Thoughts on this M1 Carbine?

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  • CD2007
    • Dec 2020
    • 24

    Thoughts on this M1 Carbine?

    Was at a local gun store today to pick up/transfer an item ordered online and they had an M1 Carbine for sale that just came into their shop. I have been looking to acquire an M1 Carbine but don't know much about them. Wanted to ask the community what thoughts you all might have about the condition of the rifle and the price.

    Pics are here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folde...dj?usp=sharing

    Here is what I can tell from looking at and taking pictures of the rifle:
    -Receiver marked: "INLAND DIV"
    -Serial #: 681104
    -Rear Sight: Adjustable stamped version marked "I.R. CO."
    -Front Sight Marked: "S.A."
    -Safety: Lever type
    -Barrel Band has bayonet lug
    -Low wood stock
    -Left side of buttstock near oiler cutout has "RIA EB" cartouche
    -Circle P cartouche on the front of the grip
    -Circle P cartouche and "A" on the underside/heel of the grip
    -Top of barrel behind front sight is marked "S A 12 50" with an inverted "P" above it.
    -No import marks on the barrel or receiver

    Concerns/Cons:
    -Stock has been refinished with glossy coat
    -Brass pin repair on the handguard near the barrel band
    -Brass pin repair at the wrist behind the trigger guard

    Shop is asking $1300 which includes the rifle, a soft case, two magazines, and a sling. Any thoughts on this rifle? Is this a good price for this rifle in this condition?

    Thanks!
  • Hesalite
    • Apr 2016
    • 64

    #2
    I’d pass based on the stock alone. Spend some time reading and learning about the M1 Carbine and what to expect from an arsenal refinished gun (your best bet). Don’t chase “original” early M1 Carbines as there are more fakers out there than original rifles and you’ll easily be taken.

    Comment

    • GotSnlB28
      • Oct 2010
      • 1707

      #3
      It's a rebuilt rifle with later updates and a replacement barrel. I think you can do better for $1300. The shop has a business to run for sure, but I see better deals out there even in the current market.

      Comment

      • RDS
        • Jan 2018
        • 389

        #4
        Barrel is a Springfield Armory from December 1950. M1 carbines with SA barrels are not common. Appears the Carbine was rebuilt during the Korean war. $1300.00 seems high.
        At $1150.00 sounds more in line.

        Comment

        • grits
          • Oct 2009
          • 232

          #5
          carbine sale

          Sling is for a Garand.
          Looks good though. What was the ME?
          are mags is good condition ?
          I'd say $1200 maxl

          Comment

          • markmcc
            • Jun 2010
            • 168

            #6
            Have you looked at other venues to see what $1300 buys you? From what I am seeing on the online auction sites $1000 to $1500 is the new normal. The glossy finish on the stock is no big deal to remove. The case, sling and mags if GI are another $50-$75 if you have to buy them separate. Others have commented that $1150 or $1200 is the max. To me $100 or $150 is not enough to be a deal breaker.

            Comment

            • Hesalite
              • Apr 2016
              • 64

              #7
              Originally posted by markmcc View Post
              Have you looked at other venues to see what $1300 buys you? From what I am seeing on the online auction sites $1000 to $1500 is the new normal. The glossy finish on the stock is no big deal to remove. The case, sling and mags if GI are another $50-$75 if you have to buy them separate. Others have commented that $1150 or $1200 is the max. To me $100 or $150 is not enough to be a deal breaker.
              If you can get a rifle for the same price which doesn’t require stock restoration, why not?

              Comment

              • Str8liner
                • Dec 2013
                • 476

                #8
                I say 1K would be a good deal and is actually what its worth IMO as long as the bore is excellent.

                Wouldnt pay a dime over that....

                Comment

                • T38Carbine
                  • Feb 2010
                  • 5982

                  #9
                  I agree with the others that $1300 seems high. See if you can haggle them down a bit. But carbines seem to be seen for sale less and less. Maybe this is the new normal?

                  Comment

                  • CD2007
                    • Dec 2020
                    • 24

                    #10
                    Originally posted by Hesalite View Post
                    I’d pass based on the stock alone. Spend some time reading and learning about the M1 Carbine and what to expect from an arsenal refinished gun (your best bet). Don’t chase “original” early M1 Carbines as there are more fakers out there than original rifles and you’ll easily be taken.
                    Yeah. I've been trying to read up to become more familiar with them. It looks like I missed the bus on the CMP M1 Carbines by many years. I have no issues with an arsenal refinished gun. I was thinking I should be able to find a shootable mixmaster for around $1000. Ok, thank you for the advice on the early M1 Carbines!

                    Comment

                    • CD2007
                      • Dec 2020
                      • 24

                      #11
                      Originally posted by GotSnlB28 View Post
                      It's a rebuilt rifle with later updates and a replacement barrel. I think you can do better for $1300. The shop has a business to run for sure, but I see better deals out there even in the current market.
                      Ok, thanks for the feedback! Right, the price seemed a little high to me. I didn't know if there was something special about this particular gun I was missing that made it worth $1300. Yeah, I haven't seen much locally and the gun shows in the Northern Virginia area where I would normally go to look keep getting cancelled due to COVID.

                      Comment

                      • CD2007
                        • Dec 2020
                        • 24

                        #12
                        Originally posted by RDS View Post
                        Barrel is a Springfield Armory from December 1950. M1 carbines with SA barrels are not common. Appears the Carbine was rebuilt during the Korean war. $1300.00 seems high.
                        At $1150.00 sounds more in line.
                        Ok, I thought so on the barrel. The price did seem high to me as well. The gun store is mainly modern guns, so I was surprised to see the M1 Carbine up on a wall tucked behind the corner of a pillar in the middle of the room. One of the guys working there saw me looking at it and told me it had just been traded in and an expert on M1 Carbines had just happened to be in the store at the same time. He said the M1 Carbine guy said it was a Vietnam era barrel and rebuild which on the surface didn't make sense to me because of what looked like a 12 50 date on the barrel itself, but I don't profess to know much about M1 Carbines either so I didn't say anything about it. Thank you for the feedback!

                        Comment

                        • CD2007
                          • Dec 2020
                          • 24

                          #13
                          Originally posted by grits View Post
                          Sling is for a Garand.
                          Looks good though. What was the ME?
                          are mags is good condition ?
                          I'd say $1200 maxl
                          The gun did look good. Of all (4) M1 Carbines I've been able to physically handle in the past 6 months, this one outwardly looked the best to me. No idea on ME/TE. I do have a set of CMP ME/TE gauges for Garands, but I did not have the ME tool with me at the store (I was there to pick up an AR-15 lower). There was no mag with the gun and I did not ask to see the mags (probably should have). Yeah, $1300 seemed a little high to me. Thanks for the feedback!

                          Comment

                          • CD2007
                            • Dec 2020
                            • 24

                            #14
                            Originally posted by markmcc View Post
                            Have you looked at other venues to see what $1300 buys you? From what I am seeing on the online auction sites $1000 to $1500 is the new normal. The glossy finish on the stock is no big deal to remove. The case, sling and mags if GI are another $50-$75 if you have to buy them separate. Others have commented that $1150 or $1200 is the max. To me $100 or $150 is not enough to be a deal breaker.
                            I've only glanced at gunbroker a few times. I don't know if I'm asking the impossible - but what I had in mind was a shooter grade mixmaster for around $1000. What I have been using for reference (in absence of being able to go to a gun show in Northern Virginia since they keep getting cancelled due to COVID) are the ones for sale in local gun shops, the ones for sale by RTI, the ones in the Cabela's online catalog of used guns, and the handful that get listed here on the forums in the M1 Carbine parts FS/FT section. RTI has Inland M1 Carbines from Ethiopia for $1199, but it feels to me like too much of a gamble - some folks have reported receiving great rifles, but some have said they were in terrible shape. The cheapest one at Cabela's is $1699 but to my untrained eye I don't think it is worth that much. Locally, I have seen an Auto-Ordnance repro for $1100 (I'm really looking for USGI production not modern reproduction), a Saginaw in rough shape for $2599, the Inland mentioned in this thread (best I've seen cosmetically in person), and what to me was a highly suspect Quality HMC gun. The Quality HMC did not have a rear sight at all, no mag, the serial number was 5xxx and it looked like the rear of the receiver had the original makers mark and serial ground off and the new 4 digit serial was re-stamped by hand. When I asked about it, the store worker told me it was probably captured by the Germans in WWII who would re-serial number captured weapons they used. He also said it was in an M2 stock and it had a drilled and tapped hole on the left side of the receiver near the chamber above the woodline. That store was asking $950 for that one but I passed on it.

                            How would you go about removing the glossy finish?

                            Thanks for the feedback!

                            Comment

                            • CD2007
                              • Dec 2020
                              • 24

                              #15
                              Originally posted by Str8liner View Post
                              I say 1K would be a good deal and is actually what its worth IMO as long as the bore is excellent.

                              Wouldnt pay a dime over that....
                              Thanks for the feedback! That is the price I had in mind - around $1000. I'm not sure if the store would budge though. Whatever factor(s) may be causing it, there is definitely a gun buying panic in my area. For example, I have also been looking for a Yugo M59/66 SKS. I follow a local store on facebook and saw an SKS on their wall at their store in one of their posts. I went in to check it out and was shocked to see it listed for $999.99. I remember when Yugo SKSs were under $100 (and still kick myself for not buying one then). Empire Arms has recently listed some for sale in the $500 range. I thought the local Yugo SKS was way overpriced and would sit for a while, but 2 days later it was gone, so someone paid up for it. If the Inland M1 hasn't already sold over the weekend, I'm sure someone will pay the $1300 for it.

                              Comment

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