M-1 Carbine

[Toepopper]

Last Saturday I brought out of mothballs my M-1 carbine which was manufactured in 1943 and took it to the local range to participate in an AR shoot. I must admit this little carbine still spits out bullets as fast as you can pull the trigger and is surprisingly accurate. With its light weight and zero recoil it is an ideal weapon for women to shoot and carry. The price of ammunition for the 30 carbine has gone up and it costs more than the 223 ammo now. At close range the M1 carbine has about the same knockdown power as a 357 magnum and you can increase its hitting power by using hollow point ammunition. I paid $100 for this carbine in 1970 and I see them at gun shows now selling for $950 !! Occasionally you may find one in the weekly shopper for $350 and they are well worth this price. The M-1 originally came with a 15 round magazine but you can buy an M-2 carbine 30 round "banana clip" magazine to increase ammunition capacity and firepower. I replaced the magazine latch with an M-2 carbine latch ($12) to help hold the added weight of the 30 round mags and keep them stable to prevent jams.