M1 30 Carbine Mil surplus

[FUJIMO]

Solid advice Greg.

As I told a friend yesterday asking about ammo prices, buy it when you want it because buying it when you need it is too late.

Edited February 15, 2022 by FUJIMO

[Darrell]

1 hour ago, FUJIMO said:

What folding stock is it ?

All these hard questions! This has always just been a shooter for me. I have no idea if the folder is a repro or original. How can I tell?

[FUJIMO]

8 minutes ago, Darrell said:

All these hard questions! This has always just been a shooter for me. I have no idea if the folder is a repro or original. How can I tell?

Does it have a cheek rest cutout on the other side ? So when the stock is folded up it lays into the stock versus up against it ?

[Darrell]

I'll check next time I get into the safe.

[Darrell]

Everything you'd ever wanna know:

Mine is apparently a hodgepodge. It has the early flip-type peep sight, but the late bayonet lug barrel band. And the paratrooper stock is a repro, no cut out, Fujimo.  Still, fun shooter!

 

[monkeylizard]

For a more recent data point, I bought one of the M1 Carbines from Midway in June 2021. Price was $1854.55 out the door after tax for a Vg-fine condition National Postage Meter. I have a C&R so that saved the transfer/TICS. That seemed high at the time, but I knew a year later it would look at least reasonable, if not downright cheap. I think I was right.

Note: Midway did NOT include a magazine. I picked up a couple of USGI milsurp mags in the wax paper from Brownells (That was another $85) along with a couple of ProMags from Midway for another $34.

Pics of mine can be seen here:
https://www.tngunowners.com/forums/topic/119828-m-1-carbines/?do=findComment&comment=1621217

 

Edited February 15, 2022 by monkeylizard

[Grayfox54]

Aw, what the Hell. I'll  post my tacti-cool Carbine. 

Its a 1943  Standard Products rifle. I had to replace the barrel a couple of years ago due to a cracked gas cylinder. The new barrel is a 1970s replacement. No longer being original I brought it into the 21st Century as a shooter. 

Don't worry, My 1943 Inland is just like Uncle Sam issued it. 

[Grayfox54]

Here's my 1943 Inland along with a few friends. 

Edited February 15, 2022 by Grayfox54

[jeff43]

4 hours ago, Darrell said:

And in 30 years you may be pining for the cheap prices we're enjoying today. Ha!

Very true!

[Beltfed]

16 hours ago, 10-Ring said:

Must have been a heck of a time.  I've heard stories about $100 SKSs, $70 Mosins with a span can of ammo, and $25 German Mausers.  I was slightly too young to take advantage. 

I paid $25 for my original 1942 Mauser sniper (no scope).  $35 for my factory fresh hex receiver Mosins.  $125 each for 10 Winchesters and Rockollas. $85 for my SKS with a case of ammo thrown in.  Yes, those were the days.  My first Garand cost $135.

[No_0ne]

8 hours ago, gregintenn said:

If you want one, bite the bullet and plunk down the cash for a nice one. They aren’t getting any cheaper, and you won’t ever regret buying quality.

Very true.  While we won't see the kind of price increases that have occurred since supplies of older milsurps dried up in the primary market, those that become available through the secondary market won't ever be significantly cheaper than they are now.  Sure, like everything else, bargains will crop up occasionally, some folks will get in financial difficulties and have to do a firesale, and there's always the kindly old neighbor who lets you have their old warhorse on the cheap, but in the future the market won't be down very much for very long and prices will creep up for many years to come ...

[Swang]

I really like the wood stocks.

[bobsguns]

On 2/14/2022 at 8:14 PM, 10-Ring said:

Must have been a heck of a time.  I've heard stories about $100 SKSs, $70 Mosins with a span can of ammo, and $25 German Mausers.  I was slightly too young to take advantage. 

I remember when the first com bloc SKS' came in to the shop I was working at. They were selling for $60 each but covered in cosmoline. 

[Darrell]

10 hours ago, bobsguns said:

I remember when the first com bloc SKS' came in to the shop I was working at. They were selling for $60 each but covered in cosmoline. 

I remember that time, too, and I also remember that I looked down my nose at those rifles and figured I wanted nothing to do with them. Hindsight, huh?

[OldIronFan]

5 hours ago, Darrell said:

I remember that time, too, and I also remember that I looked down my nose at those rifles and figured I wanted nothing to do with them. Hindsight, huh?

Back when Mosins were $49~$89, SKS were $79~$99, and surplus ammo to feed them was just north of free I bought them as fun plinkers because it was what I could afford. I had no illusions they were valuable or desirable but I could not afford much better on a broke college students income. 

Once I could afford a higher caliber of firearm I discarded those old com bloc surplus rifles selling them off for little or no profit. If I had had the space to keep them I would have a nice little C&R collection now that would actually have some value. Hindsight can be painful but I don't truly really regret buying or selling them I guess. I would love to have a few of them back, but honestly I have enough nicer stuff in my collection these days. 

[mamcdonald]

I got my IBM carbine a couple years ago for a S&W model 19 and $250 cash, which felt a little high at the time but I’ve always wanted an IBM carbine. Combine that with the Chinese SKS in a tapco stock I paid over $400 for ~18 years ago and you get a good picture of what kind of sucker I am for what I want

[bobsguns]

17 hours ago, mamcdonald said:

 you get a good picture of what kind of sucker I am for what I want

I disagree.

We (I) would tell buyers all the time at gun shows, "A gun is worth only what someone will pay for it." Not Blue Book value, not sticker price value, not some seller's story about his granddaddy value.

You decided on the value for the gun & the seller agreed to that value. Nothing wrong with that & that's how it should work, IMO. Both the buyer & seller are happy, they both got what they wanted. Nothing to make fun of on that, IMO. 

I once had a Postal Meter Carbine, FWIW, I don't know which was more "rare", them or your IBM?

[Garufa]

18 minutes ago, bobsguns said:

I disagree.

We (I) would tell buyers all the time at gun shows, "A gun is worth only what someone will pay for it." Not Blue Book value, not sticker price value, not some seller's story about his granddaddy value.

You decided on the value for the gun & the seller agreed to that value. Nothing wrong with that & that's how it should work, IMO. Both the buyer & seller are happy, they both got what they wanted. Nothing to make fun of on that, IMO. 

I once had a Postal Meter Carbine, FWIW, I don't know which was more "rare", them or your IBM?

NPM made more than IBM.

I’ll refrain from commenting on the gun show silver-tongued devil talk.

[bobsguns]

2 hours ago, Garufa said:

I’ll refrain from commenting on the gun show silver-tongued devil talk.

Well, I did lead all sales staff in total guns sold on any given weekend.   

But seriously, if a gun sits on a table for weeks/months/years at an inflated price, what's it worth then? No one buys it, so it's not worth that price, IMO. 

[Iwojima1988]

There is a guy at the Jackson TN gun show that has a bunch of them he is a nice guy to deal with also keep an eye on the CMP

[molov]

I think my FIL just snagged one from a CMP auction. Check out their website.

[MikeW]

I was at the Show of Shows in Louisville yesterday and M1 Carbine prices are out the roof.  Mix-masters in ok condition are 1k and it goes up from there.  Show goes on all weekend and it has some really nice military items.  I was on the hunt for a M45A1 decom, but there wasn't one at the show.

[jeff43]

I guess this is kind of off topic , but thought I’d pot these pics of a 2006 Aim Surplus catalog I saved.

[Grayfox54]

AH! The good old days! 

[jeff43]

Yeah, kinda makes you want to puke  a little.

 

Edited February 25, 2022 by jeff43