M1 Carbiners' speak up

Fenix.NZ

Fenix.NZ

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ive been seriously considering picking up an M1 carbine
.. curious how they actually perform? never fired one or seen one being shot in the flesh..

so if anyone has experience with them, pipe up.. and post some pics of targets and rifles ( any excuse :D )
 
There is a myth that won't die about Carbine bullets failing to penetrate the quilted jackets that the Chicoms wore in Korea.:eek:

They are not a target or a hunting rifle, but are a lot of fun to make the dirt clods/tin cans fly at close range. When properly set up they are both reliable and acceptably accurate.
 
I inherited an old WW2 IBM version and it functions fine. It's a fun little rifle. I don't shoot it much due to the heritage (and cost of .30 carbine is somewhat high here). It's light, easy to manuever...probably great for close range stuff (IMO).
 
Ive got a few

at least 1 of each manufacture and most subcontractor codes my fave being

UN-QUALITY

great little guns

just reload for them and ammo is not too bad that way
 
M1 Carbines are fun, light, and interesting. Complaints about the little M1 being anemic or underpowered tend to stem from soldiers using the carbine at distances it wasn't intended for (100-200 yards).

The Carbine was designed to increase the firepower of personnel who had primary tasks other than laying down fire or clearing out enemies. Radiomen, gun crews, drivers, cooks, line officers, etc.

I've heard it described as 'the first assault rifle' by some, but that's a load of crap. However, with its proprietary cartridge, light weight, and intended use I'd say it's more along the lines of the first PDW.

To put it bluntly? Don't buy one. Buy two.
 
Fun to shoot, with suprisingly loud report:eek: when not wearing ear defenders, not at all matching the recoil, you would think it should kick harder than this. Kinda like an M-4, but not quite that sharp.

I found dismal accuracy @ 100yds with both, a National Postal Meter arsenal fitted for Bavarian Police duty and a late commercial(yuck yuck) Universal. Feels sweet in the hand though, with fast follow up shots easy at 50 yards and less thus its strength in numbers, and not individual round punch.

If you are a Garand ,M-14 guy you will like the feel and shouldering of little brother.:)
 
The 30 Carbine round falls between 357 and 44 mag for energy, so close quarters deer is do-able. As far as shooting it goes, it's something you have to do before you truly 'get' how good it is. Amazingly fast handling and tiny for it's power, modern designers might take a note or two from it's design - if they did a rifle the size of the mini 14 would be chambered for 308.
 
Because of all the different manufacturers, it can sure make for a collecting challenge.....and you have to know what you are doing in order to differentiate between original and put together. (Books are important)

If it is just for shooting...I can't comment...I understand they are fun guns to shoot.
(That was really what you were asking about.)

When you hold one it feels like a toy because it is so light compared to the
M1 rifle.
But I guess it sure had its place.
I have three of them and I am definately not an expert.

David

M1A1Inlandcarbineinoriginalconfiguration.jpg


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The M1 carbine and the M1 rifle...the bear and the pussycat.

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Inspectors cartouche: SA over EMcF with crossed cannons escutcheon. “EMcF” is for Col. Earl McFarland” Commanding Officer of Springfield Armoury circa June1942 to July 1943.


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One of my favourite rifles. It's like a big 10/22 with more kick and noise.
One of the CGNers on here said he(or his father?) used it as a tree stand deer rifle since no long shots would be needed.
 
purple said:
There is a myth that won't die about Carbine bullets failing to penetrate the quilted jackets that the Chicoms wore in Korea.:eek:
Click to expand...


Yes that is the common myth about them but the fact is, is that the carbine was introduced to replace the pistol, which was too hard to train soldiers to shot accurately with and also lacked the range. The best comeback I heard to that saying was it was better to have at least hit them with a carbine than to have missed them all together with a pistol.

I got a few as well and find them a hoot to shoot. Don't know about the rest of you carbine owners but it seems like the mags are getting harder and harder to find.
 
I have a nonrestricted Inland Div M1 Carbine. Its underpowered as a go to hunting rifle but I have taken 3 deer and a bear with mine. It is accurate enough to hunt with. Short and light. Hard to find a non-restricted nowadays and they go for quite the price tag now. My father originally bought it back in 92 for $350. Mags are hard to find and not all of them work properly. With two of my 5/15 mags, it seems to jam and misfeed a lot. I like the rifle alot but its much cheaper to shoot the sks and mini 14. I remember shooting it in November,when its cold and snowy, it did jam quite a bit but I blame the mags more than anything. She just sits in the safe now:(
 
As a added note to all thats being said about hunting with the Carbine. I bought the Universal non restricted in 1983 mainly as a hunting rifle for my small stature Wife to take for a walk while hunting with me.. It was great to carry and I beat the brush with it more than once to move deer to sitting partners. I never shot a deer with it, but the co-worker who bought it from me said his father dropped a 9 point whitetail field dressing IIRC 185lb with one neck shot @ around 45 yards. I'm sure the effectiveness of it on Deer would give us modern day users a little indication on how effective it was in it's intended role over 70 years ago.


There must be many here who have taken deer with it and could possibly share their experience with its effectivenss or "lack of" on Big-game.
 
Two of the deer taken by me were armpit shots while one was headshot. The bear was not very big but still took 4 shots to the vitals before dropping for good. I blame the bullets because of lack of penetration. I remember it was federal classic 110gr SP. I liked to carry it because i was able to shoot deer and grouse with one gun. Surprisingly the grouse were always intact. I am small statured and really liked that it is very light and handy. I wish there was more around, i'd buy another!
 
I have 2 of them and really like them both. One is an original rstricted 1944 Underwood that I only occasionally target shoot with and a Universal unrestricted one with a scope that I use for close range shooting on deer or coyotes in the bush. They both shoot fairly accurately. My scoped Universal is much better of course, due to the scope. I have no problems putting everything into a 1.5 inch circle at 75 yards and I have seen better shooters stay within an inch group with it. The bore diameter is a fair bit tighter on my Universal than my original GI carbine too. Not sure if this helps as much as just having a good scope on the firearm. I have also never failed to drop deer properly with it. Providing you put the bullet into a vital spot and stay within a respectable range, you'll have no issues. One of my best friends has hunted deer for many years with a Universal and has never lost an animal. I bought 8 boxes of factory Winchester hollow points from a guy a few years back and that is what I use only for hunting. They seem to expand reliably too, as I have recovered at least one slug. I actually have one somewhere and will snap a photo of it if I can find it. For target shooting I reload my own. They are an absolute blast to shoot for fun and are one of my favorite rifles to play with. I prefer my SKS and CZ858 only due to the cheap ammo.
 
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