I picked this Underwood up at cabelas last week for $360($260 after points). From what I could find, the serial number puts it at 1942/43. It is missing its rear sight and the front sight has been replaced.

Did I do okay on the price?

Should I try to replace the sights?

Is there any commercial ammo I should avoid?

Any idea on where I should source magazines?

Thank you in advance!

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Great deal IMHO

That was a smoking deal . There is ammo out there in brown boxes marked LC 53 in blue writing that is Chinese . It works and is usually non corrosive

Bubba needs a beating.

Can you post some close up pics of the scope mount?

I agree

I'll keep my eyes open for that stuff.

Thank you!!!

Well, at least they priced it accordingly.  PLUS, looks like he could have some fun and scope it.

Looks like you got yourself a M-1 Carbine special sniper gun.   LOL.  You got it for a very good price.  How is that mount attached at the front?  Is there a screw or is the rear channel the only real attachment point?  

Either way you can take the mount off and make it an irons shooter.  I would almost think it would be kind of fun to mount a retro scope on there and see what kind of accuracy you can get scoped.  They are not typically super duper accurate, but I've never shot mine with any kind of optic on there.

Your front sight is not proper either.   I'm not sure if that can be reversed.  Your stock is really nice.  It's interesting to see the push button safety in light of it being overhauled at some point.  (bayo lug)

take and post closer pictures of that shitty scope mount for us. sounds like a good deal and I'm wondering if it can be put back to original fairly easily.

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Drill and tapping for scope mount hurts, from looks of front sight the bbl has most likely been drilled and tapped too.

I would have passed on $360 too much wrong.

As long as the barrel still has front sight key slot and hasn't been shortened you could bring it back by installing GI rear sight and front sight, will set you back another $75-100 in parts.

Thank you for the input. Anywhere specific I should go for the parts?

FFS, why not put a decent 3-9x on it, and enjoy wringing the best groups ever out of a carbine?

I figured out what rings I need and I have a scope to throw on. So I am going to try this first. Most likely will be shooting it tomorrow.

For that price I wouldn't worry about the drilling and tap as long as I can reinstall the original sites.

Value is always a tricky subject.
Value on a M1 carbine is a combination of condition of the whole rifle (like any other rifle) from the standpoint of its value as a shooter . How does it operate,condition of the barrel, trigger , stock and the amount of wear.

Then added to this is the historical value . This would include who made it and if all the parts are correct to that brand and year .

Once somebody starts drilling and taping for different sights most of the collectors don't want to know anything about it unless it happens to have some rare desiriable parts on it.


At the OPs price he has still got a OK gun.  If the overall condition is ok he has a great fun shooter , his choice of tossing a optic on it or trying to return it to original type sights (which are excelent by the way).


Generally any 15 rd mag you see around are original type and will work fine . Many (all?) of the 30rd are copies or aftermarket and can be hit or miss.

Even during WWII all M1 carbine ammo was non corrosive and this is one of the reasons carbines generally are still found in good overall shape.

At some point China was making conterfit "LC" ammo and I have heard that was corrosive . Don't really have the facts on that.


Points to ponder-  The gun might have sold for $40-$50 or less on the used surplus market in 1960 and the guy who put the scope mount on it was likely very proud of himself . Un-molested a similar gun could be worth $600-$900 today.  If Cabellas was selling it for $300+ they likely gave some widow $120 for it

My guess is if you parted it out you could get somewhere around 3 bills.  Flat bolt, nice stock, push button safety, USGI trigger group....  

Can you show an up close picture of the front sight?  Top looking down?  I have a feeling that new sight is soldered on and who knows what they did to the channel then.  www.billricca.com is a good place for USGI parts.   I wouldn't go buying a front sight unless I knew I could reverse what's been done.  

Otherwise, a scoped Carbine would be a freaking fun gun to shoot.   Would be good for small game up to hogs and really, even Deer.

The parts alone are worth about $500 not counting the barrel and receiver. It was a good deal. I would have snatched it up and built up one of the Plainfield receivers I have lying around using the parts.

There you go.  I guess I was being overly conservative.

I found some leupold standard rings and I had an old Japanese made 4x that I think will work for now:

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Looks good.  Post groups!

And post that in the C&R forum.  

oh yeah