I shot an M1 carbine for the first time today and it was love at first shot! What a great little gun!  I just couldnt miss with that thing. Unfortuantely for my wife that means now I have to buy one.    I dont want to spend $700 on a "real" one so I looked at a few reproductions.  
Can you guys tell me which ones (if any) of the repros are any good?  How about universal?  or the Auto-Ordnance ones?  Or AIA?

Thanks

I would suggest staying away from the Universal carbines.. And for the prices I have seen the IAI and Auto Ordnance version selling you can buy a real GI Carbine..

If you look hard enough, you can find a good deal on a GI carbine.. You don't have to spend $700 bucks on one.. I got mine with a boat load of mags for $450.00, and it also came with a original canvas case..

PS I have heard that the CMP is expecting a fair quantity of Carbines in the near future..

Quoted: And for the prices I have seen the IAI ...

I saw, and closely considered buying an IAI for 300 bucks.

Quoted: Quoted: And for the prices I have seen the IAI ... I saw, and closely considered buying an IAI for 300 bucks.

Yeah but are they any good?  I saw an IAI for $299 but I have no idea about its quality.

Universal brand is a POS, avoid them. Mil-tech sells good ones but they're not cheap.

Universals have a bad rep.

I had a Plainfield Machine repro for a while that was pretty good.  Probably 98% reliable, but that might have been one of my magazines to blame..

IAI I've heard are hit or miss, but the good ones are supposedly more accurate than USGI, from a test I read in a mag (can't remember which one, tho)

The Auto Ordnance ones are brand new for this year.  I posted a thread about it, and someone thought he saw one, but it might have been an IAI.  

I'm thinking I might go for a repro just for a beater/ 'truck' gun.  With softpoint ammo, it would be a very effective little rifle.  

My opinions (and from what I've read on various boards):

USGI - the best (especially non-imports), but can be beat up/shot out - so check condtion.  You will also pay more for them.  They are also Curio & Relic (C&R) eligible.

Commercial post-WW2 carbines:

Universal - early ones were supposedly OK, but the later ones (with dual recoil springs and open area on the stamped-metal slide/cocking handle where the bolt lug rides) are total crap.  Many USGI parts will not fit in later Universals.

Plainfield - the best of the commercial carbines.

Iver Johnson - pretty good, especially the early ones.

National Ordnance - crap.

Alpine - ???

IAI and Auto-Ordnance - OK, for the most part, but what you would pay would pretty much buy a decent GI carbine.

The USGI 15-round mags are the most reliable.  There are a lot of crappy aftermarket 30-round mags out there, good only for range use.  USGI 30-rounders are good, but more expensive than 15-rounders and perhaps not as reliable.

For plinking, 110-grain FMJ ammo.  For defense, Remington JSP or Winchester HP 110-grain ammo.

Links:

www.battlerifles.com/viewforum.php?f=4

www.fulton-armory.com/Carbinemags.htm

Charles in MInnesota or back there somewhere? has every imaginal make and conditions for good on up. Straight USGI M1 Carbines to reimported GI carbines from $450 and up depending? Check the GL or SGN for his adds.
HTH
M

Quoted: Charles in MInnesota or back there somewhere? has every imaginal make and conditions for good on up. Straight USGI M1 Carbines to reimported GI carbines from $450 and up depending? Check the GL or SGN for his adds. HTH M

I l;ooked in my 2 last issues of SGN, I dont see it.  whats the GL?  

Do you have a link?

Sorry about that it's not SGN it was in Gun List (GL). Page 120 Sept 10th issue.
Charles-207 741-2655
HTH
M

Thanks

Im gonna pick up a copy of GL today, but I did see a guy in SGN that advertises M1 carbine kits and recievers for sale.  Anybody ever built one?  Got any reference info?

the place selling them was  riverbank armory.  They also had pristine carbines and garands for sale starting at around $1k.  A little too high for me.

I bought an Iver Johnson NIB about 20 years ago for $299. It was a great little gun, and was fun to shoot! I was stationed at Fort Hood at the time, and I seem to remember buying it at a department store of some kind such as Rose's, or Target or something. I am pretty sure it was in Copperas Cove just outside of Hood.

Anyway, I sold the gun years ago and wished I hadn't!

I bought an Auto Ordnance M1 Carbine last month and have about 400 rounds through it.   So far, I am very pleased with it and prefer it over a USGI carbine for several reasons:

1) It's accurate.   From a bench, I can keep a five shot group inside an inch on a 50yd range (longest I have available).   It's more accurate than any USGI carbine I've shot.

2) It's reasonably priced.   Every $500 -$600 USGI carbine I've seen has been well worn and abused.   If something breaks on one, then I'm on the hook for it.   The AO carbine at least has a 1 yr warranty, and is compatible with USGI parts so I can fix it myself anyway should I desire to do so.

3) It's nicely finished.   A minor point to be sure, but I like the fact that it doesn't look like a beater that's been dragged behind a truck or buried in mud.

When I was researching, I was told the military ones were the most reliable.

So, for me it was worth it to pay the extra $200 for an original and to avoid the hassles.

I have a Universal I'll part with for $200.  Mine is a latter one so it is not mil spec.  I'm lucky, mine is reliable and fairly accurate 3" @100 yards of I do my part.  I like my Universal but it is no USGI M1 Carbine.  IM me if you are interested.

Kent

I had one built. I used a SA INC. Foreged reciver.   New, Herlo (nonchromed ) barrel . I bought the rest of the parts through CMP and US Armory. I had Ted Brown Install the barrel and headspace the bolt. It kicks ass. I have about $550 in it and it's nearly a new rifle. Not bad indeed. WarDawg

I bought an original IM side folder with all original accessories earlier this year for $200. The price included 800 rounds of ammo.

It WAS forty years old though.

Quoted: I have a Universal I'll part with for $200.  Mine is a latter one so it is not mil spec.  I'm lucky, mine is reliable and fairly accurate 3" @100 yards of I do my part.  I like my Universal but it is no USGI M1 Carbine.  IM me if you are interested. Kent

If I didnt just spend about $650 on mods for my new, no-ban AR, I'd jump on it.

What company is making stainless recievers and replacement parts? They any good?
S.O.