Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles m1 carbine value

Whats the best way to figure the value on a m1 carbine?
Its a universal with a side fold choate stock. It has a scope mount attached to dovetail where rear sight belongs

Is this a commercial or military rifle ? I was under the impression that Universal was commercial. That makes a huge difference.

kwg

commercial im sure

Throw it up for $1300 and see what surfaces.

A Universal is a commercial carbine. Some of the earlier ones had a mix of military and commercial parts, but most are 100% commercial and have different recoil springs, trigger assemblies, operating rods and other parts than Milspec ones do. They do not have a sterling reputation for reliability and will not command anywhere near the price of a true military carbine. I would say $450.00-$500.00 would be the ballpark. Maybe less.

i would say wildhobbybobby is correct as to real value. But what you can sell it for ..............
i would say you could get the 1300.00 that LD suggested.

In my area - GI carbine will bring $800-1400 with steady sales - local shop has been getting in a number of WWII rifles - very few are still sitting. The carbines have been out the door pretty quickly at $1200.

Quality, Underwood, Winchester - all sold recently - all GI mixed parts, GI issued stocks, and good parkerizing - solid CMP Service grade condition.

Universals - still sitting at $1000, with mags and ammo at the last gun show, most were put down immediately when IDed as a Universal.

YMMV

FWIW: These were the manufactures of Carbines during WWll. S/N 100 from Inland Div.,GMC to S/N 6,199, 689+ Rock-Ola

Inland Div., GMC
Winchester
Underwood
Rochester Defense
Quality Hardware
Rock Ola
Irwin Pedersen
National Postal Meter
Standard Products
Saginaw
IBM
Un-Quality

Information gathered from CADRE SUPPLY, Memphis, TN

don't think there were ever any marked Rochester Defense

Production Serial Numbers for U.S. Carbine, .30Cal., M1

Rochester Defense: 1,450,000-1,459,999

from CADRE SUPPLY

Don't think any were produced under that name.

A week after America's entry into WWII, National Postal Meter and the Todd Corporation partnered to start the Rochester Defense Corporation. It was this company that negotiated for the contract to produce M1 Carbines. Shortly after the approval of their 2nd contract, but before production started, Rochester Defense Corporation was dissolved and its assets merged into National Postal Meter.
At the time of their first contract, the company had no tools, no employees, and no location for building carbines.

Go try to buy one somewhere else for $450-500. I dare you.

It does make a difference. But they are in such demand, it's ridiculous.

I saw several CMP guns come through an LGS from the Midway offering. I would not have touched any of them for the money that was paid.

Universal carbines are kind of in a limbo of their own. Real GI carbines are “collectibles “ with value subject to all the dynamics that influence same. Universal carbines were made to exploit what has turned out to be a limited-interest market of those who want a carbine to shoot. I would guess the only real collector value would be if/when a particular carbine collector wanted a Universal to round out his collection with a commercial carbine. If someone wants strictly a shooter to play with the Auto Ordnance guns are available at a pretty reasonable price and the one I have is a lot better gun than the Universal I had some years ago.

I have a mint USGI Inland, all marks clean and never touched. He said it was worth 2200. I was pretty floored by the price. Mine is a release from the 1960s.
It has updates like safety, but never fielded.

pics of it