Decision based quandry, thoughts from the audience?
So the various discussions on this forum about the M1 Carbine have gotten my interest up enough to actively seek one out for my own use/collection.
Now I have some regional regulations to deal with that make this a bit of a not so simple decision. I have a couple of decisions to make regarding what to buy, and would be interested to know the opinions of M1 carbine owners here.
My goal is to have a shooter grade rifle that functions well, but with a small twist.
The standard M1 Carbine has a 18" barrel, which in Canada is a legal sticking point. Since the rifle barrel is shorter than the arbitrary 18.5" threshold it is deemed Restricted. Without getting into a firearms law discussion, basically for those not in the know, this means that any 18" barrel M1 is under the same regulations as a pistol. Limiting my transportation and discharge of the rifle to approved ranges only.
Going to the range is a slight inconvenience as it is 65 miles away and I get out there sometimes less than once a year.
There are two legal options to allow me to carry and use an M1 Carbine in more informal situations, enter the "Non-Restricted M1 Carbine"
1. Re-barreling an original M1 carbine to legal length, GI Carbines are available on the used market in Canada, they range from $600 for a poor one to about $1000 asking for a decent one. Recently I did find an IBM produced one asking about $900. There is a fellow that offers a rebarreling service for $350 which installs a 19" barrel and reuses the original gas system, sights etc, but he keeps the original 18" barrel as part of the deal. This process would allow re-classification to non-restricted and the "freedom to roam" as it were.
2. New production, the Auto-Ordinance M1 carbines are currently on the market with a Canada length 18.5" barrel which has them classed as non-restricted right out of the box. Pricing is between $850-$1000 new. However the discussion found here has me concerned as warranty service in Canada can take a year to resolve depending on the relationship with the dealer/importer/manufacturer chain.
My main issue is; Should I "butcher" an original or try my luck with an A-O? Bearing in mind that my end state is to have a good, serviceable, but legal .30 Carbine to follow me in the woods where appropriate to do so.
I am honestly 50/50 split on this one, I want the quality of the original, but hate to alter original historical firearms. As my collection is so far a one-way process, I an in no-way concerned about resale value changes.
Thoughts from the forum?