Sunday GunDay: M1 Carbine Originals and Repro Rifles

One of the CMP’s most popular competitions is the M1 Carbine Match. The little carbines are easy to hold and easy to shoot, with relatively low recoil compared to an M1 Garand or M1903 shooting the full-power .30-06 cartridge. Unfortunately, genuine GI-issue M1 Carbines are now hard to find at affordable prices. The CMP has announced: “CMP’S Carbine Inventory has been exhausted and we do not expect to receive any additional shipments.” Authentic surplus U.S. Military M1 Carbines are selling for $1600 to $3500 these days on Gunbroker.com.

For Android users, there is a FREE App which shows How the M1 Carbine works. This complements the YouTube Video linked above. The App creator, Noble Empire, has 21 more illustrative Apps for other firearms, including the M16, M1911 pistol, 9mm Uzi, FN SCAR and more.

Over the years, the CMP has offered several different grades of M1 Carbines, from serviceable to excellent condition. Inventories have been shrinking in recent years, but now and then the CMP is offers M1 Carbines on its CMP Auction website. Prices start at about $1500.00 for Service Grade, with rare Unissued Models commanding $3000 or more. More information can be found on the CMP’s M1 Info Page.

Good Hickok45 Video with Genuine WWII Era M1 Carbine produced by Standard Products

There is an excellent history of the M1 Carbine (all versions) on the Pew Pew Tactical website. There are many historical photos, along with videos of two M1 Carbine variants being tested in the field.

The first M1 Carbines were delivered in mid-1942, with initial priority given to troops in the European theatre of war. According to the CMP: “The M1 Carbine was designed primarily to offer noncombat troops a better defensive weapon than a pistol or submachine gun, with greater accuracy and range, but without the recoil, cost, or weight of a full-power infantry rifle. The carbine was also easier for less experienced soldiers and smaller-framed people to fire than the .30 caliber infantry rifles of the day. The carbine was more convenient to carry for officers, NCOs, or specialists encumbered with weapons, field glasses, radios, or other gear. Tankers, drivers, artillery crews, mortar crews, and other personnel were also issued the M1 Carbine in lieu of the larger, heavier M1 Garand. Belatedly, a folding-stock version of the M1 Carbine was developed, after a request was made for a compact and light infantry arm for airborne troops.”

CMP M1 Carbine Matches — Fun with an Easy-to-Handle Rifle

CMP M1 Carbine Matches — Growing in Popularity
The CMP M1 Carbine Match is part of the CMP Games program that already includes Garand, Springfield and Vintage Military Rifle Matches. “As-issued” U. S. Military M1 Carbines are fired over a 45-shot course of fire at 100 yards on either the old military “A” target or the “SR” target. The course includes 5 sighters and 10 shots for record prone slow fire in 15 minutes, a 10-shot rapid fire prone series in 60 seconds, a 10-shot rapid fire sitting series in 60 seconds and 10 shots slow fire standing in 10 minutes.

CMP M1 Carbine Match at Western CMP Games

A good intro to M1 Carbine features, this video has over 6.7 million views on YouTube.

New Production M1 Carbines

Thankfully, you don’t need to source a real WWII-era M1 to enjoy CMP M1 Matches. You can now get a brand new, American-made M1 Carbine clone significantly less than the price of old CMP rifle. Sportsman’s Warehouse sells American-made KAHR Auto Ordnance .30-Caliber M1 Carbines that look, feel, and shoot just like the originals, for a lot less money. There are two versions:

M1 Carbine 1944 original design no bayonet lug — $849.99

M1A1 Carbine Paratrooper design with folding buttstock, no bayonet lug — $1395.00 MSRP

Auto-Ordance is now part of the KAHR firearms group. These Auto Ordnance M1 Carbines are currently out of stock at many vendors, but we expect them to be available later this year.

Another producer of M1 Carbine replica rifles is Inland Manufacturing, a modern company which shares the name of a leading WWII M1 Carbine maker. These made-in-the-USA, newly manufactured M1 Carbines are very authentic copies of the original carbines from the World War II era. With a $1139.00 starting MSRP, they feature authentic 1944-type adjustable sights, push button safety, round bolt, “low wood” walnut stock, and a 10–round or 15-round magazine. There are three (3) versions: M1 1944 style, M1 1945 style, and M1A1 Paratrooper model.

GunsAmerica.com report compares new Inland M1 Carbines side-by-side with original vintage M1 Carbines: “We had to get in close to tell the difference. Overall, the two examples we were able to handle looked great and held up when next to the originals. The stampings are even close to correct with a few minor differences that were chosen to stop the new Inlands from being mistaken for originals. Take a look at the photos and see for yourself.” READ M1 Carbine Review.

Inland Firearms M1 Carbine Shooting Demonstration by Hickok45

Lead photo from CMP First Shot Online, M1 Carbine Match at Camp Perry, Ohio.

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