In an earlier column, I mentioned that I did not like, care for, or recommend commercially made M1 Carbines to the ire of many. Although I believe that a properly certified GI-issued Carbine is arguably the best possible choice for personal home defensive use, the commercially made carbines leave a lot to be desired and I will do a deep dive here as to why I feel that way.
History and Fascination
I will start with a historic review of the U.S. GI Carbine, so we are all on the same page. In June of 1940, the Secretary of War approved and allocated funds for the acquisition of a light rifle. Winchester was chosen to develop the cartridge. The date set for the submission of designs was May 1, 1941. Nine designers and company representatives submitted designs. The one glaring omission from the entries was Winchester, because of its commitment to M1 Garand production.
However, behind the scenes, negotiations convinced the folks at Winchester to design and fabricate a prototype light rifle for submission. Using David “Carbine” William’s innovative short stroke gas piston, Winchester worked around the clock and the prototype was completed on September 12.
The .30 Caliber Carbine M1 — as designed and manufactured — was originally intended to replace the M1911 pistol for those whose primary function was not front line infantry and whose primary function was support. Its specific purpose was to provide an alternative to GI’s normally issued a handgun only by giving them a weapon with more range and accuracy. History has proven that it was unquestioningly a success.
The M1 Carbine was the most prolifically produced small arm in American history with over 6.2 million produced from 1942 to 1945. It is a shining example of the manufacturing might that the United States displayed during WWII. Initially there were 11 prime contractors assigned to produce the M1 Carbine. Manufacturers included Winchester, Inland, Underwood, Quality H.M.C., Rock-Ola, Irwin-Pederson, Grand Rapids, Saginaw, National Postal Meter, Standard Products, and IBM.
However, only Winchester Repeating Arms was a firearms company with any firearms manufacturing experience. Additionally, I have heard that as many as 1,800 sub-contractors supplied parts. Every part was marked with a unique makers mark that was assigned to each. Those unique individual makers marks were placed on every part made, so they could identify who made them.
One of the unique things about the GI Carbines, and this is very important, was that their parts manufacturing standards were applied to every manufacturer to ensure complete interchangeability, regardless of who manufactured them. The Ordnance Department set the specifications and monitored each manufacturer to ensure they were all within those specifications.
During the rigors of war time production, not all the prime contractors were always able to manufacture all their own parts. However, through lateral support between the prime contractors and the use of subcontractors for various parts, all needs were met. In addition to manufacturing needs, extra parts were also being manufactured as replacements and for upgrades.
Because all carbine parts were truly interchangeable is one of the primary reasons that original, “as issued” examples are now so valuable. Today, virtually all existing carbines have been rebuilt many times over with a potpourri of parts, and they all function flawlessly. It’s hard to realize now, but none of the people involved in the manufacture of the .30 Caliber Carbines could have conceived that collectors 80 years later would be interested in collecting a carbine constructed of all “the right parts” with all “the right markings.” Go figure…
By the end of WWII, production of all carbines had ceased. Many guns remained in service or storage overseas, and others returned home to America. They were inspected and rebuilt to the latest Ordnance Department updated standards and features that were set for the carbine at that time. The rebuilt carbines are identifiable by the markings left by the companies and arsenals that rebuilt them on the stock.
Because of its size and weight, the M1 carbine was very popular with both the GIs and civilians who came in contact with it. Because of this popularity, carbines went in many different directions and were used for various purposes. Some are still in use today, by the police and/or armed forces of allies, and foes alike.
Many have returned to America, before being sold by importers to collectors and gun enthusiasts. Collecting aside, the .30 Caliber M1 Carbine is just plain fun to shoot because of the same reasons it was popular during and after WWII. It was that popularity that gave rise to the “commercial carbine” phenomenon.
In the years following the end of the Korean War, the popularity of the carbine soared. However, the government had not released any to the public. Initially, some small quantities of surplus GI Carbine parts began trickling into the commercial market. But it wasn’t until the mid 1960s when more than a dozen different companies established themselves to manufacture and sell commercial variations of the M1 carbine. They did however have a major hurdle to overcome.
Commercial Hurdles
The two most important parts of any carbine are the receiver and the barrel. The first hurdle for the commercial manufacturers was a total lack of functional surplus receivers. Some companies manufactured their own receivers, of which a good number were cast. Some got hold of “decommissioned” receivers that had been cut in half and welded them back together — and not all that well either.
Others contracted companies to make receivers for them, while some simply purchased receivers from one another. As for the barrel part of the equation… Surplus barrels were available, but only in limited quantities that quickly became nonexistent. However, the most important thing missing from the equation of these private sector receivers, barrels, and parts was the very conspicuous absence of the Ordnance Department’s standards and inspectors.
The design, manufacture, and intended use of the U.S. GI Carbines was, and is, very different than those manufactured commercially. There is only one standard for the dimensions, machining, quality, and life span of every part on a U.S. GI M1 Carbine that was adopted by U.S. Army Ordnance. Unfortunately, that is not the case with the commercially made carbines. When U.S. GI Carbines and their parts were sold as surplus, their maintenance and inspection routine ceased. Consequently, many commercial carbines have documented function or safety issues.
Most of the commercial carbine manufacturers started out using as many of the surplus GI carbine parts as were available. As the supply of each part dried up for them, the commercial manufacturers made or substituted commercially manufactured parts. Although those parts may have been dimensionally the same as a GI part, none of them were manufactured to the U.S. Army Ordnance standards.
The new “standard” became whatever “worked” and was the most cost efficient. Here is only one such example. Because carbine barrels were all but nonexistent, some commercial manufacturers took M1903 and 03A3 Springfield barrels and cut them down. They then did the machining of the rear of the barrel on the separate piece cut off the original barrel. They screwed the rifled portion (along with the consumer) of the barrel into the rear section.
The gas cylinder piston housing was brazed on and had a significant failure rate. Didn’t anyone stop to consider that the twist rate on a carbine was 1 in 20 and the twist rate of an ’03 Springfield was 1 in 10? It’s no wonder they had a reputation of not being able to hit the paper at 100 yards. It’s a wonder they could hit it at 10.
Additional problems arose because some commercial carbine manufacturers attempted to stick to established dimensions and interchangeability, but many did not. Another major problem you should be aware of if you own a commercial variant is that many commercial parts may fail and need to be replaced much sooner than their GI equivalent.
Knowing which commercial manufactures parts may fail, and how to identify them from those that will not, is compounded because commercial parts rarely have identifiable markings. That said, here is a partial list of parts that are known to fail on commercial carbines.
- Bolts
- Hammers
- Firing pins
- Sears
- Extractors
- Slides
- Extractor springs and plungers
- Gas piston housings
Additionally, some of the commercially manufactured receivers were machined improperly and some of the commercially manufactured bolts, especially those from Universal Firearms, were not properly heat treated and hardened. Those parts issues, along with improper headspacing, caused slamfires and out of battery discharges that injured shooters from weapon malfunctions.
Note: I have only mentioned the more commonly documented issues related to the commercially manufactured carbines. This list is in no way meant to be all inclusive.
Final Thoughts
Please keep in mind that even if you acquire a U.S. GI M1 Carbine, don’t make the mistake of forgetting the history of these carbines and all they’ve been through. Even if a carbine looks like new, someone may have rebuilt it. That’s a hobby for some people. I recommend that before you fire your new acquisition, get your carbine safety inspected by a M1 Carbine qualified gunsmith. It’s worth the time and money and the best I know of is Ed Silva and his staff at miltecharms.com. Tell him the “other Ed” sent you.
Do you own an M1 Carbine? Is it an original or commercially produced model? How has it performed for you? Share your answers in the comment section.