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M1 Carbine info needed.

GUNFUNCO
I'm no expert on M1 carbines. Any of you that are, could you advise.

I have the opportuntiy to purchase a non-import M1 carbine with an Underwood receiver and the barrel is marked Inland manuf general motors 7/48.

The stock is imprinted with the same serial number as the receiver.

Overall the gun is in pretty good average condition.

Price is about $800.

Good buy or not?


Also, does anyone know of a book that goes into detail on production numbers and other detailed info on these type guns? Something on the order of the Charles Clawson books for the 1911A1.
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Comments

9 comments

Date Votes
  • dcs shooters
    U.S. Carbines Wartime Production by Craig Riesch is the book I have.
    It has all the info. you are looking for. Also www.scott-duff.com has one called The M1 Carbine Owners Guide that should be very good.
    As far as the price, it is hard to give you one with out some very good, close up pictures.
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  • nmyers
    Without photos, we have to go by the clues you provide.

    Underwood made their own barrels, so the Inland barrel is a replacement.

    The US military did not stamp the serial number on the stock, so it is an import. If you have removed the action from the stock & are certain there is no import marking, it is likely a CMP Greek return, sold by CMP last year for > $600.

    $800 is a fair price IF the barrel is good.

    There's no equivalent of Clawson for carbines, but much of the information you want is in Craig Riesch's US M1 Carbines, Wartime Production, & Bruce Canfield's Complete Guide to the M1 Garand and M1 Carbine.

    Neal
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  • givette
    "The stock is imprinted with the same serial number as the receiver."

    Well, right off the bat, no US issued firearm had the receiver SerNo stamped on the stock..at least not until it was released to a foreign power, where they would have done it.

    It either left the US (supplied to a friendly foreign power), or it's an aftermarket rifle cobbled together by a civilian supplier during the post-war years. Your claim that it has no import stamp (either on the barrel, or on the left side of the receiver below the woodline), leads me to believe that it may have been an import, that has had a barrel swap sometime in the past. The SerNo on the stock is a dead giveaway of non-US custody. Best, Joe
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  • GUNFUNCO
    Thank you all.

    That was exactly the kind of info I was looking for.

    The guy at the store indicated it was from a collection of an older gentleman and thought he had possessed the gun for a long time. The gun was in nice condition but I was not sure if Underwood had made their own barrels. I had heard that not all manufacturers had made their own barrels.

    There seems to be quite a few nice carbines out there right now.

    I think I will pass on this one and try to purchase the book and educate myself a little more before making a purchase.
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  • RCrosby
    Can't lay my hands on it at the moment for the title, (possible that it's even one of those already mentioned) but NRA publications has an excellent magazine size glossy publication on the carbines including detailed info on all the various manufacturers involved, dates and numbers, etc.
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  • dcs shooters
    The NRA book is, U.S. Caliber .30 Carbine, if it is still in print.
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  • RCrosby
    I'd be glad to photocopy my NRA book and mail it on to you for the actual cost of the copies and postage.
    Let me know if you're interested.
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  • rawhide54
    CMP still has carbines if you qualify to buy from them. I just got an Inland for $495, service grade. Other manufacturers are higher but most are still under $600. The one I got would be considered "very good" condition and has an original walnut stock. You can check them out at odcmp.org.
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  • GUNFUNCO
    Thanks to all once again.

    +Thanks for the offer to copy the NRA book. I may take you up on that later but I am already working on getting the other 2 already mentioned.

    I already have a M1 carbine but was thinking if the one I was looking at was as it was originally issued, then $800 may not have been a bad buy. It was in very nice shape but now that I know it was a re-import, it doesn't seem so attractive. I know about CMP and think I still qualify (as retired LE) so maybe I should look into that a little further.

    Can you actually go down to Camp Perry (or other location) and look over the rifle you will be purchasing? Is Camp Perry where you can get one? I once stopped in on one of the last days of the nationals as I was passing thru the area while on vacation and took a look around so I know where it is.
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