A worthy candidate ??

[Perrywhite]

My M1 carbine is an Inland Div with low serial number of 51xxx. Is it a worthy candidate for replacement of current parts for originals or should I just use it as a shooter ??

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[frankderrico]

Perry, welcome to the forum.
Pictures of your carbine and a little history will help.
Also what parts are on it now and what is the stock like.....Frank

[Perrywhite]

Considering that I have had only one reply to my question and that prices for replacement parts are completely outrageous on gunbroker.com I have decided to put my little carbine back together, forget restoration, and shoot it till it pukes.

[shadycon]

Welcome; Be patient, you have to keep looking for decent prices on parts. It helps to compile a list of what you are looking for. Do you have parts that you would like to trade? Some members here and on the [http://www.M1carbineforum.forumco.com] sell extra parts at fair prices . ebay usually has better prices than gunbroker. Look at the going asking prices on parts and get a feel of worth before bidding. WATCH OUT FOR FAKES and learn what to look for. KEEP ASKING QUESTIONS and they will usually be answered in a few days.

[Tired Retired]

Perry,

First, welcome to the forum and carbine ownership. You will find that you are starting an addiction for which there is no cure.

Your original question was if your carbine was a good candidate to restore. Please don't take the silence as being ignored. One has to first identify the degree of effort required to restore a carbine BEFORE one decides if it is "worth it". All we know is that your carbine is a low serial. But other information is very important in determining if it can be accurately restored and how much effort it will take. Is it the orginal finish? Is it the original barrel? Is the rear sight correct? what about the stock? Are there added stamps/marks that are not original? What about structural modifications? That is why Frank pointed out that we needed pictures to help assess the carbine and render you an opinion to your question.

These guys love answering your questions. Alot of information is already available through this forum via searching topics. I go back and read/re-read posts all the time just to bone up on the fine details. So don't hestiate in jumping in, the water is warm.

[DaveHH]

This is a divided camp on the subject, some who think it is sacrilege and a waste of time and the other camp who see it as a hobby or improvement of the value. So I guess your best starting point is to make that decision: the mature rebuilt carbine has a history and uses the latest improved parts. If you want a carbine to use as a tool, I'd leave it alone. If you want to be able to say "this carbine profile is the way it came from the factory" then you spend the time and money toward that goal. It may not improve the performance of the arm, quite the contrary, it may make it a weaker piece. I am firmly in the leave it alone camp partly because I own what is considered by some to be an "original" Winchester. I have the goal that some seek and I've had it for 40 years. My NPM is my shooter and it is a rebuilt piece that works very well. I'm never going to change anything on it either. I consider the quest for "correct" to be folly because in the end it is just another parts carbine, a parts carbine with hand selected pieces yes, but it still is not original or any better than any CMP carbine, it just cost a whole lot more to have.

[painter777]

Perrywhite,
It would be a good idea to document the carbine in it's current condition.
Markings, types of parts etc.

As far as swapping parts...... It happens. Most all carbine owners keep at least a handfull of extra parts in case of failures.

Enjoy your carbine.
Share some pictures if you get the chance.

Cheers,
Charlie-painter777

[ShaveTail]

My two cents? I put some time into this question when building up a barreled receiver. In the end I used later parts for one basic reason: it never would have looked quite right. The barrel had wear marks from a Type III barrel band. Even reparking would never have completely hidden them--and reparking would have largely defeated the purpose of rebuilding to original condition! There is also the stake-mark-question. Is the rear sight staked in place and, if so, how heavily? Easy question for mine; there was no sight, so I could see it very clearly: a big round stake mark from an adjustable sight. Early flip sights had a slash stack mark from a chisel (...right guys?). In the end I used as many correct manufacturer parts as I could find (Underwood, so not much more expensive than just grabbing up any old thing) and she came out very well.

You'd probably be able to do a partial restoration without spending much more than shipping. Inland parts tend to be the cheapest because there are the most of them. You shouldn't have much trouble finding people willing to swap Inland parts for other manufacturers. The best place that I've found for this is the CMP "Want to Buy" forum...when it is working. Today it is not. But it'll be back. Always is.

[Jet Fixer]

If you are willing to take your time and be patient you can usually trade for anything you need. There is always someone looking for something you have and will trade for something you need. I recently finished an Inland for less than $50.00 in postage. That included getting a very hard to find type 4 stock with no rebuild marks. It can be done...

[Dr342]

Ive gone down this road a few times. Depending on the starting point, it can get very expensive and it will still shoot the same. My IBM Boltless Carbine is a total mix master, while my Underwood is 100% correct. No matter what the choice, it will be worth no more than the collective sum of the parts.