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Fulton Armory
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The M3 Scout Carbine is a compact rifle that packs more punch than most pistols. The performance of the .30 Carbine round is often compared to a .357 Magnum.
The little M1 Carbine has been around for over 70 years now. Even though over 6.5 million of them were made, original shooters are getting harder to find and at an increasing cost. Sure, they are out there and there could be even more returning to the states if the government will allow them to be brought over from Korea. The M1 Carbine design was also made by a huge number of arms companies for sale to the civilian marksman. Yet some of those are not very well made. The early ones that used all USGI parts are usually good, but when those parts started to run out, the quality of these civilian carbines went down hill fast.
But what if you want a new one? I am talking about one that looks and functions like one pulled from a crate in 1945. A new-in-the-box M1 Carbine made to the true specifications of the original design. The best source I’ve seen is Fulton Armory. The folks at Fulton are making some great new carbines. These rifles will have an obvious appeal to history buffs and living historians, but they are just as functional for those considering a lightweight rifle for whitetail, or a compact gun for home defense.
The forward rail replaces the metal heat shields or wooden hand guards and makes this an ideal candidate for a scout scope or a red-dot
Fulton Models
Fulton Armory makes 3 different models of the M1 Carbine. The base model is the Service Grade and it looks like the name implies—like the ones issued in late WWII and Korea. They also offer a folding stock Paratrooper model as well. You can select if you want the later style of barrel band with the bayonet lug or one without (like the kind issued during the majority of WWII). These both come with the adjustable rear sights that are a big upgrade over the fixed sights most of the WWII issued carbines carried.
That brings us to the last and review model—The M3 Carbine Scout. If you know your M1 Carbine history, you know that there was a select fire variant of the M1 made called the M3. The original M3 was outfitted with a state of the art, for its time, infrared night vision scope. The Fulton doesn’t have this. But it does have one simple (yet very handy) modern feature: the handguard is a picatinny rail. This makes mounting an optic much easier than it was on the originals. Everything else about the M3 looks like it time traveled from 1951. It has the bayonet lug, adjustable sights and the round bolt that is seen on most post WWII carbine, and all of these features combine into one kickass work of craftsmanship that is apparent even before you pull the trigger.
The bayonet lug is a type three lug, and is common on post-war carbines.
Specs
The Fulton M3 Carbine Scout is chambered in .30 Carbine just like the originals. It has an 18 inch barrel. It is gas operated with an operating rod on the side. The rear sight is adjustable for windage and elevation. The carbine ships with a 10 round magazine and will also accept the originals, both 15 and 30 round ones. It also comes with a cloth sling and an oiler just like the ones on the originals. It weighs in right at 5 pounds with an overall length of 35.5 inches. The MSRP on the review gun is $1,599.
Not 70 years old
So what is the benefit of buying a Fulton Armory carbine verses buying an original? The main thing in my book is that it is not 70 years old. Most of the components of the Fultons are newly made in house. Yes, there are some original parts, but the main components are of new manufacture. And they are manufactured to standards that either meet or excide the specifications of the originals. The review model is a very nice gun. It has the slickest action of any M1 Carbine I have had my hands on. The quality is there in spades. From the trigger, to the action, to the way it the steel and wood fit perfectly together, there isn’t a corner cut on this rifle.
When you break the rifle down, you can see more of the history. Some of these parts are cast, and some milled.
With all of that said, this is not a collectors M1 Carbine. It is not meant to be either—at least not in the sense you typically think of with old service guns. I was in a big-box retail establishment recently, and found a museum piece in their used gun rack—an old Winchester complete with faded Korean Hangeul painted all over its walnut stock (which was so well oiled it was almost black). The Fulton is a shooter. It is collectable in the way most modern classics are collectable, but it isn’t meant to be a safe queen.
Think about this way. There were millions of original carbines made and a metric crap ton of parts to go along with them. Yet that is a finite amount of carbines and parts. For those of us who place abstract emotional significance on originality, and imbue objects with importance based on the witness they bear to history, it is better to put wear and tear on a reproduction than it is an original. Some guns feel like they have soul, not because of what they can do, but because of where they were and what they may have done.
And some reproductions provide us with an echo of that significance, and still shoot straight. The Fulton takes it one step further and shoots great.
The grip is a bit slicker than I’d like. There’s no checkering, and it is finished with oil. Yet I didn’t have any problem holding onto the gun, and checkering would have marred this grain pattern.
Fit Finish and Wood
The M3 Fulton is made like the originals and has some original parts. It looks and feels like a milsurp rifle. It is parkerized and you can see tool marks here and there. Some parts are stamped and some are milled like on the originals, and you can see evidence of how they were made when you dismantle the rifle. This is how it is supposed to look.
The wood stock is a new production from Boyds. The review gun’s stock is cut from a very nice piece of walnut. There is some figure in the wood that you don’t typically see on a military style rifle. The stock is finished with linseed oil, just like the originals. Unlike the originals, it is light in color because it doesn’t have 70 or so years worth of grime, dirt and oil caked all over it.
Hornady’s hollow points make hunting with the carbine much more effective.
Function
The Fulton M3 made a lot of trips to the range. It never let me down. I ran whatever .30 Carbine ammo I could get my hands on. I found some old surplus ball, Federal, Remington soft point and some Hornady Critical Defense hollow points that it fired and fed without issue. It wasn’t picky on magazines either. The one it shipped with is unmarked but appears to be new manufacture. I used some old surplus mags and they worked great too. Even one that was a little rusty functioned without any problems.
Shooting
This is the fun part. If you have never shot an M1 Carbine you owe it to yourself to make it happen. They are fun little rifles. The recoil is very mild for a 5 pound rifle. The peep sights were set dead on from the factory. Fulton guarantees 3 MOA with Federal American Eagle ammo and this is in line with what we experienced with all the different rounds sent down range.
These shots were made at 50 yards, with the Leupold Scout Scope.
The M3 from Fulton has a UltiMAK Picatinny rail on the handguard. So we mounted up a Leupold scout scope to see what we could do with some optics. We sighted it in at 50 yards and were able to put 5 round groups into one big hole. That is well above what this design should be able to do. It did open up some at 100 yards but it was well under the 3 MOA guarantee.
It is worth noting that I’ve shot a number of original M1 Carbines. I can say that the ones I shot were not capable of the accuracy the Fulton exhibited. Maybe they were when they were brand new, but not today. And none of the later reproductions can compare with this one, either.
The above shooting was from a bench on a Caldwell Led Sled. I like to use this set up to see what a rifle is actually capable of. This is not a bench rest gun. But I tried to remove as much human error as I could to see how small a group the carbine could shoot. That being done it was time to get it off the bench.
Trigger pull came in at 5 pounds.
The true beauty of the M1 Carbine design is how small and light it is. This was made when the battle rifle was the norm. The Carbine was supposed to be used by troops in the rear or as a secondary weapon that would replace the 1911. But it became more than that. It is a great platform to use in confined spaces. I would rather have had a carbine than a Garand if I was clearing buildings in Germany.
We spent a good deal of time firing the Fulton from the shoulder at various distances and while moving. Of course the group size was a lot bigger than from the bench, but it was still good. I would have no problem using this carbine for home defense. Actually, it is a very good choice for this. Loaded with soft point or the Hornady Critical Defense rounds, it would be great for maneuvering through a house. Put a red dot on the rail for low light and you have a nice little package.
With the right scope mount, you can still use the irons. It isn’t a historical set up, but it works incredibly well.
Thoughts
This was actually a hard review to write and I mean that in a good way. It is a lot easier to write a review of a firearm that I don’t like than one that I do. I really have nothing negative to say about the Fulton M3 Scout Carbine. It functions as it is supposed to. It isn’t picky with ammo and it shoots a very fight groups for the design. The Picatinny rail helps this old platform be relevant with today’s accessories and gives it a decidedly modern twist.
And consdier the potential of the .30 Carbine. The 7.62 x 33 round is no slouch. The rifle will send a 110 grain bullet downrange at speeds approaching 2,000 FPS. Most want to compare the round to a .357, and it is an apt comparison. From an 18 inch barrel, the .357 averages similar speeds, and may match grain weight exactly (or may weigh in a bit heavier).
If you want a M1 Carbine for strictly historical nostalgia and don’t plan on shooting it very often, buy an original. If you want one that you can shoot round-after-round through and also use it as a tool, then look long and hard at the Fulton M1 Carbines. From my experience with originals, the Fulton feels, functions and shoots better than the real thing.
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The oiler tucks into the stock, tightly, and holds in and is held in by the strap.
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This is the other side of the rear strap mount. It is a stylish way to mount a strap, which can be tightened down along the stock so it doesn’t flop around.
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The oiler has a tiny point for precision work.
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The butt-pad would be hard of your shoulder if the gun had any real kick. But it doesn’t.
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There is something appealing about a gun that delivers point of aim accuracy, consistently.
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This group spread out a bit, but it was shot from 100 yards.
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The carbine has virtually no muzzle rise, which makes rapid shots easy to pull off.
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The fit of the steel and wood is snug and secure–yet it still has the feel of modular design.
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The knurled knob on the rear sight makes rapid adjustment easy.
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The rear sight is substantial, and allows for well placed shots out to 100 yards.
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The action on this gun is as smooth as many top-end, hand fitted 1911s. Even when dirty, it ran without any hitch. You have to feel it to understand–it is slick and there are no rough spots or snags.
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We had no failures of any kind with the Fulton. It feeds the Hornady hollow points and will extract steel cases.
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The safety is a simple rocker design that is easy to find for right handed shooters.
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Magazine changes with the carbine design are slower than they are on a typical AR, but practice and muscle memory will speed up the process.
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There are numerous sources for new and reproduction magazines, and all of the ones we had on hand (even the rusty ones) worked.
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This barrel band retaining spring acts as a fail safe in case the screw on the barrel band falls out.
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No flash hider needed for a .30 Carbine. Almost all of the powder burns in the barrel. Yet another reason why it makes a good home defense gun.
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The front post is protected by steel wings.
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The Boyds stamp inside the stock.
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The stock is fitted incredibly well, and is almost as clean inside as it is on the outside.
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The FA stamp is subtle, and will wear in well as the stock darkens. The CMcK? My guess is it is an Artist’s signature, Clint McKee–President of Fulton Armory.
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The figure in the stock is an extra bonus. It is just dressy enough, I think, without being ostentatious.
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The back of the slide has a heavy block which contains the gas system.
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While Fulton has used surplus parts when they’re available, this action was made in-house in Maryland.
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The UltiMAK rail bolts into place on the barrel.
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This open design allows for easy inspection of the working parts. You can see what is working and what isn’t.
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After the review, this gun is beginning to get to get dirty, but it never slowed down.
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Though the bolt was getting dirty, the guts remained remarkably clean.
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I want to buy one
Have read all of the comments that have been left that are positive and negative. I currently own a Fulton Armory M1 Carbine with the Boyds walnut stock that I finished using a walnut stain & linceed oil. Taking it to the range and shooting from a bench, I am able to obtain at 2 in or better at 100 yards and better yet at 50 yards. I am a 80 year old retired Naval Officer whose eyes are not as good when I first qualified expert back in the late 50’s, but I can still shoot as well with the Fulton Armory M1 Carbine. I just recently ordered my second Fulton Armory M1 Carbine and will make it into a M3 Scout. As far as the cost issue that has been written about in several of the comments, I sure wasn’t swayed one way or the other. I purchased a Fulton M1 Carbine due to the fine reports they have received. I own a M1 Garrand by Springfield I purchased from CMP in special grade and the Fulton by far in all aspects is a far better work of art, and the proof is when you go to the range. All these M1 Carbines shoot, but some shoot better than others, and IMO the Fulton Armory M1 Carbine is one that is at the top of the list.
I’m 82 years old and collect unusual guns. I just purchased the New Inland “IMP” in 30 cal. Carbine. Haven’t fired it yet but looks to be a mean machine. The receiver uses same as the Original that I have ( 1943 IBM ) and the original Mags work just fine. Threaded and floating barrel and with Day Glow front sight and a peep rear sight. I would think that it would make a great home defense weapon. It is classed as a pistol because of the short barrel and NO shoulder stock. Talk about a Pack Gun this is just about the best fit yet. Except for the heaver ammo it also is a great survival weapon. I use two types of ammo in my original (Standard Ball 110 gr and Soft point 110gr ) according to my use. It should be Ideal for this new Gun also.
Happy Shooting >>> Oldmarine
The M-1 Carbine is a great pistol with aspirations of being a rifle. Love the things.
My father carried this carbine all through the South
Pacific from Guadalcanal to Samar circa 1942 to 1945.
As an Army Air Corps radio man it served him well and
did save his life.
I bought the Auto Ordnance new model 6 years ago
in honor of my late dad. I had trained with the M16 in the early seventies. Give me the M1 Carbine any day!
It’s one sweet shooting rifle! I paid about $850 which
seems fair for a brand new one.
At $1600 you need to want one very badly. With todays computerised milling machines and the ability to cast to size, this is an over priced toy. .357 carbines can be had from $400 to $800 depending on action and maker. But in a world where people pay 2000+ for an AR perhaps a real gun of steel and wood is worth something after all.
My first M1 Carbine was a 1966 Universal copy. Still have it. Looks great, shoots well and is about 80 percent faithfull to original. Then I got the Auto Ordnance new one with the folding stock and Ultimak rail. Then I got the Ruger wheel gun in 30 Carbine with 7in. barrel. Great handgun and super accurate! All are a joy to shoot.
I am fixing up an old Socom 16 just wanted to see what parts You have laying around for sale! That”s it.
The M4/M16 definitely has a range advantage over the M1 Carbine. The M1 Carbine is more a 150 to 200 yard weapon.
Ethan Johns of SWAT Magazine (April 2014) was very surprised when he ran an M1 Carbine against a M4-style AR15 in various shooting drills at 100 yards and less, some rapid fire. During the seven yard presentation stage he stated “I was frankly a little disturbed that the surplus gun was making me look bad with an AR…..”
The difference between a select fire .30 car and an M-4/M16 is rather obvious and the carbine would’ve never passed the tests the Army used to replace the M14. The 30 Carbine is a 100yd gun and the M16 is a 600yd weapon with a much faster bullet, and a lighter round making it easier for the Infantry Soldier to carry the full battle load. The M4 which may be a better comparison to the .30 still outperforms it in almost every way, and actually I would say every way. Again the M4 is good out to 450+YDS and .30 was never supposed to be used as a primary weapon. It was to be carried by officers instead of a 1911, or carried by troops in the rear so you really can’t even compare it to an M4 which is today’s primary battle rifle. I am not advocating one or the other here, even though I carried and used the M16/M4 for the 15+ years I was in the Army. I believe both of these rifles or “carbines” have there pluses and minuses, but for today’s military the .30 Carbine has no place. It’s outdated antiqued equipment, that has been improved upon many times over. I do like it as a plinking gun and it would make a good home defense gun as well, but it just isn’t up to being a full battle rifle and that was never it’s purpose at all so it’s ok that it doesn’t fill this roll.
SSG G. out
“Death Waits in the Dark”
I have to agree that the M1 carbine has no place in the modern army although, modern from me is questionable since my rifle was the POS M16A1. But, even the select fire M1 doesn’t fit. the M16 seemed more like a replacement for the M1 carbine than a main battle rifle. I never could get over the idea that it is a mouse gun. A round designed for and best suited for shooting football sized varmints.
As for carrying a full load of ammo, Soldiers have been toting around heavier loads for ages before the 5.56 came along. The whole premise of the M16 was designed for a ‘spray & pray’ jungle environment rifle. You rarely if ever saw your enemy. You just firing a flashes in a wood line. The one benefit to the 55gr round and the rifling of the M16-16A1 was that it was unstable and tumbled through whatever it hit tearing h–l out if it, him, her. Of course, they had to go change that and stabilize the round so you’re just shooting a souped up .22. You refer to it as a 600yd gun. I seem to recall the “maximum effective range” as 460m but everybody new it wouldn’t stop a cockroach at that range even though you could hit it. I know many a guy that would have dearly loved to have dropped the ’16 into a buffalo wallow and taken somebody’s uber reliable and hard hitting AK but, that unmistakable sound would do nothing but draw fire so that really wasn’t a good idea. Some still did it anyway.
Now this new fangled “M4” you refer to I know nothing about. I take that back. I know one thing improved over my long gone and unlamented M16. The M16A1 would choke royally on even a little bit of dust. I took training at Ft. Jackson (not on but at least on the lower part of “Tank Hill”) and the sand dust constantly jammed the things. Mud it could handle fine. Dust? No way! I used to say I hoped they never had to take it to the desert.
You Fudd hard, son.
I think this was what was intended to follow the M14. The M1Car seems to be everything that the M16 tests were looking for. has anyone done a comparison of the two?
I have to question the M3 designation. The original M3 was select fire. If this weapon is not select fire, why the confusing appellation ?
The authors designation of a M3 carbine is all wrong. The select fire .30 cal carbine was an M2 not m3. I know since I carried one for 4 years.
Yes, the select-fire carbines were designated M2. An M3 carbine was the one set up to employ the WW2 vintage infrared night scope also used in the Korean war. I remember these from Army basic training back in 1962. Haven’t seen one since.
I, too, love these old relics from a previous era. In my humble opinion the M2 carbine with full stock makes a better submachine gun than most submachine guns I have tried. lighter and more reliable than a Sten, lighter and more compact than a Beretta MP 38, and better range and accuracy than most anything in 9mm or .30 Tok. It also has the advantage ( in my opinion ) of firing from a closed bolt like a H&K MP5. I currently own a Norinco MAK 90 and a Bushmaster XM-15 E2S, but I still dream of adding a nice original carbine to the safe. The heart wants what the heart wants. S.M.Woods
I have 6 carbines, dad bought me the 1st one in 1963 and I got a 6pt buck the first time out. Love them , thanks dad. Just got through rebuilding a Saginaw, put Fulton stock on it, fits like a glove. Built to early production so need to adjust rear flip sight yet. What fun, reload 30 cal carbine ammo too.always a big help.
PS. Always would have rather used a carbine than a m16 in 1968 in the Mekong delta. Problem everybody else had 5.56 ammo.
My uncle George served in Papua New Guiney and the Philippines in WW II. He said his Garand was too heavy for jungle warfare, so he followed a 2nd lieutenant around till the guy got killed and took his M1 carbine. He loved it, and carried it for the rest of the war. I also learned to love a lightweight carbine. When it’s a 120 degrees in the shade of the jungle canopy and your carrying a rucksack full of explosives, rations and what not, every once of weight you can save counts
WARNING: Several years ago some jerk imported some COUNTERFEIT LC (Lake City) 53 ammo allegedly from China. . Looked just like the original, headstamp LC53, including the tan pasteboard box, but was CORROSIVE. The only difference was it was Berdan primed,but you cannot tell that without shooting it or pulling a bullet and looking inside the case. It’s safe to fire but you MUST clean the bore and gas piston assembly with soapy water to remove the corrosive salts.Given the gas piston assembly is not designed to be removed (It is staked in place), avoid any GI ammo of uncertain lineage. Just for the record, US arsenals never used corrosive primers, or Berdan. Had some French surplus that was Berdan primed, but it was noncorrosive. Just a word of caution to all.
Question,is the original M-1 carbine illegal in New Jersey(made in 1945) because it has a bayonet rivioted bayonet lock on the barrel.I am told,i can not even take it out of my house,in our state?
Sounds to me like you desperately need to move out of that communist hell hole so you can take your gun out of your house and have a little fun when you feel like it.
It’s not much better in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Kommiefornia!!!
I’m a Former Marine.I carried/Fired the M1 Garand while in the Corps. I’m VERY INTERESTED in the FULTON CARBINE. Is it (the RECEIVER) FORGED,or the other the other process? Get back to me. so I can Decide to BUY ONE. Thanks, Louie
Hey Louis, I believe your asking if it is “FORGED” or “INVESTMENT CAST”. I have not researched this gun enough to know. I do know that forged is preferred.
The receiver is machined from solid stock, “billet” in the manufacturing machinist’s vernacular.
I love my M1 Carbine. My Winchester came from the gun show back in ’01 for $350 but had been blued and bastardized. I’ll consider buying one when I have a spare $1500 kicking around just for the Ultimak and 5# trigger. My 9# trigger is a bit much for me. I love the M1 a whole lot more than the M&P 15T I have for the appearance, sound, feel and operation. The M1C, M1 Garand, M14/ M1A, and Minis have so much more character than the black aluminum and plastic AR types we have these days.
I have an “original” (after all, probably 99% of all M1 carbines out there have been rebuilt at least once) Inland I bought for $700 at a gun show and despite its age, it is amazingly accurate and a joy to shoot. This new model looks nice but for $1,500, you can get two original ones and ammo to feed it. I do agree with the reviewer’s assertion that you really need to fire one for yourself.
Having a Inland M1 Carbine that appears to be an all original except for the stock, I truly feel that I have one that just continues to increase in value. Giving only a fraction of what the Fulton model is going for almost three years ago, I like the ideal that mine is truly worth every penny as the Fulton model. The receiver and matching barrel both check out for the production year of February 1944. It’s a type III with the flip safety and “M” stamp on the magazine release along with bayonet lug. No cartouches or inspection stamps on the stock. It’s a great WWII mate for my M1 Garand that was made in April of 1941. Both are great shooters!
Oh, and I like my AR in .223/5.56 too!
For 1500.00, just grab an m1a standard and shoot like a pro the first time out! Ruger makes a nice wheel gun in .30 carbine for about 475.00 . I would buy the ruger mini 30 which uses the popular AK47 round or 7.62×39 for under 1k. If money were not so scarce these days, I might talk myself into one of these just for bragging rights! I guess I will just have to keep on bragging about my M1A Loaded. What a beautiful shooter right out of the box.
I own a vintage National Postal Meter, 1943 manufacture, that I picked up for $650 at a gun show a few years back. Shoots well, no magazine issues, and is a lot of fun to shoot. I love the platform and have no interest in .223 calibers. I’m a .30 caliber enthusiast, and always will be. I like what Fulton did with this rifle. A little pricey but good ideas.
Looks wonderful. Now, why didn’t they chamber it in something useful like 5.56 (.223)? Round size would fit and the .223 is a lot more effective and actually would produce less recoil.
And the comment that this Carbine produces more power than a pistol?
Shouldn’t it just as a beginning point? Otherwise, why bother: buy a less expensive pistol caliber carbine (which usually produces more power than a pistol too)?
The M1 Carbine in .223 would probably destroy the receiver as that weapon was not designed for it. Also, it has a straight jacket with means it is legal to hunt with in many states (bottle neck ammo is a no-no for hunting in Indiana as an example). Yes, it produces more energy than a pistol round, but there are not many magazine fed, semi-auto .357 Magnum carbines running around that I know. (And yes, the .30 Carbine does have a small number of handguns that accept/use the round, but that is neither here nor there.) I believe that the “more power than a pistol” discussion is partially for home use. I use my M1 in the house. More terminal energy than a .357 but won’t go through multiple walls in my suburban neighborhood. It also can be considered better than a pistol not only for the round, but the number of rounds which you can hold. 15 and 30 round mags are normal, but there are some after market 40 round mags for the M1. I do agree though, the price is much too high for what you are getting: WWII technology with a rail. Just buy a Kahr made M1 Carbine and use the rest to purchase more stuff (or God forbid save some money for the future!). With the right ammo, the .30 Car will take deer and humans. Most 9mm can do one but not the other…..or at least I am not willing to take my MP5SD to try and bag a buck.
I have the Kahr M1. It cost one third the price of the Fulton ($495). I replaced the handguard with a railed handguard from Ultimak for under $100. It shoots everything I run through it (mostly steel-cased Tula FMJ at the range) without problems. I could have two of the Kahrs set up like mine for the cost of the Fulton, with enough cash left over for several hundred rounds of ammunition. Someone needs to rethink their pricing structure.
Old School love going on here. Enjoy.
I’m just going to do what my Mama tough tought me and be silent.
a real beauty indeed especially for multiple use but $1,500 seems a little too much for brand new old technology, $500 – $700 more likely for fast sale but only time will tell.
this sounds like a fun rifle to shoot and just to have, I have never had the pleasure of shooting one of them and hope to be able to get one soon.
I would love to have one but not anywhere near a price gouging price like this. Good luck finding suckers, not me.
Calling people “suckers” only tells us that you’re broke and don’t want to face yourself.
10 years ago I ordered a custom-built AR-15 upper from Fulton… it cost me 1k$ even back then, but the quality is beyond “outstanding”. The accuracy and reliability are beyond expectation, and out of the six AR-15’s I own, the Fulton is the one I would carry to a fight before the others.
If I wanted a .30 Carbine, I would buy only a Fulton…because wise men buy a “result”, whereas “suckers” buy a “price”.
I hope, going forward, you find some class and maturity so the rest of us don’t have to correct you in public again.
I qualified with the carbine back in 1959. Loved the gun. I would one of the Fultons but not at this price.
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Nice looking carbine! But very pricy. I requalified twice with the M1 Carbine during my 1964–1966 Army draftee stint. The very old carbines never failed to fire–but were all over the target at 100 yards. The Basic Training M14-s were dead on up to 400 yards.
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I didn’t want to buy / rebuild an antique rifle. I bought the Kahr / Auto Ordinance M1 Carbine reproduction for about $600 bucks new. Great looking–very accurate–when I can get it to fire! Problems getting the B-square Weaver rail scope mount to stay mounted–had to rework it myself. Needed chamber polishing, removing parkerizing from the feed ramp / bolt. Heavy oiling needed. Only the Korean repro 30 round mags work well in it. Still get primer hits / failures to fire–very ammo sensitive. Jams every few shots with S&B FMJ–but runs great with S&B soft point ammo. Great gun–when it goes off. 4X mil-dot scope, Red Dot sight, and green long range laser. My daughter loves shooting it.
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Rocketman
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I have an original Korean reimport I bought for $199 from Wal-mart in ’91 made by Underwood. It was in very good condition and not shot out. Good shooter with no pits or corrosion in bore and the walnut stock was not cracked or filled, only normal wear. Even the original canvas sling was still strong and not rotted. I’m lucky I bought it then as at $1,600 bucks for a .30 M1 caliber carbine I sure wouldn’t now.
I was thinking about buying a reasonably priced one but $1600? The one sold by Big5 sells for $799? It is still a bit steep for me. I am glad I built my own AR for around $600 awhile back. I am still interested if anybody wants to sell for cheap.
Nice little rifle but $1600? Maybe for some, not for me.
Nicely assembled copy of an old standby. I haven’t shot an M1 carbine in almost 50 yrs now (time passes too quickly!). There are lots of desirable ‘tools & toys’ available, but I don’t believe this one will rate high on many American’s lists as a must have. @ $1500…best of luck selling many to the average ‘Joe’. Other things, including many in the world of firearms that seem a lot more worthy of that amount of change for a limited use, centerfire ‘plinker’ that could be used for hunting as well as home defense alternate #87.
I, harvested my first deer an eight point buck in 1968 with an original, best i recall it was a winchester, which was owned by my uncle . they are ok for close in shots and easy to carry.$1500 is more than a lot of people can afford. Still a neat little carbine. Bob Lee
Time for a shoot-out! James River Armory has been selling the Rockola new-old M1 for several years now, which has a similar pedigree: mostly new parts with some surviving old ones mixed in. Selling for MSRP of $1195.00 as advertised in this month’s SGN. The new top rail for the Fulton is a clear winner, but worth the extra $? I’m loving this trend and hoping that others see the clear advantage in continuing manufacture of some old classics. Maybe Hornady can see its way to making some LeveRevolution in .30 cal.
I have an Inland my dad got thru the NRA way back in 1968. Cost was under $20. He carried one in the Seabee’s when he landed in North Africa. I shot the heck out of it growing up. Wonderfully simple rifle. Nice to see them still out there.
I ALSO HAVE THE M1 CARBINE. GOT MINE THROUGH THE ROCK ISLAND ARMORY IN ILLINOIS FOR $17.50 PLUS $2.50 PACKAGING & HANDLING. i STILL OWN IT AND IT’S IN PRIME SHAPE. I ALSO OWN IT’S BIG BROTHER THE M1 GARAND. AWESOME RIFLES.
173rd lnf… it was one of the best before the M-16 and never got any dead…
173rd lnf… it was one of the best back then before any M-16 and never got any one dead…
Sorry about the double post…..on a new phone and I will admit I am not 100 percent in control of this thing yet!
I have a surplus (CMP) M1 Carbine. I run Hornady Critical Defense through it and keep it as a nice little home defense weapon. Light enough for the wide with one kid in the other arm and the 110g round has more than enough take down potential. I have said for years it is almost perfect for this job and my testing on balistic gel saya the same…..but $15xx is a bit much even for me! Great article, would love to see some more testing on this rifle and .30 Car rounds!
I would like to apology for my horrible spelling: “wide” should be “wife.” (I hope she does not see this!) And “saya” should be “says.” Yipes. That is what I get for trying to post before at 0530 before PT.
I have a surplus (CMP) M1 Carbine. I run Hornady Critical Defense through it and keep it as a nice little home defense weapon. Light enough for the wide with one kid in the other arm and the 110g round has more than enough take down potential. I have said for years it is almost perfect for this job and my testing on balistic gel saya the same…..but $15xx is a bit much even for me! Great article, would love to see some more testing on this rifle and .30 Car rounds!