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M1 Carbines

Coffe Freak
How can you determine if the gun is original or a factory rework?
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9 comments

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  • Coffe Freak
    I'm looking to get an M1 and during my looking around I've run across several different manufactures (Inland, Winchester, Universal, Saginaw, National Postal Meter, and Underwood mostly) and some seem to sell for much higher prices than others. I was wondering if there was any particular reason for this like are some of them made better than others or is it more of a brand recognition thing since Winchesters seem to be the most expensive all the time?

    Thanks
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  • nmyers
    If you are looking to buy a representative USGI carbine, you can still get one from the US Govt; go to www.odcmp.com . It will be a rebuilt mixed parts rifle, but it will be the real thing at a reasonable cost.

    If you really want to research the subject, you can buy an inexpensive book that is a great starter: US M1 Carbines Wartime Production by Craig Riesch. There were 11 prime contractors who made USGI carbines. You are right, some were made in small quantities, like the Irwin Petersen. A lot of Winchesters were made, but every "Winchester" collector must have one. How much of a carbine is "original" has a great effect on the value.

    Avoid commercial copies, such as the Universal. Once you get your first one, a lot of what you read will start to have meaning.

    Neal

    EDIT: Parts are no longer easy to find --- or cheap. Be sure you know how to evaluate a barrel & measure muzzle wear; a new one will cost $300-500.
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  • perry shooter
    Hello Coffe Freak before the war many firms made other products but during the war they were contracted to build firearms TH M1 Carbine was one such item for the most part the companies that made the smallest numbers will bring the highest prices The exception to this is Winchester because so many Winchester collectors will buy any thing with Winchester on it. The parts should all interchange so you could take a barreled receiver from one company a bolt from another and a stock from the third and trigger group from the forth and they shouls all work together . The quality should all be close to the same as all were government inspected.
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  • countryfarmer
    It's all in the name....Winchester will command higher prices just because of that as will Rock-ola and National Postal Meter. Inland made a lot and are pretty common.

    Universal is NOT GI and parts will not mix with GI models. They were made in the 60-70s I think and are generally not held in high regard. Skip them

    +1 on what Perry Shooter and nmyers said above me.
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  • Coffe Freak
    Alright thanks ya'll. So ya'll would say that Inlands are good cause that's one of the most common ones I'm finding?
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  • Mark G
    I bought my Inland in 1991 from a local gunshop. It looked great but would double (fire two shots with a single trigger pull) and jam up. I bought a M1 spare parts kit for around $25.00 and replaced all the springs, trigger, sear, etc... and now it shoots like new. I guess my point is if you have a USGI M1 that you want for a shooter, go ahead and get one that you like and can afford. There are tons of replacement parts and qualified gunsmiths to work on them and they are fun to shoot.

    And for all those who are going to post that I just admitted to having an automatic weapon, the old sear was destroyed as soon as the new one was installed.
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  • Chic
    There are some good internet sites about Universal. From what I've read, serial numbers into the 20,000s were just surplus GI parts. Up to the 90,000s, they had to make more and more parts of their own, but it was GI style. After that, they redesigned it, and those had a poor reputation. Therefore, if you just want the look, not an original, a Universal under 90,000 should be good, may be in better condition, and probably will be less expensive.
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  • tsr1965
    Like has been mentioned before...when it comes to firearms, the two most collected brands are Winchester and Colt. Colt did not make an M1 Carbne, but they did make a 1911. That is the epitome of the WWII collector...a Winchester M1 Garand, a M1 Carbine, and an all Colt 1911A1.

    Best
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  • gary wray
    Coffee Freak...as you have been told, there were many vendors of M1 Carbines during WWII and Inland was the most common so that is why you are finding more of them. I have several Inlands and they are fine shooters but almost all have at one time or another been through an arsenal rebuild so you should check the one you are interested in very carefully. M1 Carbines are a cottage industry and they have lots of followers (including me!) as they are fine little weapons, much more powerful than any pistol one might find and they are a hoot to shoot. IMHO I would stick to the usual vendors that you mention as you really can't go wrong with any of them. One interesting M1 Carbine I found years ago at my local gunshop was a complete Korean copy (Blue Sky) that is, surprisingly, a great little shooter also! It had been imported in the US in the 1980's and has very little wear. Good shooting!
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