M1 carbine help!

[G.T.]

Hi to all, I'm not all that well familier with after market M1 carbines and felt they were best left to others! But, I recently picked up a stripped barreled receiver marked Universal and need some advice as how to proceed?
I would like to know if they are compatible with GI parts, and also what to know, and what to avoid in trying to bring this thing back from the dead.. If you have any spare parts that would work on this unit, I would be more than happy to get them. Anyway, let me know, this isn't the first bobcat i've treed!!! Best to all, til...lat'r...GT

[Bill_in_VA]

Good morning, GT.
I have several GI carbines, but have very little experience with the Universals other than one a close friend had. He and I tinkered with it quite a bit but never could get it run 100%.
From what I recall, there wasn’t a lot of parts interchangeability between the two. Slides were totally different and utilized two recoil springs vs the single spring in the USGI guns. Likewise, the bolts wouldn’t interchange. As best I can remember, only a few small internal parts were one-to-one interchangeable.
Try digging around here: http://www.uscarbinecal30.com/forum/forums.html and you ought to get better info. In the end, you might be better off putting on your table at the next show.
My .02

[G.T.]

Hi Bill! Thanks for the quick reply, I think you're probably right! Next show, away it goes! best, til....lat'r....GT

[mrerick]

Few of the aftermarket M1 Carbine clones were actually designed to work I well with GI parts.

I have never had one of these aftermarket based M1 Carbines so can't comment on the Universal receiver, but expect that the resulting firearm would have considerably less value than a GI receiver based carbine. It's probably so much less that your time and effort would not be worth the investment. Here's an example - auction valued at about $405 after 16 bids.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1112925299

Genuine GI based carbines are 3x to 4x that.

[Eugen]

GT, I have several USGI M1 30 Carbines and tinker with them, but have no experience with the Universals or other commercial versions. Most of what I hear is to avoid them. I suggest that you do the same.

[Roadster 02]

Early Universals are OK but the later ones are grenades and should be destroyed. I have collected Carbines for 30 years and personally would never own a Universal or any other aftermarket carbine. USGI only for me. GT don't take the chance, if it is one of those described by Bill in VA, take a chop saw to it and drop in the scrap bucket so no one gets hurt by that POS.

[G.T.]

Hi Tom, yes, the more I research it, the more I feel they are not worth the effort!!! .. Thanks for the insight, best to all, til....lat'r....GT

[Doubs]

Originally Posted by G.T.

Hi Tom, yes, the more I research it, the more I feel they are not worth the effort!!! .. Thanks for the insight, best to all, til....lat'r....GT

I had a friend who owned a Universal M1 Carbine back in the late 1970's. He brought it to me one day and said it had quit working. One look and it was obvious that the bolt had battered itself against the receiver and the face had mushroomed. Apparently the bolt wasn't properly hardened. I did a little file work to remove the metal that was causing the problem and it worked again but I told him that it wouldn't last long and that the he4adspace was likely well out of specs. I don't know what he did with it but I've avoided anything made by Universal since.

[sheepherder]

I also bought one of the Universal M1 carbines from Sears & Roebuck back many years ago (1970's). It was totally different from a 'real' M1 carbine and not even magazines would interchange. It was cheap garbage, but I wanted an M1 carbine and I thought the Universal was an actual copy of the GI carbines. My big mistake.


I can't even recall how I got rid of it, but for some odd reason, I still have the black plastic 5 or 10 rd magazine for it. If you would like it, or if any member would, I would like to get rid of it. Despite the spiders liking it.

[Bill_in_VA]

For GT (and any other interested parties) - everything you wanted to know about Universal carbines but didn’t care to ask.
http://www.m1carbinesinc.com/carbine_universal.html
HTH

[ithacaartist]

Originally Posted by sheepherder

... I still have the black plastic 5 or 10 rd magazine for it. If you would like it, or if any member would, I would like to get rid of it. Despite the spiders liking it.

I'll take you up on that, Rich! Let me pay the postage, at least?
Since 10 round mags are the current max here in NYS, I'd appreciate them for use in my knock-off M1 carbine. I had just scored some nice NOS G.I. 15-round "pre-ban" mags when the nonsensical S.A.F.E. Act kicked in and rendered them contraband.

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by ithacaartist

I'll take you up on that, Rich!

Dave, do you have the Universal M1 carbine? I can't recall if this one fits a 'real' M1 carbine (military).

Send me your address anyway. I'll gladly ship it!

[ithacaartist]

Originally Posted by sheepherder

Dave, do you have the Universal M1 carbine? I can't recall if this one fits a 'real' M1 carbine (military).

Send me your address anyway. I'll gladly ship it!

Mine's a NJ Iver Johnson, made 1982, so it has the "good" castings.

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by ithacaartist

Mine's a NJ Iver Johnson, made 1982, so it has the "good" castings.

Dave, I think you should do a pictorial of the IV carbine; teardown, test fire, review, etc.

[ithacaartist]

Originally Posted by sheepherder

Dave, I think you should do a pictorial of the IV carbine; teardown, test fire, review, etc.

Lol! Rich, I'll put that on "the list"!

Given that this smoke pole represents the totality of my experience with this species, I'm not confident that I'll be able to contribute to the body of knowledge about them. Evidenced by YouTubes, it seems that the M1 carbine is more capable than its detractors generally believe...and probably more capable than me. Although it works better for my old eyes than the standard peep sight, the cheap Red Dot I've stuck onto mine likely won't help me much in exploring its limits.

I've discovered that the mag you sent me is a horrendous pain in the butt to load. Will try to score some silicone plumber's grease this week to see if that helps.

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by ithacaartist

I've discovered that the mag you sent me is a horrendous pain in the butt to load. Will try to score some silicone plumber's grease this week to see if that helps.

Dave, the bottom does come off. It may be full of 40 years of spiders, grinder dust, and general workbench grit.

Did you fire the Luger I sent? There should have been some ammunition in the box...

[ithacaartist]

Originally Posted by sheepherder

Dave, the bottom does come off. It may be full of 40 years of spiders, grinder dust, and general workbench grit.

Did you fire the Luger I sent? There should have been some ammunition in the box...

The removable bottom should help!

Not yet. It appears that the dots of the roll caps need to be trimmed to mimic the original ammo. Just slide it in and work the action, right?

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by ithacaartist

The removable bottom should help!

Yeah, it's a sliding tongue & groove thingie. Really stiff.

Not yet. It appears that the dots of the roll caps need to be trimmed to mimic the original ammo. Just slide it in and work the action, right?

Yep, that's it. I was afraid you may have thought the big bubble-wrap was just a 'spacer', and thrown it out.

Ah, the things we accumulate...