DefensiveCarry Concealed Carry Forum - View Single Post

Barry in IN · January 13th, 2007, 10:37 PM

M1 Carbine.
I like 'em. Nice little gun. So-so round.

People seem to think it's either wonderful or junk. I've read a lot of favorable reports from war veterans, and a lot of bad. Audie Murphy loved 'em.

Most of the bad reports of stopping power I've seen/heard/read came from the Korean War. That makes sense. They were being used against attacking hordes who were wrapped in insulated heavy cotton duck clothing (which alone probably reduced effectiveness considerably), numbed by cold, and whipped into a frenzy by the charge (and possibly opium).
By contrast, WWII use of the carbine was largely in the Pacific, against nearly-starved Japanese soldiers who might also be sick with Malaria or any number of tropical diseases.
Results would naturally differ.

Good hollow or soft point ammo should help, BUT make sure it works in your gun. Many won't feed anything but ball (my Winchester won't). I do want to try the CorBon DPX, but don't have high hopes. A polishing of the feed area would help, but I can't bring myself to do it to an otherwise original carbine when I have other rifles to use.

I've had no problems using 15-rd GI magazines, which are still fairly cheap (though not the three for a buck they were not that long ago). The 30-rd magazines are tricky. Most I see are not GI, and you have to be careful. The 30-rd mags really need the M2 Carbine magazine catch also. It has an extra "tooth" to engage an added catch on the magzine- all this was done due to the greater weight of a 30-rd mag was often too much for the original catch.

Be careful of mag pouches, because the "teeth" on the magazines are sharp and can rip up some commercial pouches I've seen. It's OK with GI pouches, but I have a couple of Kydex ones that are chewed up.

I've heard bad accuracy reports, but I've never seen one personally that shot poor. I have to wonder about the condition of the suspect guns. Stock bedding and barrel band pressure can have an effect, so that may be the culprit with them.

I took a carbine class last year, and debated on using the M1 Carbine because I like it as a "house gun". I stayed with an AR, but another shooter used an M1 Carbine. He kept up with, or bettered, those of us using gee-whizzed ARs.

I still like the Carbine as a "house gun", and keep one handy with a stock pouch and a couple of magazines.
The next Carbine class I take, I will probably use an M1 Carbine myself.

January 13th, 2007, 10:37 PM	#19
Barry in IN Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 79	M1 Carbine. I like 'em. Nice little gun. So-so round. People seem to think it's either wonderful or junk. I've read a lot of favorable reports from war veterans, and a lot of bad. Audie Murphy loved 'em. Most of the bad reports of stopping power I've seen/heard/read came from the Korean War. That makes sense. They were being used against attacking hordes who were wrapped in insulated heavy cotton duck clothing (which alone probably reduced effectiveness considerably), numbed by cold, and whipped into a frenzy by the charge (and possibly opium). By contrast, WWII use of the carbine was largely in the Pacific, against nearly-starved Japanese soldiers who might also be sick with Malaria or any number of tropical diseases. Results would naturally differ. Good hollow or soft point ammo should help, BUT make sure it works in your gun. Many won't feed anything but ball (my Winchester won't). I do want to try the CorBon DPX, but don't have high hopes. A polishing of the feed area would help, but I can't bring myself to do it to an otherwise original carbine when I have other rifles to use. I've had no problems using 15-rd GI magazines, which are still fairly cheap (though not the three for a buck they were not that long ago). The 30-rd magazines are tricky. Most I see are not GI, and you have to be careful. The 30-rd mags really need the M2 Carbine magazine catch also. It has an extra "tooth" to engage an added catch on the magzine- all this was done due to the greater weight of a 30-rd mag was often too much for the original catch. Be careful of mag pouches, because the "teeth" on the magazines are sharp and can rip up some commercial pouches I've seen. It's OK with GI pouches, but I have a couple of Kydex ones that are chewed up. I've heard bad accuracy reports, but I've never seen one personally that shot poor. I have to wonder about the condition of the suspect guns. Stock bedding and barrel band pressure can have an effect, so that may be the culprit with them. I took a carbine class last year, and debated on using the M1 Carbine because I like it as a "house gun". I stayed with an AR, but another shooter used an M1 Carbine. He kept up with, or bettered, those of us using gee-whizzed ARs. I still like the Carbine as a "house gun", and keep one handy with a stock pouch and a couple of magazines. The next Carbine class I take, I will probably use an M1 Carbine myself.