He Who Hesitates...Or Why I Should Have Bought an M1 Carbine 15 Years Ago

[SQLGeek]

Imports from Ethiopia starting at $899.99 and I'm thinking of buying one.

https://www.royaltigerimports.com/product-p/m1car001.htm

Why oh WHY did I not buy one from the CMP 15 years ago when I bought my M1?

Or I could buy a new one from Fulton Armory for $1700 and wait who knows how long.

 

[baboon]

Imports from Ethiopia starting at $899.99 and I'm thinking of buying one.

https://www.royaltigerimports.com/product-p/m1car001.htm

Why oh WHY did I not buy one from the CMP 15 years ago when I bought my M1?

Or I could buy a new one from Fulton Armory for $1700 and wait who knows how long.

You need to find some old vets who still have them in there collections. $1,700.00 from Fulton

 

[SQLGeek]

Have you priced what USGI Carbines are selling for? Doubt I could get one for less than $1,000 private party unless I was taking somebody for a ride.

 

[baboon]

Have you priced what USGI Carbines are selling for? Doubt I could get one for less than $1,000 private party unless I was taking somebody for a ride.

No I have not priced them but I know what I recntly sold my Garand for. I have a best friend who is a collector of carbines both M1 & M2. A cop we both know was fishing around for a carbine from him end of last year. Personally I think the money the Fulton cost could better be added to to get a USGI. I grew up when Universal's & Plainfield's were pull money off the GI makes & neither of those are great guns.

 

[SQLGeek]

Garands are still available in much greater numbers than Carbines, heck you can still buy them from the CMP. The CMP hasn't had carbines for years except for the occasional one they put up for auction.

$1700 is steep no doubt and I'm not all that serious about buying one at that price. They seem to run better than any other commercial offering and being new, are tighter than the mix master USGI ones found.

Still thinking about getting one of the imports but trying to get over the price.

 

[V-Tach]

$999.99 for good to excellent?

Hell Blue Skys were crap and still sell for that and more.........

You might even get lucky and pull a Winchester, Rockola or ?......

So they're import marked.....you already now what the unmarked USGI's are bringing...

 

[SQLGeek]

Import mark doesn't bother me. Might be time to dust off the FFL 03...

 

[Moonpie]

What about one of the modern reproductions?

 

[SQLGeek]

What about one of the modern reproductions?

Auto Ordnance and Inland seem...ok. Which got me looking at Fulton Armory and then the price got stupid.

And then I started looking at their M14s. Oy vey.

 

[rl96ss]

Picked up an IBM with no import mark at the NB gunshow a little over a year ago for $800. They're out there, keep an eye on Gunboards forum, seen them go for under a grand several times.

 

[Eli]

Fulton makes an excellent receiver, as good as GI - likely better.
Parts are around. I actually have a parts kit, magazines, etc...

Eli

 

[Hoji]

I seem to remember seeing a barrel full of them when I was a little kid( early 1970s) at a hardware store/bait shop/gun store with my dad for about $35 each

 

[Axxe55]

I passed on one about seven years ago on consignment sale. Price was $650. Owner wouldn't budge on the price, and it had some funky looking "sporterized" stock I would have replaced.

I probably should have bought it.

 

[Dawico]

Imports from Ethiopia starting at $899.99 and I'm thinking of buying one.

https://www.royaltigerimports.com/product-p/m1car001.htm

Why oh WHY did I not buy one from the CMP 15 years ago when I bought my M1?

Or I could buy a new one from Fulton Armory for $1700 and wait who knows how long.

Why do you want one? Just for nostalgia?

I don't get it but am curious what is drawing you to them.

 

[SQLGeek]

I have a soft spot for military surplus rifles. They're pretty much what got me interested in guns as a teenager since I didn't grow up shooting. It's the history geek in me.

 

[Moonpie]

Honestly, if it were me and I had the $, I'd go Fulton IF you want a true shooting piece.
Original USGI carbines are usually worn out old beaters.
1.)If you did ever find one in minty shape you couldn't shoot it much, if at all, because you'd wreck its value.
2.) Your run of the mill USGI is a 75yr old gun that has eleventybillion rounds thru it and the accuracy WILL suck. If you go adding in new stuff like a fresh barrel you wreck what value it does have.
3.) Original USGI guns are fooking insanely priced anyway.

The1960's era reproductions are meh. They've reached asinine prices themselves for what they are. Some models like the Plainfield are borderline ok but the Universals are junk.
The currently produced reproductions are stupid priced as well. I'm seeing ~$1000 so you're damn near in original gun range. The one plus side is they're a brand new gun and should shoot ok.
The Fulton is a brand new made gun and Fulton stuff is well made. Yeah, they're expensive but buy once, cry once. You can happily blast away without worry.

 

[baboon]

Be patient, hit small town & county gun shows and have a wad of cash with you when you go. One who is yearning for a carbine needs learn how to identify the M-2 parts quickly & easily. A round bolt, the pot belly stock with selector cut, the M-2 trigger housing cut for the 9 spring & the M-2 slide are easy to identify & worth more money. Selling those off & replacing them could bring down the price of your carbine!

 

[Txhillbilly]

Why do you want one? Just for nostalgia?

I don't get it but am curious what is drawing you to them.

I'm the same,I just don't get the Mil-surp thing. I've just never cared for owning a war relic. I've always liked the M1A and Garand's,but have absolutely no use for them.

 

[Dawico]

I'm the same,I just don't get the Mil-surp thing. I've just never cared for owning a war relic. I've always liked the M1A and Garand's,but have absolutely no use for them.

I owned a Garand and thought I would get into the mil-surp stuff but it just didn't happen.

Now I think it's late to get into the game as the prices are crazy for what they are.

I've never been much of a collector anyways.

But to each their own.

 

[SQLGeek]

I've never been much of a collector anyways.

Now a collector I'm not especially because I'll shoot them. There is something about holding a '44 dated M1 that does it for me. Wondering where it's been. Feels like a connection to the past.

Be patient, hit small town & county gun shows

Truthfully I don't have that kind of time. Two small kids at home doesn't leave much for trawling gun shows way out of town.