M1 Carbine purchase help!

[Neal Myers]

Well, he said in his first post that it is was imported by Century Arms, so that makes it "import marked". Imports are sometimes OK & sometimes not; I have never seen a CAI import that was decent. We already know it needs a new stock ($100-200), & I'm guessing it needs a new barrel ($300-400).

Muzzle wear can be measured with a "poor man's" muzzle wear gauge. Take a single round of USGI M2 ball .30-06 ammo, & stick it point first in the muzzle & measure how much copper jacket is showing: 5/16"=new, 1/4"= excellent, 1/8"= pretty good, & 0"=needs replacement. (It just might be worth your while to buy a real gauge, as the cost is far less than replacing a bad barrel.)

CMP does not list rifles that they do not have in their warehouse. However, all they have now are rack grades, which should be avoided because they are worn out. They DO have slightly rusty USGI 15 rd mags @ $15, which you should buy.

Check the auctions on Gunbroker, check local gunshops, & check gunshows. Keep looking, & don't settle for junk.

Neal

[imarangemaster]

Actually the "Mash Az" Underwood I had was a Century Import and it was excellent with less than 2 ME and a pristine bore, and the stock was stamped with the Underwood serial number on the left side.

As for the CMP Rackers, I got an Inland Racker, they can be good. It has a 1.5 ME

CMP Inland Racker SHOOTS! - Military Surplus Collectors Forums

Some pics of the CMP Inland racker - Military Surplus Collectors Forums

WHen the stock was cracked, CMP sent me an I cut highwood RMC

Help with I cut stock markings: HELP developing - Military Surplus Collectors Forums

[Bulls-I_24]

Im not worried about replacing the stock, like I said I like the vintage look, but i will do a bore gauge check and also look through the bore with my bore light.
I'm still curious about the number 77 plastic plate nailed to the stock with 77 painted in white on the buttstock, if anyone has info on that id appreciate it.Will post pics of it soon....
Thanks eveyone

[TDH]

Well, he said in his first post that it is was imported by Century Arms, so that makes it "import marked". Imports are sometimes OK & sometimes not; I have never seen a CAI import that was decent. We already know it needs a new stock ($100-200), & I'm guessing it needs a new barrel ($300-400).

Muzzle wear can be measured with a "poor man's" muzzle wear gauge. Take a single round of USGI M2 ball .30-06 ammo, & stick it point first in the muzzle & measure how much copper jacket is showing: 5/16"=new, 1/4"= excellent, 1/8"= pretty good, & 0"=needs replacement. (It just might be worth your while to buy a real gauge, as the cost is far less than replacing a bad barrel.)

CMP does not list rifles that they do not have in their warehouse. However, all they have now are rack grades, which should be avoided because they are worn out. They DO have slightly rusty USGI 15 rd mags @ $15, which you should buy.

Check the auctions on Gunbroker, check local gunshops, & check gunshows. Keep looking, & don't settle for junk.

Neal

So if 1/4"is excellent an 1/8th is pretty good then 3/16" should be very good?
It's and inland CMP racker I got at the North store.

[imarangemaster]

That should be great, about a 2, I believe.

[Bulls-I_24]

I'm not sure how this is going to turn out cause it is the first time i've every uploaded pics.
The pic of the barrel isnt very good but i could only see 2 maybe 3 pitts in the bore 1 larger one and 2 small ones(the large one was maybe 1/16 of an inch.

For the poor mans gauge i used winchester FMJ .30-06 ammo I dont know if that makes a difference or not but it look like 1/4" of the case to me

The barrel is also marked Inland up by the front sight....and there is a stamp on the stock next to the plate that I didnt see before....still have no idea what the 77 means...

Im think im pretty set on buying it unless some one could tell me otherwise.
Any all input accepted

thanks hope this pics turned out ok....I had to re-size them

[stickhauler]

Im not worried about replacing the stock, like I said I like the vintage look, but i will do a bore gauge check and also look through the bore with my bore light.
I'm still curious about the number 77 plastic plate nailed to the stock with 77 painted in white on the buttstock, if anyone has info on that id appreciate it.Will post pics of it soon....
Thanks eveyone

Well, the number "77" is likely a unit marking from some place this carbine was deployed at, my Inland rack grade from CMP has white paint with the number 55 on the pistol grip of the stock.

If the bore is decent, even with an import mark, that price probably isn't too bad, the pictures of the stock look pretty decent, the bore looks good, the muzzle wear isn't bad, even with a non-military 30.06 round. Depending on your area of the country, that might be as good as you'll see locally.

The import mark only matters if you're buying it for a collectible firearm you plan to make money on, if you're just getting it for a shooter, that mark doesn't mean squat.

Don't take everything the CMP site has to say seriously, they're telling you it might be a long wait time, and that the condition might be horrible as a CYA. It may take some time to get yours, depending on the volume of orders they have to fill. I ordered one on Christmas Eve, got it on 21 January, so clearly they fill orders faster than they say on their page. They downplay condition so if they do send you a total POS, they warned you it could be, but I've yet to see a customer who was really unhappy that they didn't make it right, either with a new stock, or another carbine to replace the first one they got.
And the kicker is, if you buy from them, the profits they make get recycled into shooting programs all across the country.

[imarangemaster]

From the serial number being stamped on the stock where it is, I would say i that is a Mash Az Israeli Civil Guard issued carbine brought back in by Century awhile back. (Kinda like "Neighborhood watch with a gun"). There should be traces of white paint in the serial number stamped in the stock, which should match the serial number on the weapon. You will likely find traces of black paint in nooks and crannies (mine had it around the front sight) and possibly a couple tiny Hebrew characters stamped on the top of the barrel under the hand guard.

I had an Underwood that looked just like it.

[Bulls-I_24]

Can anyone put a final say on if its worth the $549.99?

And Were there Israeli accessories or were they given U.S. ones?

[frankderrico]

Bulls-I, with tax your at $577.00 or more. I don't think Dunhams will come down, at least they won't around hear. I think you would be lucky to sell it for that amount, with the import stamp on it. There is a possible large amount of carbines coming from Korea to the U.S. and with all the CMP rifles out there, prices on import/mixers may soften up. So I guess if it were me I would put the $577.00 towards something that will increase in value. Just .02 worth.....Frank