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M1 Carbine buying question

2K views 14 replies 7 participants last post by  nmckenzie 
#1 ·
Should I get a universal or save up extra money for an inland/Underwood/IBM/etc.? Right now I am saving up for a type 53 which I found one for 99 bucks and so I'll have to save up for almost a year to get an inland for about 900 bucks or I've seen universals for as low as 500 bucks. Which should I get? Are there any pros and cons?
 
#2 ·
There are three types of M1 Carbines.

You got you real-deal USGI guns. These cost the most, but bring the most if you need to resell it.

You got your "made after the war" parts guns. Company would make a receiver, then build the gun using GI parts kits. Everything was "real-deal GI" except the receiver. These are cheaper than GI. Plainfield and Iver Johnson are the two best-known of this type.

Then you have your "it looks like an M1, but none of the parts interchange".

My understanding is that when Universal first started, they were an "our receiver and GI parts" gun, but later went to an "all our parts" gun. Because it has the rep of "the parts won't swap", Universals are the LEAST desired of the M1s.

And now there is the Kahr Carbine, but I'd stay away from that one. Both because I don't trust the QA, and I REALLY REALLY REALLY hate their "customer service".

I had a Universal, for about a year. Traded it off because it just "wasn't right". It was like having a Stoger Luger 22. LOOKS like a Luger, but it ain't really a Luger. Now I have an Inland. I don't know if it's really a BETTER gun, but I like it more, and if I have to resell it, I can get more money for it.

If you want a USGI, an Inland is going to be the cheapest, because they made more of 'em. Are they really going for 900 now? Damn.

And the thought of a Universal being "as low" as 500 is scarey. I bought mine for 99 and traded it for a 125-dollar shotgun.
 
#3 ·
There are three types of M1 Carbines.

You got you real-deal USGI guns. These cost the most, but bring the most if you need to resell it.

You got your "made after the war" parts guns. Company would make a receiver, then build the gun using GI parts kits. Everything was "real-deal GI" except the receiver. These are cheaper than GI. Plainfield and Iver Johnson are the two best-known of this type.

Then you have your "it looks like an M1, but none of the parts interchange".

My understanding is that when Universal first started, they were an "our receiver and GI parts" gun, but later went to an "all our parts" gun. Because it has the rep of "the parts won't swap", Universals are the LEAST desired of the M1s.

And now there is the Kahr Carbine, but I'd stay away from that one. Both because I don't trust the QA, and I REALLY REALLY REALLY hate their "customer service".

I had a Universal, for about a year. Traded it off because it just "wasn't right". It was like having a Stoger Luger 22. LOOKS like a Luger, but it ain't really a Luger. Now I have an Inland. I don't know if it's really a BETTER gun, but I like it more, and if I have to resell it, I can get more money for it.

If you want a USGI, an Inland is going to be the cheapest, because they made more of 'em. Are they really going for 900 now? Damn.

And the thought of a Universal being "as low" as 500 is scarey. I bought mine for 99 and traded it for a 125-dollar shotgun.
You guys know how to get good deals, dammit!
 
#4 · (Edited)
Well, I bought that Universal in '88 and traded it off in '96.

You gotta take time-frames into consideration.


Huh. Hadn't realized I had it that long, but I bought it for my 14-year-old daughter to deer hunt with, and the boy I swapped it to I didn't meet until '95, so I musta kept it 8 years. How 'bout dat.
 
#5 ·
I'll have to save up for almost a year to get an inland for about 900 bucks or I've seen universals for as low as 500 bucks. Which should I get? Are there any pros and cons?
Universals in general, and their last series in particular, are the clunkers of the M1 Carbine world. I was going to say Edsel, but at least Edsels are collectible these days. Universal continually tweaked the design to reduce production costs, to the point that virtually none of the parts were interchangeable with USGIs, or even between early and late series Universals. Save your money and buy a USGI when the opportunity presents itself - and it will if you're patient.
 
#6 ·
I have a "stigma" against the M-1 Carbine.

All the miserable little lazy ARNVs carried them because it, like they, were little runts.

grumble... grumble... spit
 
#7 ·
I'd definately stay away from Universal Carbines. I've owned 5 M1 Carbines over the years, and 3 were G.I. one was a National Ordinance and the other was a Universal. The G.I.'s were very good, and so was the National Ordinance, but the Universal was Junk. Didn't look or shoot right, and the parts were crap. Some of the later ones won't even accept a GI mag - and I'm stuck with 2 of those useless mags.

Still have a Winchester and a Quality Hardware. My evaluation of the carbines is mostly from the late 60s and early 70s when ammo was cheap, and I ran many thousands of rounds thru them all (except the Universal that crapped out after 500 rounds or so). The Universal ended up with a broken receiver.

Al - the ARVINs gave up their carbines when I got there. After that, they only fired M16A1s, and mostly at us. That was mostly at night when we overflew the ARVIN compound (I was a doorgunner) and we couldn't shoot back.
 
#8 ·
We had to take the little dinks out on daytime S&D with us.

They were barefooted and would smoke, joke, skip rope and pick veggies for their evening meal, Grrrrrrrr.

We thankfully never had to take them out on ambush with us. :mad:
 
#11 ·
save up and buy a real one. The price isn't really that much more.
Sorry to upset the mods by linking another forum, but if you go to
http://forums.thecmp.org you can get all the info you need (and buy) Carbines, Garands, 1903a3 and Enfields.
Really sorry to say CMP's run dry on Carbines, except perhaps for some auction items. As to a rundown on various manufacturers - both USGI and commercial, and in particular the quality of various commercial Carbines, go to www.bavarianm1carbines.com/manufacturers.html. Once there, just tap on the box "The U.S. Caliber .30 Carbine".
 
#12 ·
Follow the advice you're getting and save for a real one. My first was a Universal and I didn't realize what I was buying. I thought I was getting a "real" WWII carbine for $400. I've learned a little since then and have gotten an Inland and an IBM. I would get rid of the Universal if the country were in a different state.
 
#13 ·
Really sorry to say CMP's run dry on Carbines, except perhaps for some auction items. As to a rundown on various manufacturers - both USGI and commercial, and in particular the quality of various commercial Carbines, go to www.bavarianm1carbines.com/manufacturers.html. Once there, just tap on the box "The U.S. Caliber .30 Carbine".
You cannot buy them from the CMP anymore, but the folks on the CMP sellers forums are top rate and you can find a good gun at a fair price.

I'm very familiar with what the CMP sells :)
 
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