I guess it depends. What year are the Underwoods?

My son has a Kahr/AO M1, it is sadly, a jam o matic owing to bad magazines... A well known problem with the M1, even back in the day.

 

Which mags are it jamming on, 15 rd or 30 rd?

 

I would not touch a new production M1 Carbine. The whole appeal of the M1 carbine is the history behind it. Also I would just watch gunbroker. You can still get an Inland M1 Carbine for under 1k.

 

I would not touch a new production M1 Carbine. The whole appeal of the M1 carbine is the history behind it. Also I would just watch gunbroker. You can still get an Inland M1 Carbine for under 1k.

For me the appeal is:
A functioning carbine with soft point ammo is an excellent weapon. About the same wt and size as common pistol caliber carbines, but with better penetration and range than most. It is a very nice balance of sufficient power, recoil, and volume & wt of the ammunition.

 

I'm not in the carbine market at the moment, more like just looking. I'm checking my Savage 99 block at the moment. A friend of mine got a Smith and Wesson Sport2 AR, and it is still too big for her.

The carbine would be a perfect fit, but like many of us, she be broke.

As an aside, why not the new carbines? Is it a magazine issue, or just being a purist?

 

I've also been watching those,I want one but realistically around 750.00 be most I'd give for one,they are cool and a blast to shoot,I'm sure once new toy thing wore off I wouldnt shoot it much,the AR's,SKS,and semi auto pistols just dont get shot much around here,I'm sure within few months a M1 would be hanging out at back of safe with rest of semi autos,while the revolvers, lever,and bolt guns take front stage,the .327,and 32-20 levers are in same catagory power wise and I just dont get tired of shooting a lever action.

Kinda like Disgruntled I'm working on getting something else,the 73 Winchester,and 73 Colt both have my full attention right now.

If someone buys one keep us informed I've been known to change my mind about next purchase will be.

 

With the GI guns, be prepared to do some work on them, even at $1800.

Ive picked up 5 of them over the past 4 o5 5 years, and every one of them needed the bolts rebuilt (extractors, ejectors, springs), and I replaced the recoil springs on all of them. All of the rear sights needed reset and restaked. Youre probably are going to need to rezero the front sights to the rear, if you want the rear sight settings to work. I had to do it to 3 of my guns. One was already shooting a tad high, so it was a moot point. One was OK.

The GI mags are a big problem for reliability, and way over priced too. The current Korean mags for them, both 15 and 30 rounders, are good mags, and will improve the reliability of the guns a lot.

The prices on the GI guns have been going up pretty quick, and what Midway is asking, really isn't out of line form what Ive seen locally. Gun Broker is a lot worse.

 

I was a fool and sold my dad's 99 after a parent divorce issue. Now years later I regret that decision.

The Savage is taking priority right now. I DO want a carbine, but being former 82nd, I want a Paratrooper version.

On that note, does anyone know if the buttstock magazine pouch will fit the folding stock?

 

The para versions look cool, but those stocks REALLY suck to shoot with. One of mine came with one of the repro stocks mounted, and the original full stock. I shot it a couple of times with the folder on there and said screw that. Its really a poor design with a crappy grip. Youre much better off with the standard stock, as you are with most things.

 

It DOES look like if you have big hands you will get squeezed in between the top and bottom metal of the stock.

And I have to confess: I do like the look of the full stock more, it was more a Airborne heritage thing.

I guess I can always check that block when I get my SBR M1 AO Thompson semi.

 

While we are talking about carbines, what do people think about the Universal carbines?

 

I don't have one, but over the years, most of what Ive heard about them seems to be hit or miss, and which era/version you have.

I almost bought one earlier this year, but decided against it. Im OK with changing out most parts and usually do pretty good figuring things out, but Im not a gunsmith, nor do I have the tools to do anything much past swapping things out. I think the early Universals used a lot of GI parts, but that changed with the later versions and they even modified the gun to the point they needed proprietary parts.

The GI guns are pretty easy to work on and parts seem to be readily available. You do need a couple of basic tools, but they are available and not terribly expensive.

 

Hers didn't jam.

 

Hers didn't jam.

LOL She reminds of my G'daughter, but she's 23 now.

 

While issued to airborne it was not a main battle rifle, it was meant for support troops. In this case mostly officers or guys whose main job was shooting bazookas or mortars.

 

Here is the link: M1 Carbines for Sale | M1 Rifle for Sale | MidwayUSA

 

I was tempted by this. For 2 grand though, the IAI that I haven’t shot in years will be good enough.
I’ve always loved the design though. A good bit of my childhood was spent roaming through the woods with an old Iver Johnson carbine.

 

Why the high price. I paid $15 for one in the 1960s

 

Supply, demand, and it's been over 60 years since then

I bought a nice Underwood M1 carbine. Had it re-parkerized and it's still slinging lead. I need to get it back from my son though

ROCK6

 

I wonder why/how they did not go to CMP. That is the correct routing for return of foreign military transfer arms.

 

These would likely not have been Lend-Lease. Doing some checking but circumstances sound similar to Blue Sky back in the day. Even more surprised the carbines made it back into the US considering the current administration's stance.

 

I was at the Orange County Gun Show yesterday, I visited a booth which had 3 GI M-1 carbines ranging from $1600-2000. I should have looked at the individual manufacturers but I was looking for other stuff.

 

Unless you are a purist those guns are mostly a novelty now..Early 70's my buds and I ea had one,durn things were Teflon coated of all things..jammed a lot,sights were for squat,ammo[then] was hard to come by..by the time the 181 series of Mini-14's came around in the late 70's the carbine phase was a thing of the past..just too many quality offerings out there now;AR platforms and others like the Mini..Ill pass this time around..

 

I had a universal, could not get rid of it fast enough.
Could not hit a pie plate at100 feet.

 

There is ONE on gunbroker for sale, but seeing the price is only $650 and other carbines are WELL over a thousand makes me think someone is getting rid of a lemon.

I don't know how to differentiate the first generation of Universal carbines, which seem to be the good ones.

 

This may help.

Universal Firearms

Commercial M1 Carbines

www.m1carbinesinc.com

That site has a lot of good info on the Carbines in general. Well worth the look if you're thinking about getting one.

 

I have 1943 US carbine made by National Postal Meter and it has never had feeding issues. We took it the desert and my son was consistently hitting a target at 100 yards.

 

The first step to tell 1st generation Universals is to look at the bolt. If it has some sort of cutout, beware.

A+++ to the site mentioned by AK103K. BTW, 1st Generation Universals are/were GTG.

 

In Canada, on May 01, 2020 the government banned the use of 1,500 models and variants of firearms including all AR's not in police or military service. For those of us who like to shoot 3 gun matches we are left with few options to choose from. I bought a 1945 Inland, fitted it with a Burris Fast Fire 3, 2 MOA Red Dot. I developed loads with both FMJ and 100 grain cast lead bullets that give me flawless functioning and about a 2 1/2" group at 100 yds. I bought about 15 KCI (Korean) magazines ( 3 still in the mail) and they function flawlessly. My local indoor range rents out a M1 Carbine so I've been lucky to get over 1,000 free cartridge cases. (double post, due to fat fingers on the keyboard).

 

Carbines were all sold out in 3 hours.

 

The best quality singer m1 carbines were “sold out” As fast as my computer could reload the page which was impossible because check out takes at least a minute on a good day. I believe they sold the best quality carbines internally before the official sale started. Most of the upper end guns were sold out of n 15-20 minutes. I got a fine to v. fine singer. Should be at my ffl on Saturday. Now to find ammo and mags.

 

Some old timer painters helper was working on my house a few years ago and told me he had an old M1 carbine from the Korean War that his father left him. He took pictures at home of it and sent it to me..... He had a full auto version and not being a gun person at all he had no idea what he had. I finally convinced him To sell it to me for 1000 dollars and a week later his phone number didn’t work anymore and he just stopped showing up to work...... He seemed like he probably had a drug problem.

I’m still sick inside that I never got it from him..... He prob traded it for a bottle of Jack Daniels and an 8 ball.