My first M1 Carbine

[DW357]

Bought this 1944 Inland M1 Carbine from a fellow NESer on Saturday morning. The barrel says Blue Sky, Arlington, VA? I assume that's the importer? Anyway, it came with 2 15 round mags, 1 30 round mag, hard case, 100 rounds of old UMC ammo, and a scabbard (which the seller forgot to bring but will be mailing it to me this week). Real nice condition. I don't believe the stock is original but it looks good enough for me, has only 2 minor chips on it. The metal buttplate is just a tad bit loose even after tightening the screw (which doesn't get snug so I think it's stripped?) but it's only loose if you grab it and try to move it. It doesn't rattle around just from picking it up or anything.

View attachment 115536View attachment 115535View attachment 115537View attachment 115539View attachment 115538

I didn't have too much time for accuracy testing other than setting up my 10" steel plate at 120 yards and it was very easy to hit that almost every shot (from a bench). Good enough for me. I think I need to adjust the windage a bit as it shot to the right as you can see in the picture. I love how light and compact it is and the action is so smooth and easy to load etc. But the trigger I found to be not as smooth/light as the Garand, not horrible by any means but noticed it was a bit longer/heavier.

View attachment 115540

 

[majspud]

Stick a sliver or two of a wooden match stick in the stripped stock hole to add purchase for the screw.

T

 

[DW357]

Stick a sliver or two of a wooden match stick in the stripped stock hole to add purchase for the screw.

T

Cool thanks! I'll give that a shot!

 

[mac1911]

they are fun to shoot, I have a blue sky myself and its a fine gun. Import stamp doesnt mean much. It takes a little away from the value but its to shoot right!
Nice.....I cant comment on the trigger mine are smooth and break nice...little creep.. to busy blasting to notice.

 

[greencobra]

My first ever gun was a m1 carbine bought from Bernie Goulds in Medford. That was 1972. Anyone remember that guy? He probably ripped me off to no end but the gun was a blast to shoot. Oddly, I never reloaded the .30 carbine round, don't know why that was. Maybe cause at the time military suplus ammo was plentiful. Enjoy shooting your rifle, they're so much fun.

 

[DW357]

they are fun to shoot, I have a blue sky myself and its a fine gun. Import stamp doesnt mean much. It takes a little away from the value but its to shoot right!
Nice.....I cant comment on the trigger mine are smooth and break nice...little creep.. to busy blasting to notice.

Thats right, it's a shooter for sure! Yeah I think it's the creep I'm feeling that's different from my Garand.

 

[DW357]

My first ever gun was a m1 carbine bought from Bernie Goulds in Medford. That was 1972. Anyone remember that guy? He probably ripped me off to no end but the gun was a blast to shoot. Oddly, I never reloaded the .30 carbine round, don't know why that was. Maybe cause at the time military suplus ammo was plentiful. Enjoy shooting your rifle, they're so much fun.

Yeah no surplus ammo for me. I had so much fun shooting it. Although trying to find my brass in the grass was a PITA. 30-06 cases show up like a sore thumb obviously because of the size difference.

 

[Tracer1951]

As you are new to the M1 carbine, I have only one word of caution concerning M1 Carbine Surplus Ammo

The only 30 carbine ammo you should watch out for is the surplus stuff with a LC Head stamp ammo you can see/find on GB/gun shows an at some gun shops.

If you run across surplus ammo marked "7.62 MM LC ( Head Stamp is LC 52)" sold in small cardboard boxes, avoid it.

It is actually Chinese berdan primed corrosive ammo make during the Vietnam war to resupply VC fielding captured M1/M2 Carbines

The bogus LC52 ammo was "copied" from the ammo the Chinese picked up during the Korean War... along with the M1/2 carbines that could fire it.

It was imported in the late 1990s, packaged in spam cans and in tan cardboard sleeves boxes marked LC52 in blue ink.

It's corrosive ( corrosive salt primer....not reloadable) and NOT listed or identified as such.

Thats bad....you can clean the corrosive salts from the barrel but its not that easily cleaned from the gas piston area.

Just a heads up and enjoy your M1 Carbine!





LC 52 Chinese copies of American .30 Carbine ammo with forged Lake City markings. The ammunition was copper-washed steel-jacketed bullets with copper-washed steel cases. (This makes it magnetic - so it may fail the BATF magnet test used to detect illegal semi-armor-piercing and armor-piercing steel-core penetrators). Unlike the USGI ammo, which has non-corrosive Boxer primers, it has corrosive Berdan primers. It comes packed in 50-round cartons crudely marked 7.62mm LC.[SUP][4][/SUP] It is reported to have high pressures that are unsafe to use in an M1 carbine, especially a vintage one.
​

 

[DW357]

As you are new to the M1 carbine I have only one work of caution concerning M1 Carbine Surplus Ammo

The only 30 carbine ammo you should watch out for is the surplus stuff with a LC Head stamp ammo you can see/find on GB/gun shows an at some gun shops.

If you run across surplus ammo marked "7.62 MM LC ( Head Stamp is LC 52)" sold in small cardboard boxes, avoid it.

It is actually Chinese berdan primed corrosive ammo make during the Vietnam war to resupply VC fielding captured M1/M2 Carbines

The bogus LC52 ammo was "copied" from the ammo the Chinese picked up during the Korean War... along with the M1/2 carbines that could fire it.

It was imported in the late 1990s, packaged in spam cans and in tan cardboard sleeves boxes marked LC52 in blue ink.

It's corrosive ( corrosive salt primer....not reloadable) and NOT listed or identified as such.

Thats bad....you can clean the corrosive salts from the barrel but its not that easily cleaned from the gas piston area.

Just a heads up and enjoy your M1 Carbine!​

Thanks for the heads up! I don't plan on shooting surplus. Just had a bunch of prvi partizan 30 carbine ammo delivered the other day. Once I run out I'll start reloading the brass.

 

[jpm]

Thanks for the heads up! I don't plan on shooting surplus. Just had a bunch of prvi partizan 30 carbine ammo delivered the other day. Once I run out I'll start reloading the brass.

second that warning about the chinese fake LC stuff. Its also known to blow up guns.

 

[DW357]

second that warning about the chinese fake LC stuff. Its also known to blow up guns.

Damn...another good reason to avoid that ammo like the plague lol. Thanks.

 

[Palladin]

As you are new to the M1 carbine, I have only one word of caution concerning M1 Carbine Surplus Ammo

The only 30 carbine ammo you should watch out for is the surplus stuff with a LC Head stamp ammo you can see/find on GB/gun shows an at some gun shops.

If you run across surplus ammo marked "7.62 MM LC ( Head Stamp is LC 52)" sold in small cardboard boxes, avoid it.

It is actually Chinese berdan primed corrosive ammo make during the Vietnam war to resupply VC fielding captured M1/M2 Carbines

The bogus LC52 ammo was "copied" from the ammo the Chinese picked up during the Korean War... along with the M1/2 carbines that could fire it.

It was imported in the late 1990s, packaged in spam cans and in tan cardboard sleeves boxes marked LC52 in blue ink.

It's corrosive ( corrosive salt primer....not reloadable) and NOT listed or identified as such.

Thats bad....you can clean the corrosive salts from the barrel but its not that easily cleaned from the gas piston area.

Just a heads up and enjoy your M1 Carbine!


View attachment 115582 View attachment 115584


LC 52 Chinese copies of American .30 Carbine ammo with forged Lake City markings. The ammunition was copper-washed steel-jacketed bullets with copper-washed steel cases. (This makes it magnetic - so it may fail the BATF magnet test used to detect illegal semi-armor-piercing and armor-piercing steel-core penetrators). Unlike the USGI ammo, which has non-corrosive Boxer primers, it has corrosive Berdan primers. It comes packed in 50-round cartons crudely marked 7.62mm LC.[SUP][4][/SUP] It is reported to have high pressures that are unsafe to use in an M1 carbine, especially a vintage one.
​

thanks for the tip!! I grabbed a box of that stuff a couple of years ago.

 

[DW357]

Made my first 30 Carbine reloads today. 14 gr H110, 110 gr hornady RN ~1.677" COL. Medium crimp. Very accurate and not too much recoil. I had PPU factory ammo to compare which was hotter for sure. I think I'll bump it up to 14.5 and be done. My Lyman manual says 14 gr is running at just under 2000 fps.

My 10" steel plate at 120 yards. Good enough for me.

View attachment 117244

 

[HansGruber]

I would like to take this opportunity to shamelessly plug my advertisement for 500 rounds of .30 cal carbine on the classifieds... I do not have a firearm chambered in it, and I'd like to sell it and move sideways into some ammo that I actually can shoot!

Brass cased non corrosive american eagle... the good stuff lol

Now... as you were.

 

[SKS Ray]

I would like to take this opportunity to shamelessly plug my advertisement for 500 rounds of .30 cal carbine on the classifieds... I do not have a firearm chambered in it, and I'd like to sell it and move sideways into some ammo that I actually can shoot!

Brass cased non corrosive american eagle... the good stuff lol

Now... as you were.

Good luck. I've had some for sale for a few months, then again I'm in the Southeast of MA.

 

[HansGruber]

Good luck. I've had some for sale for a few months, then again I'm in the Southeast of MA.

Ugh. I was really hoping to get rid of it, too. I'll just end up bumping the hell out of it forever then. Or we can do a social experiment and see who sells it first with weekly price drops lol

 

[mac1911]

my take on slow m1 carbine ammo sales...... I know 10 people with M1 carbines I don't think any of them have shot them in 10 years and probably still have a box ortwo of ammo from the 60s! I reload for mine and bought a more than a life time supply of bullets to load up. Sadly as fun as a M1 carbine is to shoot the ammo and rifle lack the accuracy for the price of the gun and ammo at current market.
last time I actually purchased 30 carbine was when cmp had it for 18 cents per round shipped.

 

[DW357]

I've got 6 boxes of PPU 30 carbine ammo that I bought for about $18.50 shipped. But yeah I'd agree with mac regarding the amount of people owning carbines and shooting them regularly. Although I think mine is quite accurate for the money. More accurate than my MAK 90 that I paid not much less for than the carbine.

- - - Updated - - -

I would like to take this opportunity to shamelessly plug my advertisement for 500 rounds of .30 cal carbine on the classifieds... I do not have a firearm chambered in it, and I'd like to sell it and move sideways into some ammo that I actually can shoot!

Brass cased non corrosive american eagle... the good stuff lol

Now... as you were.

How dare you hijack my thread! Lol kiddin. Good luck to you both.

 

[majspud]

When I can get my kid to go shooting, it's a pair of carbines and 50-100 rounds.

T

 

[mac1911]

I know far more gun "owners" than "shooters" I would like to see a CMP 30 carbine match some where local to me but they just dont happen. I asked one of the gents running matches and he said in 20 years he has not been able to get 4 carbines on the line for a match !!!

I love both of mine and to all the hearsay my blue sky import is the most accurate

 

[DW357]

Oh that's what I've got too, Blue Sky. Very accurate.

 

[majspud]

CMP service grade IBM, 2/44.

50 yards with son, 100 yards by myself. 1971 Lake City ammo.

T

 

[DW357]

CMP service grade IBM, 2/44.

50 yards with son, 100 yards by myself. 1971 Lake City ammo.

T

Ya that's some great shooting! I love that dark wood on the carbine your son is holding. I'm pretty sure my stock isn't GI wood.

 

[MJ1]

Where do you all get the proof or photos of this 7.62 LC ammo blowing up rifles? Just asking if there is some back ground or it's documented.

Nice rifle the original poster shared. I hope it get enjoyed a lot.

 

[Tracer1951]

Where do you all get the proof or photos of this 7.62 LC ammo blowing up rifles? Just asking if there is some back ground or it's documented.

Nice rifle the original poster shared. I hope it get enjoyed a lot.

I have not heard of the fake LC ammo blowing up the M1's, just that it is corrosive...

 

[smokeeaterpilot]

Very nice acquisition! I have 2 carbines I love both of them and working on a third! Extremely accurate which surprises most (including me!)





Here's a picture of a recent restoration I did on my IBM AO, started out as garbage. But with some patience to find some parts. They clean up nicely.

Congrats!

 

[MJ1]

Just asking because I have a friend who bought 800 rounds of this stuff and we used up 200 rounds shooting at 300 and 500 yard steel plates on a hill . The drop was serious past 200 yards measured in yards by 500 yards up hill. I could not care less abut copper plated soft steel gilded jackets and always clean every thing like it has mercuric salts in the primers. Then I remembered the hold overs we had to use with the M2's at 200 yards.. Pretty much a 100 yard or less rifle. But at the time it was all we had that was handy for walking around or short run to the market. @ $30+ a box for commercial boxer, that I felt suck in accuracy, I bought a few boxes off him.

Have a great day and if your at the range you must be.

 

[one-eyed Jack]

My first ever gun was a m1 carbine bought from Bernie Goulds in Medford. That was 1972. Anyone remember that guy? He probably ripped me off to no end but the gun was a blast to shoot. Oddly, I never reloaded the .30 carbine round, don't know why that was. Maybe cause at the time military suplus ammo was plentiful. Enjoy shooting your rifle, they're so much fun.

When I lived in "Meffa" I would get stuff from Bernie. Remember him well.Jack.

 

[majspud]

Ya that's some great shooting! I love that dark wood on the carbine your son is holding. I'm pretty sure my stock isn't GI wood.

GI high wood stock is SJ marked - Jamestown Lounge for Standard Products - and the hand guard and recoil plate are NPM. Bolt is Inland, trigger group is Saginaw, Hammer is Winchester, and barrel is GM. As part of the package, the carbine came with an original, experimental, 'Engineer's Holster' marked LUB. CORP. 1943.

 

[Tracer1951]

Just asking because I have a friend who bought 800 rounds of this stuff and we used up 200 rounds shooting at 300 and 500 yard steel plates on a hill . The drop was serious past 200 yards measured in yards by 500 yards up hill. I could not care less abut copper plated soft steel gilded jackets and always clean every thing like it has mercuric salts in the primers. Then I remembered the hold overs we had to use with the M2's at 200 yards.. Pretty much a 100 yard or less rifle. But at the time it was all we had that was handy for walking around or short run to the market. @ $30+ a box for commercial boxer, that I felt suck in accuracy, I bought a few boxes off him.

Have a great day and if your at the range you must be.

I'd suggest to you that you get rid of that ammo you have! And I don't mean shoot it! That ammo is Chinese berdan primed CORROSIVE AMMO! The salt primer used in that ammo will send salt/corrosive gas into your M1 piston system. You can't clean it out unless you take the piston nut off and clean out the whole gas system. A regular cleaning won't clean out the salt from the gas system.

The piston nut is usually staked shut and you will need a piston nut wrench to get it off. Over time the corrosive salt from the primer in the piston will start to corrode and ruin the piston/piston chamber and weapon.

New 30 cal ammo only cost $20 t0 $25 30 a box.... do you want to destroy a $500+ M1 carbine just to save a few bucks shooting some cheap corrosive ammo?? For me its not worth it!