. It is not the perfect weapon for everybody but it is a good option for many scenarios and many people's needs.

They're especially great for inexperienced shooters, recoil sensitive ones, or smaller framed shooters. I consider mine as handouts if the need arrises. I don't think there's ever been a better pointing gun either.

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