I want a .30 carbine

[2ndthyme]

it doesn't have to be in perfect condition,,, some wear is ok. How much do you think I should expect to pay? I would really ideally like to get a hold of an Underwood and even better if it had a Singer receiver... What do you think my chances are? It's the only rifle I have interest in, my childhood favorite.

[Truckman]

One of my all time favorite long guns (although it barely qualifies as long)...I'm PM'ing you the name and contact info of the person who probably knows as much as anyone on the planet about M-1 carbines since David Williams died...I know her personally and have done business with her...

My only advice on buying one is stay away from the civilian copies such as Universal......Ben

[Mike]

I'd love to have one, but too pricey for me.

Wish I'd bought one 40 years ago when they were cheap.

[2ndthyme]

One of my all time favorite long guns (although it barely qualifies as long)...I'm PM'ing you the name and contact info of the person who probably knows as much as anyone on the planet about M-1 carbines since David Williams died...I know her personally and have done business with her...

My only advice on buying one is stay away from the civilian copies such as Universal......Ben

good to know

[2ndthyme]

I'd love to have one, but too pricey for me.

Wish I'd bought one 40 years ago when they were cheap.

so what do you see them for, 1000 + ?

[Truckman]

so what do you see them for, 1000 + ?

http://www.gunbroker.com/All/BI.aspx?Keywords=m1+carbine

[2ndthyme]

dang it Ben, I was on there earlier and fell in love with this one http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=529260150

[Truckman]

dang it Ben, I was on there earlier and fell in love with this one http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=529260150

The barrel is the right color...The stock appears to have been refinished to a non-military grade...Being an import, the value as a collector's gun is devalued considerably, mostly by the import marks...Blue Sky in particular used large import stamps (very noticeable) on the underside of the barrel...Be careful on the receivers as some were hardened correctly (good) and some weren't (not as good)...Many will be marked as re-hardened...

For those unaware, after the war M-1 carbines were made available to friendly foreign governments...S. Korea, S. Vietnam and some South American countries in particular liked them because the short stock and light weight suited their short-statured soldiers...When they upgraded to more modern rifles, the M-1's were made available to the US civilian market through import companies such as Blue Sky in Arlington Virginia...Here is a good source of solid info...

Over five million were produced during WWII, the greatest number by Inland, a division of General Motors...Another GM division, Saginaw, also made them...After the war Saginaw went back to manufacturing steering components...I've rebuilt many a Saginaw power steering gear...If you run across an Irwin Pedersen M-1, grab it as only 50, 000 were made and very few are known to exist today...Rockola is another rare one, they interrupted their jukebox industry to serve the war effort...

The carbines were originally meant for tank crewmen, truck drivers and combat engineers...They were also issued with folding stocks to paratroopers who ditched them as soon as possible after putting their boots on the ground in favor of any M-1 Garand they could find...A lot of officers wound up carrying them when it was found some of them couldn't qualify with a .45 pistol...A blind man can qualify with an M-1 carbine......Ben