M-1 carbine

[salvadore]

Can anyone give me a ball park on the price of a run of the mill 1944 inland M-1 carbine?

[the rifleer]

It depends on where you buy it and who you buy it from, but im going to say 500-700, depending on condition.

[HorseSoldier]

Sounds about right for gunshow prices.

[gak]

What he said...plus:

It also depends on whether a
(from low to high dollar):

- Traditional (non CMP) re-import, which would typically be Blue Sky arsenal (and typ but not always labeled such on barrel). Lots of these out there. Some are fine but the lack of specifics on their overseas "life" after WWII or Korea (and some Vietnam), including storage quality and use or abuse, renders them less valuable, versus

- CMP, in a sense a known history (generally) and "controlled" re-import, vs

- Non-(re)import of

a) mixed parts origin, ie, Underwood barrel, Inland receiver, etc. (very common current occurence, especially from post war refits, and not usually a "ding"). These are the most common "originals" and command generally higher prices than re-imports, but a poor-condition one of these *could* be less valuable--at least short-term--than a nice CMP.

A used but not (overly) abused gun with decent-enough bore/rifling in all of the above categories could fall into the great middle-ground of "run-of-the-mill"...

...and, beyond that:

b) All original/apparent or documented matching origin of assembled parts, especially, of course, in great shape and moreso yet if never re-fit.

- Most expensive would be the last type above of a low production origin, ie, Rock Ola, and or early war of any mfgr, in excellent condition, and especially if never re-fit.

This latter two are not, of course, typically "run-of-the-mill" Carbines, however.

[Mannlicher]

not saying there are not 'mint' or 'never refitted' carbines out there, but they are indeed rare.

I have an Inland that I bought off one of my employees for $40, back in 1980. All the parts are Inland, but I know that they were fitted to the gun by my son after I bought it. When I first got it, it was of mixed parentage.

My understanding is that virtually all .30 M1 Carbines were arsenal reworked.

[gak]

Mannlicher said:
"My understanding is that virtually all .30 M1 Carbines were arsenal reworked."
----
You are right, most have been, post war "for" (effectively it turned out) Korea. Some were done during the war to add on-going improvements. One of those was the wind/range-adjustable rear sight. In addition to being original equipment on virtually all mid to late production models (late 43-45), some early production were essentially refit in the field. If your carbine has the flip-switch safety and/or bayo lug it was most likely refit post war--and those features are usually tell-tale signs...which, as you say, is most of them you see now. However there are some examples that made it during late war, contrary to myth that all were post-war refits. In early 1944, ordnance orders were instituted to add the bayo lug to (or during) new production, and get the refit for older models in the field. By the war's end, neither had actually occurred/made it to the field in any great number. (Ditto the safety switch). In fact try to find a pic of a bayo-lugged carbine during the war--it's rare, but does exist. Some very few made it to combat. My unmolested/un-post war refit carbine is "factory" or original arsenal bayo lug equipped, but with original button-release mag, and made to the Pacific Theatre. I know that as my father found it in a base dump on Guam--NIB--while scrounging for engine parts for his B-29, and brought it back home behind his pilot seat when the war ended. I've seen a fair number of carbines still with button mag releases like my '44, and that suggests (but probably does not guarantee--without a personal/provenance record like mine) they were not refit, but may have been personal GI bring-backs. That may-or-may-not have been officially sanctioned, but like my carbine, end of war all sorts of crazy things happened amidst the literal disarray.


In contrast to the above, my '43 is both bayo lugged and flip-switch safety'd, and as such is nearly-100% guaranteed to be a post-war refit on both accounts. It does have the late rear sight, which I'm almost sure was production by its manufacture. The gun appears to be "unmolested" otherwise as well, with (apparently) all matching Inland parts. That may have simply meant it was in excellent, maybe even unfired, condition by war's end, ...and so was "re-worked" only with these late fitments, nothing else required.

[Jack O'Conner]

I handled an Iver Johnson model at a Gun Show. It's seen much use and abuse. Part numbers did not match. But Price was $600. YIKES!

Jack

[Lloyd Smale]

shooters go for 5-600 around here. Better examples go up from there and a grand isnt unheard of for a nice one.

[Tacoma]

Weren't the Ivers commercial clones?