Ain't they pretty. I've been wanting an M1 Carbine for a long, long time. But most of the originals have been rode hard and put up wet a half dozen times over and they still want a handful of hundred dollar bills for them.

Fulton Armory makes some virtually new examples built to original specs. But they want your first born child for them.

It's going to dent the heck out of my meager savings account if I do. But I might have to drop the hammer on one of these in the not too distant future.

I just don’t see the attraction. To each his own I guess.

Cool little guns. I have one made by Underwood in 1943. My father got it through the DCM for $19.95 back in the 1960's.

I believe the nostalgia of .30 carbine takes a person back to a time and place where our men were fighting for our freedom and freedom of future generations. Same goes for the Garand

Walnut and forged machined steel, slick gas operated short piston action, weighs 4.5 lbs and fires a 110 grain .30 caliber bullet at 2100 fps. Light recoil, unique sounding "bark".

What's not to like?

Germany came out with the STG 44. America said, "that looks like fun" and put a disconnector into the M1 Carbine. Looks like a handful to hold down.

Contrary to popular legend the M1 Carbine and cartridge makes an effective combo.

Would love to have one.
Just not enough to pay for one.

Missed my good chance.
A family friend died, he instructed his wife to offer me his 03A3, carbine, and the
M1 he was issued in the USMC. Never heard how he got it, but that was the
reason I was held until after he died.
I couldn't rip her off, advised value and left.

Get a Fulton Garand instead.

i think 6 magic parts converts one to m2. use to find parts at o gun shows truth is about ten minutes with a file gis do them in wwii.
all most no recoil

You’re making me want to buy back my GI issue carbine that needs a stock replaced.

Bristoe.. I just checked the price of those Fulton rifles and goodness.. you can find yourself a decent authentic carbine for that price

Certainly one that hasn’t been abused anyway..

The authentic M1 Carbines can be had for about half of a Fulton Armory. But they're 80 years old and have been through a few wars and even more armorers. Most of the originals have seen so many repairs that they're constructed from a collection of parts.

From what I've read, the M1 Carbines originally were fairly dependable little rifles. But they've developed a reputation for sketchy reliability simply because most of them out there these days are about half wore out.

I wouldn't mind buying an original and restoring it to good working order. But some aspects of them are fairly finicky to work on and requires some special tools that are hard to find. (and costly when you do find them) Combine that with the fact that even a rode hard and put up wet original will set you back well north of a thousand dollars (and even then not knowing what it's going to need) and it gets tricky.

The Fulton Armory Carbines are constructed of machined, forged steel with high quality barrels,...and they're virtually new. The workmanship that goes into them is probably on par with the best manufacturers of the originals.

But they cost a chunk of change.

I located a decent looking original at a local gunship a few weeks ago for $1300. But who knows what an 80 year old war surplus gas operated rifle is going to need to make it a reliable shooter?

Still rather have a Rhodesian FAL.

My 30 Carbine story. I was born (late 1961) and raised in a small (then) town in NorCal with a large African American population. When MLK was killed, riots ensued and curfews came quick. I was sleeping over at my best friends whose Father was on the town police reserves. I recall him leaving the house with his Winchester made 30 Carbine. A vision, him with helmet on and gone. Maybe 10 or so years later I took that 30 Carbine into high school wood shop to refinish the stock. Once stripped I found a pretty nice piece of wood that ultimately refinished beautifully.

Was it a reliable shooter?

Buy an original, not some worn out pos

Boy...I bet.

I hear what you’re saying B, but for me the cool factor of having an original way supersedes a newer production unit.

I’ve got an inland and a NPM both purchased in the last couple years-ish . I shopped around and was patient in finding honest examples. They were both had for less than the Fultons. Neither one has given me a hint of trouble
wyoming wallpaper

The Steyr STG-58 is the one to get. I've assembled a few. The Rhodies are usually in very rough condition. Not as bad as the G1s,...but pretty rough. A lot of killing was done with the Rhodies.

Also..If I came across a decent looking original for 1300 I’d likely sprain my taint reaching for my wallet

It's difficult to find an original that's not at least a half worn out POS.

Evans Archery, Lexington Ky.

(859) 277-7770

Call and see if they still have it. It was there about a month ago.

Interesting

Thats why I want one. Nothing like being all alone in the world.

Here's a Blue Sky import that looks like it's going to go right.

Ya pays ya money and ya takes ya chances.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/973299549

Heck, buy a 1907 Winchester self loader in 351 SL or a 1910 in 401 SL, I have three 351’s and one 401, fun guns.

You get that good crack from Lexington?

I have always wanted one for some reason or another. Back when they could be had cheap and there was surplus ammo aplenty, it made more sense. From a practical standpoint, the don't anymore.

I kind of like mine

Got this one from a broke ranch hand a long time ago $ 200.00 handy little Jeep gun, if you don't have to shoot very far. Rio7

James River Armory is proud of their schitt too.







Until it gets cold, then they are troublesome.

I wish I still had my old Iver Johnson special edition (WWII Commemorative) M1 Carbine. That thing was tight. Well made gun. Should never have sold it, like so many others that I've allowed to go downstream over the decades.

I have 2 from the CMP that work perfectly. Nothing worn out about them.

Last year, I picked up a number of M1 Carbines at an estate settlement. I sold 6 commercial M1 Carbines, Plainfield and Iver Johnson, for $850 each. I sold a Winchester for $1800, and have a Standard Products for sale now. I have two very nice Inlands and a Quality Hardware of my own. As Digital Dan said, the .30 Carbine and good ammo are quite capable.
Most, if not virtually all, M1Carbines were arsenal rebuilt at one time. Some more than once. It's a myth that they are all worn out.

I can remember like my late teens early twenties seeing lots of these and pawn shops for like 80 bucks. If I had only known then what I know now !! how to bought all I could and put up for 30 -40 years .

Never heard of Blue Sky - who are they?

Glad I got mine when I did.

Great to see you back, Ron!

You could not too long ago, dont know what happened. I had been looking for years but never found one clean enough for my liking. I just happened to get first dibs at my lgs on a '44 winchester that showed up. Winchester barrel, trigger group, receiver, its got an underwood rebuild mark on stock. Appears to have been never used since. I paid a grand plus tax about 3 years ago. Could double my money now on it.

I bought two of the less desirable Blue Sky carbines thirty or so years ago when these were being imported back into the US. They were $175.00 each. Both worked fine and would shoot into groups of around three inches at 100 yards with my handloads. I never did fire commercial or GI ammo in either gun. These guns were fun to shoot and have a neat look about them, but the new wore off quickly for me, kind of like it did with ARs.

What is this "cold" you speak of?

I just have my dad's Universal with a weaver 2.5X scope. It's unfortunately not very reliable, however it is surprisingly accurate. I've killed some big hogs, lots of varmints and a deer at 115 yards with it. I've got a lot of respect for those little. 30 caliber soft points. I wish I had a more reliable rifle.

Blue Sky is a company that imported a ton of .30 Carbines from South Korea. My Quality Arms is a Blue Sky import and is in like new condition.

My dad had one in Korea. Dad was small statured and liked the M1 Carbine better than the Garand. If he had any issues with it I don't remember him complaining about it in any way. A friend that is in the know on U.S. military arms say the biggest issue with Carbine reliability is having good magazines. He also says stick with the 15 round magazines. There are some more modern loads that I think should be quite capable of self defense/home defense/ranch rifle kinda chores. I don't think the M1 Carbine is as capable as a good AR style rifle but I surely wouldn't feel unarmed with an M1 of known reliability.

Have seen a new production Chippawa (SP?) M1 style carbine chambered for 9MM Luger.

THAT is the one I want. WAY more affordable ammo. Not sure if they are still in production?

Virgil B.

Blue Sky was importer during the 1970's out of Arlington Va. their import roll mark on side of barrel, these were high condition M-1 Carbines. Military collectors frown on import mark carbines as they bring less money but as shooters when you find one in high condition buy it. I've owned 6 carbines sold by CMP during the mid 2000's, off all the manufactures the Underwood barrels were the best shooters. Underwood button rifled the barrels so sought after by competitors. When CMP sold these carbines average cost $500-$600 and now bring $2500 with CMP paperwork. I've seen Blue Sky imports in the mid teens.

Mine is a Saginaw Steering Gear in really excellent condition with CMP paperwork. I also have an unopened spam can of ammo I bought at the same time. I tnink the days of spending a day browsing rifles at the CMP store are past.

It might be that the piston is grunged up and not hitting as quick as it should. The pistons in an M1 Carbine aren't as easy to remove as an AK or an SKS. They're only about an inch long and held in position by a nut that's staked into place. You need the wrench to remove the nut, and typically the nut is replaced with a new one anytime it's removed.

With good mags, my old Iver Johnson M1 Carbine was 100% reliable.

Every .30 carbine I've shot below 30* F has failed to cycle consistently. I don't think it's the gun, but rather the cartridge, specifically the powders fueling it. H-110 is one of the common powders used in it.

Never saw the appeal of the M1 Carbine. If I did, I wouldn't be giving FA my money.

I have an Inland M1 mad by GM, Out of the 6.5 million M1's, Inland made the majority of them in their plant in Ohio.
Mine has the barrel stamped with the month and year I was born and only a few months before the War ended, so I doubt that mine saw any action in the Pacific.
Bought it from a collector and after a little research found it was most likely all original as all the numbers match and no sign of it being arsenal rebuilt. Paid ;$800 for it 10 year ago.
It goes well with my M1 Garrand, M14 and M16.

blue sky was an importer guns were in south korea.they were stamped so hard that stamp bent the barrel some