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Posted: 3/10/2025 1:56:05 PM EDT
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Long story short, boss handed me a bonus to buy C&R stuff after completing a pain in the ass project for a client. Picked up a very nice '43 Smith-Corona 1903a3 for $1200 and a decent shooter-grade '44 Inland M1 Carbine for $1200. Few days after the Carbine arrived, I had it on the way to Fulton-Armory for inspection/repair and also marked on the service sheet that I want it reparkerized, since it's a parts-mix shooter that I plan to shoot and eventually hand down to one of my boys. The only issues it has is a short hairline crack in the top of the stock behind the recoil plate, the windage adjustment keeps binding up, and whatever the Fulton inspection turns up. ME is a very snug 2. While still waiting on that 4-6 month waiting period with them, I made the mistake of doing research on this very topic and it seems most folks say the refinish will hurt the value from a little to a lot depending on who you ask. Do I even care since it was free and I have no intention of selling it? Just sort of torn on the idea now. Anyways, curious to see what arfcom thinks. Photos - https://imgur.com/a/llQmo9u |
LS swap the world.
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Originally Posted By DonFlynn: Honest answer, if it were mine and I only planned on 1 Carbine I would refinish it and spring for a new barrel. That way you're grandchildren would be able to use it. I have a Inlands that I had Fulton do that with and no regerts I never planned on owning more than one of any of these old C&R rifles. I'm more of a practical collector, one of each is fine with me, but I want to take them out and enjoy them. |
LS swap the world.
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Originally Posted By -Kyuss-: I'd have a hard time refinishing that, IMO. if the goal was to pass it down as a shooter I'd go for one in worse shape and enjoy the patina on that one. Fwiw my M1 Garand, a '56 Springfield expert grade, ended up with a good assortment of NOS or armory refinished parts on it from CMP so it has none of the old wear or patina. I wanted an expert grade so I could take it out and shoot it without hurting the value, and that ended up being the perfect rifle for that purpose. The goal is sort of the same with the M1 Carbine, own a piece of history that isn't so rare or valuable that I'm afraid to take it out of the safe since that's not my intention. If reparkerizing absolutely destroys the value I'd obviously not want to do that, but if it has little to no effect, I'd be fine with it and end up with a great looking shooter. |
LS swap the world.
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Originally Posted By TOTHEMAX: You can always squirt glue in the crack and let it seal. If you are worried, buy another stock and save the original. |
LS swap the world.
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That carbine retains almost all its finish. I wouldn’t do anything to the metal. I parkerize and never just refinish something to make it look new and match. Doing that makes it look like a commercial refinish job. Original USGI finish did not match between parts and is a characteristic of military rifles. |
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Personally I'd just have the functional issues fixed. Maybe try and find a replacement stock and keep the other just incase. Replace the worn parts and enjoy. I've got pristine carbines and very worn carbines (finish wise) and have never noticed a difference while actually shooting them. |
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Originally Posted By pepe-lepew: That carbine retains almost all its finish. I wouldn't do anything to the metal. I parkerize and never just refinish something to make it look new and match. Doing that makes it look like a commercial refinish job. Original USGI finish did not match between parts and is a characteristic of military rifles. What's the difference between a re-park and a refinish? I was using the terms interchangeably, since Fulton-Armory does...they call the job "metal refinishing (parkerizing)." https://www.fulton-armory.com/shipping-container-for-gunsmith-services.aspx |
LS swap the world.
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Originally Posted By johnny_dot_exe: What's the difference between a re-park and a refinish? I was using the terms interchangeably, since Fulton-Armory does...they call the job "metal refinishing (parkerizing)." |
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Originally Posted By johnny_dot_exe: What's the difference between a re-park and a refinish? I was using the terms interchangeably, since Fulton-Armory does...they call the job "metal refinishing (parkerizing)." https://www.fulton-armory.com/shipping-container-for-gunsmith-services.aspx I use it interchangeably too. To clarify, I can refinish parts using the parkerizing process. A couple hours and a whole rifle can be done. I don’t ever parkerize something just to make it look new. The finish has to be very poor or issues with rust before I will parkerize it. A fresh parkerized gun that color matches well throughout looks obvious it was commercially done. |
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Originally Posted By TOTHEMAX: You can always squirt glue in the crack and let it seal. If you are worried, buy another stock and save the original. Arsenals used glue and solid brass pins and screws to secure cracks. I’ve seen brass pinned carbine stocks that are arsenal repairs. |
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Absolutely not on the refinish. It doesn’t need it. Fix the crack and or pick up another stock. The stock should have some clearance around the back of the tang. Otherwise it acts like a splitting wedge. I’d pull the recoil block from the stock. Drill a hole down the length of the crack from the hidden area in the stock mortise. Put epoxy down the hole and “pump” the epoxy out the crack with a dowel that fits the hole. Cut the dowel in place after you got the epoxy filling the crack. Clean it all up. When the epoxy is good and cured go back and fit the recoil block better. Iirc there are too things to avoid…..1. Letting that action screw act as a recoil surface and 2. Let the tang portion of the block be the recoil surface. That whole block has surfaces that should bear rearward first. I did the same repair on a M39 that probably had the stock swapped either at the importers or maybe by the Finns. It probably wasn’t fired in the stock I got it in. The recoil lug on the action wasn’t contacting the action so upon firing it all moved rearward held only by action screws and made tank contact and did the splitting wedge thing exactly like yours. |
The only hyphenated names I like are cartridge names......30-06, 30-40, 38-55 etc.
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Originally Posted By DonFlynn: Ultimak, it's the only 1 I know of made for the Carbine Originally Posted By DonFlynn: Originally Posted By backbencher: What's a solid optics rail? Ultimak, it's the only 1 I know of made for the Carbine Thanks. Gonna have to get a Mini-14 rail down the road as well. |
I sell firearms produced by the finest child labor in the world, be it Filipino, Muslim, Mormon, Arizonan, or Texan.
| Amega makes one too: https://www.amegamounts.com/product_pages/m1carbine.php |
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Originally Posted By HurstXJ: Amega makes one too: https://www.amegamounts.com/product_pages/m1carbine.php Thanks! |
I sell firearms produced by the finest child labor in the world, be it Filipino, Muslim, Mormon, Arizonan, or Texan.
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