Received several guns as an inheritance, most have been sold but I still have this M1 carbine. Trying to determine a "fair" price to list the package for the package which includes the rifle, several mags, magazine pouches, manual and around $150 rounds of ammo/bandoleer (probably just if local in San Angelo TX). I took lots of pictures and tried to capture anything that might help in determining value. The rifle is for sale so if there is interest please contact me via email.

From what I can tell it is a Quality hardware receiver with an IBM & Bluesky/Arlington VA barrel. Bore looks to be in good condition. The rest I'll leave to the pictures. What do y'all think would be a fair asking price for the package, I'll probably leave the ammo out of the deal unless it is a local deal or include it for extra money. Happy to take any additional pictures if it'll help. Appreciate all of your insight, thanks much!

Bluesky was an importer - that's an import mark.  They brought in a bunch of Korean M1 rifles and carbines in the 1990s.  Some import markings were stamped so hard it affected the barrel.

Generally the guns were very well worn (I had a Bluesky M1 - my FFL let me trade out parts to get 1 decent rifle - and it never functioned 100%).  These were guns the South Koreans owned (not foreign aid that would have to go back to the US Government) and were kind of the ones they wanted to get rid of.  But there were some decent ones.

They were about $300 back then.  If the stamping didn't affect the bore and it is functional / doesn't need a lot of parts, you could start at $450.

There’s several websites that have info about M1 carbine manufacturing and assistance programs. For example, here’s a link that shows the quantity of carbines sent to countries around the world:

M1 Carbines sent to foreign countries

Here’s another that focuses on manufacturers and serial number ranges:

M1 Carbine Manufacturing

Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) also has collectors that can review your info and privide feedback. Here a thread I started on CMP about my FIL’s carbine:

CMP M1 Carbine Forum

These sites and more have a wealth of info and and there are forums where you’ll find serious collectors that can give you an idea of values. You might decide to keep it yourself if you catch the carbine bug after reading up about them.

Thanks Gents, much appreciated, please keep the replies coming!

What you will find is that any person knowledgeable about M1 carbines is going to find a Bluesky import marked one less that desirable.

At best they are shooters - of they don't have a deformed barrel and have been re-sprung (springs replaced) - and doesn't need other work.  I'd buy one over a Universal or Plainfield / Iver Johnson commercial M1 carbine but would think about it if the choice was one of the new "Inland" commercial M1 carbines (some of those are apparently decent).

You cannot compare prices of Bluesky import marked M1 carbines to DCM or CMP guns.

They really were worn out guns when they were imported.

I think I would start the entire package asking $1,200.

I believe some of the stigma with the carbine import marks has died down due to the fact that for the most part carbines have stopped flowing in.

I am solly basing this on what I see them sold for and change hands for.

The stigma with Blue Sky import marks is that a deformed barrel makes those with deformed barrels / unsafe unsellable.

That needs to be checked out.

Looks like fairly worn example - but it also looks like honest wear.  That is the "bad" blue sky import mark (there are less obnoxious, lighter marked ones, too, that don't have a chance of damage.) so have a smith look at it is a good idea.  Keep in mind there are parts on these guns that are worth some serious money regardless of the barrel import markings (stock on this gun is original and well marked for instance).

Thanks again y'all!