• If you enjoy the forum please consider supporting it by signing up for a NES Membership  The benefits pay for the membership many times over.

My first M1 Carbine

Tracer1951 said:
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!
Click to expand...

This
 
I have a small background with the WW2 arms and mercuric primers and humid conditions. We used hot soapy water and compressed air to clean the gas systems on the many hundreds of M2 carbines, BAR's, 1919 Browing LMG's and M1 Garand's we serviced. The pistons them selves are plated but you are correct in that the cylinder is is not protected. Thank you for your concern and comment. My greater concern is the comments that carbines were destroyed/blown up and I would like to see some further information about that if there is documented cases material of the events.

My arms room during monsoon 1967.....[wink]

8c560b7c.jpg
 
Last edited:
$500? Well I don't know if it's worth that but you might be right. I have not received a single offer for the almost all S'G' with dies, 300 LC empty cases, 500 110g bullets, magazines and accessories. The listing started at $.01 so I don't think the carbine gets much respect.

DSCF0019a_zps02cde28d.jpg
 
MJ1 said:
$500? Well I don't know if it's worth that but you might be right. I have not received a single offer for the almost all S'G' with dies, 300 LC empty cases, 500 110g bullets, magazines and accessories. The listing started at $.01 so I don't think the carbine gets much respect.

DSCF0019a_zps02cde28d.jpg
Click to expand...

See I figured as much, Read most of your post as they are always good. Plus you come up wit hsome great pictures, I enjoyed the enfield pics just be fore you vanished.
 
I finally decided to try taking the carbine apart and giving it a good cleaning. I noticed at the range all my brass was covered in soot at the base and figured the gun must be dirty. Holy shit was I right. I scrubbed the bolt and chamber which had tons of fouling that was thick. Also the op rod slide? had a nice thick coating of fouling. I scrubbed forever with Mpro7 cleaner inside a plastic bin, then wipe down scrub some more, it was pretty nasty. The bin was filled with black liquid from the fouling. Trigger group wasn't terrible though. Blasted it with some Gunscrubber then sprayed it down with some Hornady one shot cleaner and dry lube. I gave up for the night, going to finish the bore bolt and chamber area tomorrow.

Looking at some videos, the bolt looks like a PITA to disassemble unless you have that tool? I'd like to take it apart as it had a lot of fouling under the extractor but I was able to get most of it off with a copper brush. Got it soaking in mpro7 overnight.
 
be sure you get some oil on it as soon as you're done. Mpro strips off everything including oil so the steel is vulnerable.
 
MJ1 said:
$500? Well I don't know if it's worth that but you might be right. I have not received a single offer for the almost all S'G' with dies, 300 LC empty cases, 500 110g bullets, magazines and accessories. The listing started at $.01 so I don't think the carbine gets much respect.

DSCF0019a_zps02cde28d.jpg
Click to expand...

MJ1 said:
I have a small background with the WW2 arms and mercuric primers and humid conditions. We used hot soapy water and compressed air to clean the gas systems on the many hundreds of M2 carbines, BAR's, 1919 Browing LMG's and M1 Garand's we serviced. The pistons them selves are plated but you are correct in that the cylinder is is not protected. Thank you for your concern and comment. My greater concern is the comments that carbines were destroyed/blown up and I would like to see some further information about that if there is documented cases material of the events.

My arms room during monsoon 1967.....[wink]

8c560b7c.jpg
Click to expand...

I have done a lot of research on the LC Chinese M1 cartridge situation and I have NEVER heard of a LC M1 cartridge blowing up a carbine. They are corrosive yes, but that is all the damage they do. There is an old story about how some nations use to "salt" ammo left behind with over charges so when the enemy soldier picked it up and tried to use it, it exploded the weapon killing him/her. As for the M1 cartridge I have never heard that as a fact and there is no evidence that ever happened. If the story was true there would be more warning on the various M1 forums and in the media/magazines.
 
andrew1220 said:
I finally decided to try taking the carbine apart and giving it a good cleaning. I noticed at the range all my brass was covered in soot at the base and figured the gun must be dirty. Holy shit was I right. I scrubbed the bolt and chamber which had tons of fouling that was thick. Also the op rod slide? had a nice thick coating of fouling. I scrubbed forever with Mpro7 cleaner inside a plastic bin, then wipe down scrub some more, it was pretty nasty. The bin was filled with black liquid from the fouling. Trigger group wasn't terrible though. Blasted it with some Gunscrubber then sprayed it down with some Hornady one shot cleaner and dry lube. I gave up for the night, going to finish the bore bolt and chamber area tomorrow.

Looking at some videos, the bolt looks like a PITA to disassemble unless you have that tool? I'd like to take it apart as it had a lot of fouling under the extractor but I was able to get most of it off with a copper brush. Got it soaking in mpro7 overnight.
Click to expand...

the bolt can be done with out tools......BUT IT CAN BE A PITA!
I would say for now leave it alone until you get a rebuild kit for the carbine. like the M1 garand those spprings are most likely 50+ years old. ... on a side note the cabine bolt is more difficult to put back together than the M1...... I use a clip clamp and a empty case if that makes sense there's also a trick to do it with bolt still in the reciever
I don't know how to communicate that this early....
 
Get the tool; make your life easier. Else you'll be chasing pieces across the living room. I clean mine about every 500 rounds (1-2 years).

T
 
mac1911 said:
the bolt can be done with out tools......BUT IT CAN BE A PITA!
I would say for now leave it alone until you get a rebuild kit for the carbine. like the M1 garand those spprings are most likely 50+ years old. ... on a side note the cabine bolt is more difficult to put back together than the M1...... I use a clip clamp and a empty case if that makes sense there's also a trick to do it with bolt still in the reciever
I don't know how to communicate that this early....
Click to expand...

Yeah I've been reading up on bolt disassembly and it seems like it's not recommended unless you have the tool. So looks like they go for about $30-$40?

I'm pretty sure this gun has never been cleaned before. It was the dirtiest gun I've seen, worse than my SKS or AK after 1000 rounds I'd say.
 
Last edited:
Any other parts you recommend buying for the carbine? I just wanted to see if I could spread the shipping costs a bit if I bought other small things.
 
As been said earlier, cleaning and assembly/disassembly of the bolt can be tough, but it can be done. Before I had the tool, I always stuck both hands in a large ziploc bag to do the job. The spring is so small, that you are almost guaranteed to lose it if it gets away from you.
 
samandglove1 said:
As been said earlier, cleaning and assembly/disassembly of the bolt can be tough, but it can be done. Before I had the tool, I always stuck both hands in a large ziploc bag to do the job. The spring is so small, that you are almost guaranteed to lose it if it gets away from you.
Click to expand...

I should have done that when I took apart my Garand bolt. One of the springs shot out and I was crawling around my basement for over an hour and miraculously found it.
 
Thanks for the tip on the phony LC ammo, only had a box of the stuff, had shot 12 rounds of it. took the rest and broke it into components last night with a bullet puller. all trash now.
 
andrew1220 said:
Cool thanks. Ya I tried adding a couple other items but the shipping went up a bit so I just bought the bolt tool. $35 shipped.
Click to expand...

good idea, im a mechanic and pretty good at doing things with out special tools. Although agter rebuilding my 3 bolts with out a tool If I ever need to service my Carbines again Im getting the tool or at least fabricating a better one than a quick clamp
 
mac1911 said:
good idea, im a mechanic and pretty good at doing things with out special tools. Although agter rebuilding my 3 bolts with out a tool If I ever need to service my Carbines again Im getting the tool or at least fabricating a better one than a quick clamp
Click to expand...

Yeah if it saves me frusteration and from losing parts, I don't mind buying tools.

I soaked the front end of the bolt in Mpro7 overnight and scrubbed it with a copper brush this morning and it looks a lot better. Next time I clean the gun, I'll use the tool and take the bolt apart.

That barrel band was a little tough getting off even with the screw backed out all the way. I had to use an allen wrench to spread the bands just enough to get it over the spring. Ended up using a rubber mallet to give it a couple whacks to get it off.
 
You guys use one of those dedicated chamber brushes to clean your m1 carbine chamber and garand chamber? Saw those in a cleaning video and figured it might be helpful especially since the chamber on my carbine was real dirty. All my spent brass was covered in soot/fouling.
 
You might want to replace the extractor spring, this my not apply to the M1 but we had problems with the M2 extractors jumping up and locking the bolt. Remember this was over 45 years ago and these were already used rifles issued to people wearing a loincloth and bare foot in many cases.
 
Finally got around to cleaning the barrel and receiver tonight. Any advice/concerns on spraying solvent down the bore and getting it into the gas piston port area? Seems like you can't take the piston out without needing to buy a new screw/bolt that secures it in place. I assume this should be dry like on a SKS or should it be lubricated so it wouldn't rust? I'm sure I'm overthinking this as with most things I do haha. Thanks in advance.
 
Last edited:
andrew1220 said:
Finally got around to cleaning the barrel and receiver tonight. Any advice/concerns on spraying solvent down the bore and getting it into the gas piston port area? Seems like you can't take the piston out without needing to buy a new screw/bolt that secures it in place. I assume this should be dry like on a SKS or should it be lubricated so it wouldn't rust? I'm sure I'm overthinking this as with most things I do haha. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/ref/FM/PDFs/FM23-7.PDF you could start here,
 

Similar threads

Help! M1 Carbine stock ID
Replies
1
Views
359
42!
42!
A Hall Saddle Ring Carbine
Replies
0
Views
294
weatherby
weatherby
6mil SA M1 restoration
Replies
1
Views
580
Maninblue1861
Maninblue1861
Stumbled onto another m1
Replies
0
Views
495
Maninblue1861
Maninblue1861
m1a1 stock
Replies
5
Views
427
50 BMG
50 BMG
Back
Top Bottom