I dont know very much about them, I remember reading that you are better off with C&R carbines then newly manufactured ones somewhere. Info or links if you have any.

You're just going to have to hunt for them on the secondary market.  The vast majority will be post WWII reworks.  Inland is the most common.  I suggest you spend a little on an M-1 carbine book before you go shopping.  Any GI carbine is worth 350-400.  But that doesn't mean that 500 - 600 is too much to pay for one.  

The Kahr models may be fine, but they aren't cheap, either.  The IMI ones have a very poor reputation.  The last carbine I bought was a 1944 Underwood in early configuration with nearly all Underwood parts.  Paid 350 for it.  Probably worth closer to 550.  But I was very lucky to find such a deal at a small town pawn shop.

Carbines care great fun and good quality and reasonably price new ammo by Wolf has made shooting them an event that won't force you to eat Ramen 20 times a week.

Don't be hasty and read up on them.  $25 spent on a book will likely save you $100 or more.

Also, make sure to buy a military contract rifle, not a civilian produced one. I found a Universal at a local shop on consignment that was beat to pieces externally. They wanted $260; if it had been any military contract receiver, I would have bought it in a heartbeat. The civilian ones won't interchange all parts with military (some parts may) and I've never really heard lots of good things about them. I'm still looking to get my hands on a military one. Maybe I'll trade off an AK in the next little bit...

They're getting more expensive, I seldom see a decent GI M1 for less than $550-600.

Quoted: They're getting more expensive, I seldom see a decent GI M1 for less than $550-600.

Agreed.  Actually finding nice one under $700 is getting difficult.

I got mine for about $600 and it was a Postal Meter 1943 made gun that had been sent to Germany after the war.  If you can find one, the German police issues are normally very nice and mine doesn't look like a post war rebuild (it doesn't have a bayo lug).  It can shoot a lot better than I can at 50-100 meters.  But, like all war time weapons, there's a ton of different variations, manufacturers, sub contracters...  and the small parts seem to add a lot of value to a gun, collector wise.  I'd think about staying away from a Rockola or an IBM unless you can get a good deal.  Those tend to go for the most.

Just look for a good mixmaster gun if you want a shooter.  They shouldn't be too hard to find.  I saw a nice Inland at a local pawn shop here for $500 recently, and if they sell them here, I'm sure you can find them somewhere.  

As an aside, my father once had an opportunity to buy a wooden crate of them for about $75 each back in the day, maybe like 20 or so years ago.  He declined.  When I told him they sell now for about $600 each, he was kicking himself.

Oh and one last thing, did anyone see the M1 Carbine parts set on GB?  $535 for a rusty Canadian Inland?  Carbines must be getting really expensive.