M1 Carbines, starting today!

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 4:55 pm

All,

In anticipation of the M1 Carbine avalanche at the CMP

http://www.odcmp.com/rifles/carbine.htm

I have begun collecting (mostly completed now)
powder/brass/bullets/mags/slings/oilers/stippers/bandoleers to make
operational those Carbines that me and my wife will obtain.

I first started with a search for 15 round USGI mags. Found several
sellers but none who I new, except Gun Parts Corp. So I ordered 10
mags and 3 sling/oiler sets from them.
I was very pleased with all that they shipped. Most of the mags look
newish with only a few with very minor wear marks and the slightest
spots of rust. All came in wax/oil wrappers and the rust was in spots
where the wrappers had worn through. The slings and oilers all appear
new. They are described as "replacements" so I expected them to be in
new condition.

So I ordered another set of 10 mags and 2 more sling/oiler sets. Did I
mention that we intend to get several carbines? OK, maybe not, but we
do. It's for the children, our grandchildren actually.

The 2nd set of mags/slings/oilers arrived and slings/oilers were new,
as before. The mags were a little more worn, but not too much. Six of
this set appeared newish, and three more showed a little wear with dings
here and there.
The last one looks like it had been inserted and removed at least a
thousand times with most of the paint on the upper third of the mag
gone. However, no rust, and the follower is perfect and the spring is just
as tight as the others. It has some character to it and is a keeper.

Most of the mags were marked "U" (Underwood), some were
marked "B" (IBM), a couple were "SG" (Saginaw), and I have one each
marked "IA" and "UQ". I think that IA may be IAI (Israeli?) but the UQ
has me stumped unless it is Quality Hardware. Any guesses anyone?

Anyhow they all have M1 followers (no mag lock), some have old and
some have new base plates, and the mag bodies are about as identical as
can be expected from different makers. I have insertion and function
fired all of them and they all work just fine.

In addition to the mag shipment came a load of powder/brass/bullets,
all from Jeff Bartlett at gibrass.com.
I got an eight lb. jug of pulldown WC820 (the original .30 carbine
powder), 2000 pieces of deprimed LC-52 brass, and 2000 110gr FMJ
bullets. The powder is a fine ball and loads at 13 -14 grs. per cartridge.
I have never used it so this was something new to experiment with. And
what I have found so far is that two loads consistantly have the best SD;
13.2 and 14.0. Both are coming in at an SD of about 20. I have loaded
up another bunch at 13.2 and will be accuracy checking these soon.

All loads functioned just fine in my carbine.

The brass looks great. It has all been cleaned and mostly shines like
new. The bullets look the same with no marks or tar on them.
I had a bad experience with some pulled .30 carbine brass from
Wideners a few years ago and decided to try someone new. I am now a
big fan of Jeff Bartlett as he does a nice job of finishing both the brass and
bullets.

I also picked up a bunch of 10 round strippers, guides, and cloth
bandoleers. These came from CheaperThanDirt and all appear new.
I was not too concerned about authenticity with these, just functionality.
I am loading up all of the new brass and will fill the strippers and
bandoleers to be placed in ammo cans for the kids.

I also intend to "customize" the Carbines for each of the grand kids by
having their names engraved into the stocks. Maybe after they get these
they will stop calling me GRUMPA. Well, maybe somewhere in time it
will happen.

So if any of you are getting the M1 Carbine itch and you need stuff,
mags and slings/oilers can be had at Gun Parts Corp.
gunpartscorp.com

And I highly recommend Jeff at gibrass.com for reloading components.

As for CTD, well everyone has their own stories and opinions but for
this stuff it worked out fine.

Our orders were mailed to the CMP on Saturday and they have
updated their web site indicating that they are now accepting Inland
orders. So now that I have most of my stuff in hand I don't mind sharing
sources. It's going to be a busy year getting the carbines ready and
all of this loaded for the children. A pure labor of love.

Kind Regards,

Tom

gigag04 · Post by **gigag04** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 6:33 pm

pictures of your projects??

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 6:50 pm

gigag04 wrote:pictures of your projects??

Sure, but it will be many months before we get all that we need
and I have everything done. Most of the remaining Carbines
won't even be available until after september.

I'll try to remember to take some pics and get them posted then.

Thanks for the idea.

Kind Regards,

Tom

jimlongley · Post by **jimlongley** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 7:56 pm

I only wish I could afford just one.

KBCraig · Post by **KBCraig** » Tue May 01, 2007 1:15 am

I'm a collector, but the USGI stuff is just too pricey for me. I happily admit that I'm a crufflecarp -- a bottom feeder of the cruffling world.

I'd like a Car-bean. When I was a kid, they sold for about thirty bucks. Just 3-4 years ago there was a good supply available for $180, but only to LE agencies (because of quirks in import rules).

It's sad that CMP has finally run out of M1 Garands. When the carbines run out, I don't know what they're going to sell.

Kevin

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Tue May 01, 2007 6:02 am

KBCraig wrote:I'm a collector, but the USGI stuff is just too pricey for me. I happily admit that I'm a crufflecarp -- a bottom feeder of the cruffling world.

I'd like a Car-bean. When I was a kid, they sold for about thirty bucks. Just 3-4 years ago there was a good supply available for $180, but only to LE agencies (because of quirks in import rules).

It's sad that CMP has finally run out of M1 Garands. When the carbines run out, I don't know what they're going to sell.

Kevin

Kevin,

As for the price, sure I wish that they were $30 but... it is what it is. The upside is that all makers
will be available in September. I may stick to all Inland if they have enough left by next year.
Or get a couple more of the QH to match the one I currently have.

You might be in luck with the Garands. Rumor has it that a boatload of Greek repats are being
unloaded and may be available to the CMP late this year. The tally, as the rumor goes, is in
the 10's of thousands. This info came from the CMP forum a few weeks ago but I have not checked
lately for an update.

I am off this A.M. to the Grand Canyon for a week. When I return I will check on the CMP forum to
see if there is more info on the Greeks. I could always use a couple more.
Garands that is.

Kind Regards,

Tom