Impulse M1 Carbine buy. Did I mess up?

[DekaeS]

So, I've been kicking around the idea of picking up an M1 Carbine, but never got around to researching them.
I unexpectedly found one on black friday and rolled the dice, even though I was going to wait until after the baby comes. But, my wife is a big enabler for my gun collecting so...

Anyway, the stock was obviously messed with, but the owner said it was a good shooter "and had a lot of WWII parts." The receiver looked nice, but the recoil plate was obviously questionable. I bought it anyway and probably way overpaid.

Forgive me if the self-identification I did below is wrong. I basically knew nothing about M1 Carbines aside from their general shape and that 'flip sights = unusual' before Friday.

I wonder if I have any items of value here? I'm not looking to part it out or sell it, but I'd like to know if I got a good price --And if it's worth replacing a part here or there (especially the recoil plate.)

If it's a good shooter, I'm going to give it to daughter when she's old enough, assuming she has an appreciation for these things.


Link to LARGE images: M1 Verification - Imgur


Stock: Oval cut high wood. Feels varnished, stinks like a bad furniture store.
Barrel Band: Early type unmarked. Repro?
Stock Markings: [5] sling cut out, 77 inner lower hand guard. Repro?
Butt Plate: Not pictured, no markings. Probably repro.


Barrel Flat: T, 7, W??
Barrel Top: 5 near receiver. Otherwise unmarked. Repro?

Receiver Top: S'G' Saginaw
Receiver Side: R (Correct for saginaw?)
Serial: 18572xx (Correct for S'G' marking?)


Recoil Plate: Cast junk. Need to find/buy an S'G' or S G plate. Is this a type III?

Rear Sight: B-IP (right) S (left) B-IP (flip sight)
Front Sight: Unmarked

Trigger Housing: S'G' Saginaw -
--Have heard that there is a unique feature to Saginaw trigger housings. It looks right compared to pictures I found, except the bad casting marks are suspect to me. Thoughts?
Magazine Catch: W SG Saginaw Type III


Trigger: S'G' Saginaw
Sear: Unmarked and fresh looking. Repro?

Hammer: S G Saginaw

Bolt: N 14 Type II NPM
Extractor: Unmarked. Did not remove from bolt. Repro?

Slide Bottom: C 7100091
Slide Inside: (P I) Inland


Thank you.

Information

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[USGI]

Your carbine appears to be a mix of repro, replacement, and some original type parts. Someone other than the U.S. Military has done a lot of "work" on it. I'd say the receiver, trigger housing, and trigger itself are all original type parts, but some refinishing has been done. Definitely not a collector piece, but neither are the S'G's that I have. The muzzle looks to be pretty good. I'd check on the headspace and then have some fun with it. We all started somewhere, and it looks like you are well into the research, and already are past the "newby" stage. Welcome to the forum! - Bob

[Mikesm44]

Can't tell if you "messed up" unless you give us at least a ballpark price. I would say in the 5-600 range would be about what I'd expect for one like that.

[DekaeS]

Lots more than that. I should have waited for a CMP auction.

In pondering stripping the varnish and hitting it with tung or BLO.

[2k05gt]

The CMP Auctions have been running in the high teens, I also pulled the trigger so to speak, on an M1 Carbine. I got a RIA Arsenal Rebuild 1943 National Postal Meter Rec, Slide and Barrel, IBM Stock and Trigger group. with a couple Arsenal parts for around 800.00

if your going to keep it as a shooter, refinish and BLO is fine, I kept my stock as is and use Howard Feed-N-Wax to condition the wood but that's it.

[DekaeS]

The CMP Auctions have been running in the high teens, I also pulled the trigger so to speak, on an M1 Carbine. I got a RIA Arsenal Rebuild 1943 National Postal Meter Rec, Slide and Barrel, IBM Stock and Trigger group. with a couple Arsenal parts for around 800.00

if your going to keep it as a shooter, refinish and BLO is fine, I kept my stock as is and use Howard Feed-N-Wax to condition the wood but that's it.

Yeah. Just going to shoot it. I dont usually refinish but varnish is def wrong.

[DaveHH]

Fabricated front sight, kind of cool. The stock looks like it was done with Watco oil, which is good stuff. Inside where the recoil plate goes looks very shaky. Are those cracks? You might reconsider shooting with that stock, it might make the damage worse. SGs are pretty rare I guess.

[browningautorifle]

Yes, the front sight and recoil plate look to be from a commercial carbine of one make or another. They'll be serviceable until you get good ones installed.

[DekaeS]

Yikes. Can i put glue/resin in to fix the stock?