Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire M1 Carbines at Midway

Joking. Already have a picture of one.

In 1968 in a Walmart in Little Rock, Arkansas they were $99.99. Back when Walmart only carried USA made products.

If you want one pay the man

I don't know why we beat the crap out of each other over gun prices. If a fellow wants one of these carbines, or anything else, and spends his money on it, so what. It's like saying you want a new truck, and a bunch of clowns start pontificating "I bought my truck back when you could get a great truck cheap. I didn't pay but $2600 for my 1973 Chevy Step Side, and it's got a v8 and 4x4"
That observation aside, I have three carbines, and a truck load of ammo, both ball and SP. My Quality Hardware carbine with a red dot makes a great travel rifle. I didn't pay anything for it, as it was a gift from my brother in law.

2 & 1/4" groups at 100 yards with a Mini-14 out of the box? Wow! One in a million gun right there. Every one that I've seen my friends shoot did shotgun patterns at 100 yds. 4" at 50 yards. Inaccurate but reliable.

Great price.


(And travel gun).

yes

i think it was a way for the army to get rid of them, declaring them obsolete or worn out.
few years ago i came across a postal meter, completely postal as to parts, copy of the cashiers check to buy it,
shipping order to buyer, and about 500rounds of lake city ammo. the gun was basically brand new.

Should have bought a 1972 - better value.

That's what old farts do, Sam.

The different manufacturers rifles were priced based on their desirability to collectors in descending order. From Rock-Ola and Irwin-Pedersen down to inlands and Winchesters. The National Postal Meter, IBM, and Saginaws and such fell in between. The cheapest price for any of them total was about $1140 for a somewhat rough shooter to change under 2 grand for a "Fine" graded anything. All the fine graded went in a couple of hours (after Midway's computer glitched hard) but then again, there probably isn't ONE of them they're selling that you couldn't buy and turn around and put it on Gunbroker or International marked up 2 or 3 hundred bucks and sell them quick.
Hell, a USGI carbine barreled receiver in decent shape will run you almost a grand now.

John

there were carbines as well as garands lendleased to various foreign governments those when they come back are in the hands of the cmp.
then there are those that are outright purchased by foreign governments. those have been purchased for resale by big importers.
in the last 20 years guns have come in from germany, italy, the phillipines, south america and others.
I personally tore apart about 100 carbines that came back from israel with star of david stickers inside them.
there were estimates of about 187000 garands, carbines and 1911's in the deal with south korea. it after a long term was finally approved by everybody, then the deal was squashed by hillary when secretary of state.

Yes, through the DCM, Director of Civilian Marksmanship, IIRC. 1903's were $20 and maybe $30 for the select models and 1911's were $17. Garands were much higher, maybe $84 but I believe those had ben accurized for competition. Those numbers are as I remember them from about 1960.

So I'm one of the suckers. Mine came in yesterday. $1349 for a Winchester s/n 1163xxx which makes it mid-43 production. My gunsmith who knows helluva lot more than me took it apart and cleaned all the cosmoline out. Says receiver, barrel, stock etc all are original. Trigger guard appears to have been replaced as it's the late-war stamped version. Also has the later version rear sight, not the flip up L sight. Wood is nice...worn but no stamps or markings on it other than "95" stamped on the base of the piston grip. Like a lot of you guys I had 2 that I bought 10-15 years ago. One now lives with my Dad, it's a nice Inland that I paid 1/2 of what I paid for this, and the other was another decent Inland that I sold to fund some project I can't recall. Sure I paid more than I wish I had to, but in 15 years I get to mock all the new generation of suckers that will be paying 2x-3x these prices for a piece of history.

I hope Larry made a nice return on the time and money he committed to bringing these back from Italy.

Same here. Mine cost $19.95. You didn't get a choice but mine was a Winchester, looked to be unfired.

Hard to believe that there were more M1 carbines issued in WWII than any other type of small arm.

Mine was $19.75

The ballistics are pretty anemic. Were they worth a hoot in battle?




P

I'll pass and leave them for the collectors.

Better in hand than a 1911 or so it goes.

Issued to beaucoup alt.s and Capt in combat