Restoring the M1 Carbine

[painter777]

zertouche,
You make some good points.
How about these guys that restore vintage hot rods......I recently watched a auction, where the seller had $65 K in the restoration.......his rod sold for just over 1/2 that.

I love your "Like buying a zero clearance $2500 riding lawn mower for a postage stamp sized front lawn" quote.
I have a neighbor who mows every day. About a 1/3 acre with a small garage just full of every attachment made.

Your correct in saying their only original once. Anything after that should fall under maintenance and restoration.

I don't argue with seeing a part with no finish left being re-parked so it can be around another 50 years. Better to see it saved than watch it rust away.
Nothing wrong with PIMPING OUT a shooter.

Good Weekend To You
Charlie-painter777

[Faulkner]

And that is why I never mention what I've done on either of those forums.
Those guys would be looking for a tall tree and a short rope for me!

But I have fun with my guns....

Phil

Tell you what I did last year that'll make some folks skin crawl. I have a humble collection of carbines, I'm usually adding to the collection and seldom do I trade or sell one off. Even so, I had this one Winchester with a spring tube receiver and appeared to have it's original barrel, otherwise it was a typical post war upgraded carbine. I paid $400 for it a couple of years earlier and figured I could sell it easy enough at a gunshow for $600 to $700. So as to prove a point to myself I decided to disassemble it and sell it for parts. The outcome even surprised me a little as I ended up with a few bucks over $1,000 when parted out.

A couple of things I learned, I didn't realize Winchester barrels and trigger housings were in such high demand. Spring tube receivers seem to be popular too.

It was a lot of fun.

[jimb16]

I agree Paul. Sometimes a shooter just need help. Its time to weigh originality which we all know exists in only a very few surviving examples and preserving its integrity as a functional, if no longer original piece of history. If you owned a modern shotgun and you used it every week to shoot skeet or trap, wouldn't you take care of it? Wouldn't you replace the firing pin if it broke? It would no longer be original....But how much value has it lost? Its a judgement call. If it was my primary shooter, I wouldn't hesitate to get the work done. After all we all need to clean our guns ( that necessarily causes some wear; however minor). So I really consider it to be a type of maintenance. Like you, I wouldn't do it to the special collectors, but............

[imarangemaster]

I agree. While I don't have an "original as it left the factory" Underwood carbine (though they are a treasure to find), my carbine has a history of its own. It was a US government rebuild then saw service in Israel. I would not think of "restoring it" for two reasons: One because it has a significant and honorable history in its post rebuild state. Second, as my only carbine at the moment, it is my "shooter." As it is my shooter, I took off the cartouched stock and handguard to protect it, and replaced the I.E. flip safety with a push type (an expensive "EW" but that is all I had) because it replicates the Remington 870 police shotgun safety that is second nature to me after 20 years. None of these are permanent, and its original stuff can be returned to it with no personal damage.

I submit as has been said often on this forum, that we loose track of the fact that as we get them now, they are original for how they saw service for Bavaria and Austria, Korea and Vietnam, then Israel, Greece, and Italy, etc.

[phil441]

I agree. While I don't have an "original as it left the factory" Underwood carbine (though they are a treasure to find), my carbine has a history of its own. It was a US government rebuild then saw service in Israel. I would not think of "restoring it" for two reasons: One because it has a significant and honorable history in its post rebuild state. Second, as my only carbine at the moment, it is my "shooter." As it is my shooter, I took off the cartouched stock and handguard to protect it, and replaced the I.E. flip safety with a push type (an expensive "EW" but that is all I had) because it replicates the Remington 870 police shotgun safety that is second nature to me after 20 years. None of these are permanent, and its original stuff can be returned to it with no personal damage.

I submit as has been said often on this forum, that we loose track of the fact that as we get them now, they are original for how they saw service for Bavaria and Austria, Korea and Vietnam, then Israel, Greece, and Italy, etc.

And as I posted in an earlier thread concerning what is a valid Carbine,

"My little carbine with all the updates has probably seen a whole lot more than I ever will. Or wish to."

Phil

[zertouche]

The US Dept. of Defense (or War Dept) did everything in its power to change parts, or upgrade them in todays phrase. They owned the firearms and they were paid for, years prior.

Someone can throw parts and money at them, like there is no tomorrow, but why? Does it work? Does it function? It is what it is. I suppose its the underlying reason why some guys get their head hair transplanted from their abundant. posterior follicles. Why some men have their wives get plastic breast implants.

It is what it is unless you are trying to sell it for mo than it is. Too bad flea bay wont let you sell rifles eh? Well, there is always Gunbroke. Some fool will bite. If you post it long enough.

[PBI]

I guess this tread will never die, reminds me of the cow scene on the movie Me, Myself and Irene.

[wtmr]

would be more like it-or maybe the Great Race! I always like real stupid movies. Too each his own till you sell it and then be honest with your buyers or bidders. No $700 gun is worth ruining ones reputation over trying to squeeze somebody for a extra $500 out of it, anyone doing so just priced their reputation about the same as a low end call girl. I have restored many carbines and have done some of the unmentionable but firmly believe I restored a piece of history as you see them restoring tanks and what not today with any means possible. I have not nor will never use a fake cartouche stamp on a original piece of wood. Now if I had the original stamp and a NOS stock I would probably swing the hammer!! Now lets see what kind of fireworks that statement starts. I speak from experience and have no shame of what I did nor I will I sell it. I longterm am unsure how I will ever sell it than purely document what I did and how.

[wtmr]

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[JimF4M1s (Deceased)]

Does anyone have a documented original stamp?

From the errors we see, I am guessing these are being made from pictures of stamps. Some not even good pictures.