Midwayusa is going to be selling surplus m1 carbines. They had been given the Italian armed forces and police after ww11, and have been in storage since the 50's.

https://www.midwayusa.com/us-military-surplus-m1-carbines

I've been really wanting a m1 carbine, I wonder what they are going to be priced at?

The way they're talking them up I'm going to put them at expensive to outrageous.

Yeah, I just re read the article and it looks like they are going to be expensive. They keep talking about how rare they are being non rebuilt.

I guess I'll keep looking for a deal locally.

It'll be interesting to see what they offer and for how much. I need another one like a hole in the head, but still...

OST.

I really wish the cmp would sell some m1 carbines.

The way the Italians stored their Enfields and their respective conditions, that wouldn’t be a selling point from my perspective....

I noticed that also.  That doesn't mean they are all matching, just that they never went through an arsenal for rebuild.  

The armory changes parts all the time and even in the field parts get mixed up when field stripping

Just a quick glance at what they showed.  Most look to have been through a rebuild of some sort as most in the pictures have the adjustable rear site at a minimum.

The CMP has one on their auction site now.  Very nice looking Winchester.  
If they had Carbines to sell they would.  The days of cheap carbines, or anything else, are long gone.

Prices are up!

Dear Customer,
Thank you for signing up for information about the M1 Carbines.  We are very sorry, but due to the onerous requirements for labelling, warnings and specialized safety devices the M1 Carbines will not be offered for sale in California.

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience.

MidwayUSA Customer Service


More like "Customer DIS-Service"

The carbines would have to ship to an in-state FFL.  A small yellow sticker with a warning printed on it and a trigger lock (which can be purchased from that local FFL) is all that's required.

:-|

Is there any reason to pick a particular manufacturer over another?

I already know what grade I’m after but I’m not sure which manufacturer to go for.

With 2A supporters like Larry who needs enemies, and don’t forget to roundup for the NRA.
Dear Customer,
Thank you for signing up for information about the M1 Carbines. We are very sorry, but due to the onerous requirements for labelling and specialized warnings, the M1 Carbines will not be offered for sale in ( insert restrictive states here).
We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience.
MidwayUSA Customer Service

Cuck bootlickers.

Then call Bill.

I have my grandads Rock-o-la.

Last I checked, maybe 10 years ago, valued at $400-600. Its not been officially rated, but I'd give it a "Fair to Good."

An over rated rifle if ever there was one. With pricing between $1100 and $1900 I'll take a hard pass. I paid $170 for my Springfield Armory M1 Garand in the early 1980's through the DCM, great deal on a great rifle.

M1 Carbines were prized during WW2 because they were lightweight and had a larger magazine capacity. Reliability was never as good as the M1, accuracy was short range only and even that wasn't great. The history is more important than the rifle. Owning a WW2 GI carbine has more attracting than anything that rifle can bring to real world use.

I would shop estate sales, local club adds, online auctions, etc. before paying stupid money on a M1 carbine.

While I enjoy my Carbines, at those kind of prices, a Shuff's Mini-G is a cheaper and arguably better option: same length as a Carbine and a mere 2 pounds heavier (so it's damn near just as "handy"), but it hits a lot harder, and the feeding devices are cheap, reliable, and readily available.
Plus, it's The Machine That Goes "Ping!", and that counts for a lot.

I don’t think most people are interested in carbines for that reason, I know I’m not.

I missed out on $600 carbines, then I missed out on $900 carbines, I’m not missing out this time, even if it does make me sick to pay that much.

Good point. If you don't already have one, then yeah, you have little choice except to take the hit. However, "after your first Carbine..."

My collection has a lot of holes in it, I’d like to think that I’ll go after an 03-A3 after the carbine but who knows.

Other expenses have really put a drain on my gun money.

I was excited for these, but at $1200-$2000+ for sight-unseen, trust-Larry’s-grading, I’m out.

I have a pair of IBMs and a working AO/Kahr repro, so at least I don’t feel like I’m missing out.

Same question. There are so many options and gazillions of history sites discussing.  I know I want a bayonet lug and the newer lever safety which show on some offered photos and not available on others so that narrows a bit for me, but description sounded like anything could show up.   Im not big on sight unseen.

It’s mostly a rarity game.  Inland made the vast majority of carbines during the war, with the other manufacturers making smaller supplemental runs.  At this point, if they’ve been rearsenaled, they’re likely to be mixmaster guns. There’s nothing wrong with that with USGI parts but it does decrease the value a bit, though a lot of the smaller runs used parts from the other manufacturers so they were mixmasters from the factory.

From an American Rifleman article:

Being a computer nerd, the IBM carbines are especially neat to me. They made typewriters back then, but having a gun with their name on it is super cool.

Some of the features are improvements turned cost savings redesigns, like the change from the early flip sights to the more accurate milled adjustable rear sight to the cheaper but still effective stamped adjustable.  I’m personally a fan of the milled adjustable style but it isn’t “correct” for an early war gun. The bayonet lug wasn’t a cost saving but a way to add the stabby-stabby capability to the small carbines. These are “correct” for late war Inland and Winchester carbines, but have found their way into the other guns through rearsenaling.

If you’re just a shooter, the name on the receiver and the features may not matter to you. Some folks get super technical and want their Rock-Ola carbine to be exactly as it left the factory back in the day.  The “correct” rabbit hole is very deep and can be very expensive if you go through every last part to make it line up.

I put one of my IBMs in an M1A1 stock because I’m a monster.

Appreciate the response.

I recall Winchester being pretty heavily sought after, if they were one of the major manufacturers what’s the deal with that?

Name recognition.  Their Garands were not as nicely finished as the Springfields but people praise and want the Winchesters.

So hypothetically, you had two identical carbines, one is an Inland and the other a Winchester. The Winchester would ostensibly have a higher value?

Most correct! Plus it was originally a design from Winchester.

If in matching conditions,  yes.  Resale value would be higher on the Winchester.

Guess I’ll go with a Winchester then, not that I plan on ever selling.

You guys think “very good to fine” is worth the $350 premium over the “good to very good”? I sat aside $1500 for one of these, and the former obviously goes over what I budgeted.

Thanks.  I too was a tech guy and  would find the IBM to be of interest.   But no bayonet in the fine condition shows.  Grading has fine at 90% and lower grades at 60% or below. I dont know what their grading will be like but think I want more than 60. Its never going to be sold at least not while Im alive.

Im not fixated on a brand and GI mix is fine just hoping for a good shooter, decent finish and barrel, adjustable sights, bayonet lug and lever safety.  All sight unseen at an upper cost  Not sure what will show given they said photos may not be accurate with subtle changes made during the period.

I missed out many years ago and not many if at all  at local gun  shows now which you get mixed stories on them and they are pricey too...many over $1200, a few under $1k, none in LGS...so Im tempted to go for it although I expect them to go quick..and no mags with  kind of stinks.

EDIT
The NRA Firearm Condition Standards for guns of this era, listed below, served as our guide for grading.  We made a visual inspection of the external surfaces of the firearm and checked the actions for operational status (ensuring the charging handle operates the bolt). These guns have not been disassembled or test fired so working condition is unknown.  

Fine: All original parts and configuration, or possibly a very minor alteration from original configuration that was made during the period of use (WWII). Sharp markings, only minor stock blemishes. Retains at least 90% of original finish.

Very Good to Fine: All original parts and configuration, or possibly a very minor alteration from original configuration that was made during the period of use (WWII). No corrosion or pitting, minor scratches only. Retains at least 60% of original finish.

Good to Very Good: Markings are legible. There may be replaced parts, minor repairs and light pitting. Stocks may be worn or cracked but should be serviceable. Retains at least 60% of original finish.

Fair to Good: May be well worn, showing visible repair or replacement parts, or needing adjustment or minor repair. Metal may be rusted or pitted. May have cracked or broken stocks. May retain less than 60% of original finish.

You've summed up my biggest concern...cost, sight unseen, grading

Is there any place you might suggest that is fair and trustworthy?  Fulton has stopped their sales for now.   Or not that it would be ClassicFirearms but I saw their recent M1 Carbine post but they all seem to have gone OOS quickly ~$1500

I've never used an auction site and just had been keeping an eye out for local private sale.

Unfortunately, I wouldn’t even know where to begin here in 2021.

I have no doubt these will go quickly. Having some already, plus not being a member of the ARFCOM Millionaires’ Club, makes the risk:reward margin of the Midway ones too high for me. But if I had more disposable income or really really badly wanted one, it’s the only way I know of outside of stumbling on a local private sale or pawn shop.

I also haven’t seen any of the commercial repros since all the madness went down. I’m sure AO/Kahr will get back into things but I imagine they are focusing more on their crappy handgun line than the M1C clones.

Well, everything is sold out as of 1100 EDT, except for National Postal Meter and Inland in the Good to Very Good grade.

I broke down and ordered an IBM. I don’t have an M1 Carbine, and it’s pretty much the one surplus World War II rifle I’ve always wanted, after the Garand that I got from CMP eighteen years ago. I’m not sure why I never seriously looked for one in all those years, but I remember seeing lots of them at shows with bayonet lugs, and I always wanted one in early, original WW II configuration. Those were always pricey, although not this expensive, in retrospect.

I figure that if this one is matches the Very Good to Fine grading they listed it for, the high price will at least save me the trouble of hunting for one all over the place, if I could even find one these days, and then potentially having to source parts to make it closer to original. I just don’t have the time for that these days, so I’m trading the time I would have spent for higher cost. I really didn’t want to pay that much, but it was that or probably never find the one I wanted, at this point.

Interesting that they state these two grades are "all original parts and configuration" and then state "or a very minor alteration from original configuration". If they have done no disassembly, I'm surprised they'd represent anything as close to original if they really don't know what they have beyond what can be seen externally.

I'm not a buyer, but I am curious to see what buyers end up with.

I've had 2 M1 carbines. I bought them cheap, dirt cheap and sold them for 4x what I paid for them.

They are not worth keeping.. I call them the jam-o-matics of guns.

Spend your money on ARs..

What would be an expected price?

Your magazines were likely the problem, not the guns.

They went on sale at 9:00AM EST and everything was sold out before noon.

The started at  $1,149.99 and went up to well over $2k depending on options.

Or the magazine release, or both.

I bought a Postal Meter 3 years ago for 400…Korean War era rebuild. I love it, but I wouldn’t spend that much on it…

I was online right as the sale went hot. Midway was really running slow. But I got one. I missed/passed on previous opportunities. Wasn't going to miss this one. I had my shipping notification by 1230.

CMP forums had a thread with guys saying they are passing for those prices and how it is too much. Today there is another thread of guys saying which ones they bought.

Could be lubrication, as well.

Mine won't run well dry, but it really wasn't designed to, either. It runs like a sewing machine, with good condition GI mags and proper lube.

CMP is full of elitist hypocrites. You need info on Carbines here's where to go

http://www.uscarbinecal30.com/forum/forums.html

One other thing that can cause problems with Carbines is worn or out of spec slides. I found this out after having Fulton Armory service 3 of mine. 2 of them were always "finicky" for some reason and I always assumed mags also.

Come to find out the slides had worn or been dropped and were off shape. They recommend replacement and ever since both have run like scared jackrabbits with good ammo (avoid Aquila if you can, its underpowered and can cause FTE's)

My "Very Good to Fine" IBM arrived yesterday. This is my first carbine, so go easy on me. I'm just going off what I've found online and in Craig Riesch's guide, revised 3rd edition (had this copy for a long time before finally buying one). I haven't disassembled it yet for a full inspection and parts inventory, so I'm just going off an initial look at it. Overall impression is that the finish looks pretty dark and even overall, with some understandable shiny spots on the bolt. There's quite a bit of cosmoline that I'll need to clean off to take a good look at it, from the dried up peanut butter goop in the magazine well to an overall thin coating over most metal parts (quite a bit around the barrel strap and sling loop). I'll take better photos when I have more time.

Attached File


The only parts I've identified so far that definitely aren't correct for the original carbine are the safety (Type IV instead of Type III) and magazine catch (Type III "M" marked instead of Type IIA). I've read that those parts were changed out on many carbines at the end of the war, especially the safety. The rear sight is an I.R. CO. marked Type III adjustable, which was used on late production IBMs (and others), so while correct for some IBMs, mine is a 3851XXX serial number, which may be too early for that type of sight. I've read that it's not guaranteed that a given manufacturer's serial numbers were produced in order, and the IBMs in this range were apparently all produced between January and May 1944 (switching to adjustable sights in March). I'm ok with these sights, even if they are replacements.

Here are the correct IBM parts I've verified so far just from my external inspection:

IBM barrel with SI-B marked Type II front site
Type II stock with correct buttplate
Type IA barrel band

I believe I may see an ordnance marking on the right side of the stock, but it's pretty dirty and faint. No other obvious markings that I've found yet, aside from the very small importer's name (PW Arms) on the underside of the barrel. There's a rack number painted on the bottom of the grip that looks a little too clean to have been left over from World War II, but I guess it's possible.

I'm pretty happy with it. I'll have to do my research to find out what reasonable prices are for the safety and magazine catch to potentially swap those out. I also want to clean up the cosmoline, of course, and clean (but not refinish) the wood.

Looks nice.  How much was it - the 1500-1700 price range?

Pretty neat to know that the last time these were shot or handled might have been during the 40's.

The Very Good to Fine grade was (ouch) $1799 + tax. But, hey, free shipping, so I saved $9.99! As I mentioned above, it was more than I wanted to pay, but I look at it as I saved at least a few hundred dollars in terms of of my free time (which I don't have a lot of these days) that would have been spent searching around for one at shows or local shops. I doubt I would have found an IBM like this after hours of looking, unless I really got lucky. I'm going to try to pick up some tung oil and cheesecloth today and get the wood cleaned up to start with.

I bet Larry Potterfield really has a huge smile now...
Wonder what he paid for the, like $500 each, if that ?