Kahr M1 carbine

[wcd]

Have they improved and are they worth Looking into I am just not an Ar fan so I was wanting to look at a carbine.
thanks

 

[wtfd661]

Not sure but I also am not much of an AR fan so I went with a Ruger Mini 14, shoots the .223 or 556 and the action reminds me of the M1 Garand/M1 Carbines.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

I sold my AR to buy an IBM M1 carbine. If I'm not mistaken, Kahr = Auto Ordnance? I haven't heard anything bad about them, but I wanted a USGI rifle.

 

[wcd]

I sold my AR to buy an IBM M1 carbine. If I'm not mistaken, Kahr = Auto Ordnance? I haven't heard anything bad about them, but I wanted a USGI rifle.

Yeah I think they are sold as auto ordinance never met any one that had one. But there are lots. Of poor reviews out there on them which I am taking with a grain of salt still it would be nice to have first hand info.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

Yeah I think they are sold as auto ordinance never met any one that had one. But there are lots. Of poor reviews out there on them which I am taking with a grain of salt still it would be nice to have first hand info.

I've got one. It's OK. This was the first M1-Carbine I'd ever shot but to me the trigger is awfully stiff. I haven't put tons of ammo through it yet but it's gone *bang* every time I've pulled the trigger.

 

[echoagain]

I like the M1 carbine, but I don't really see it as an 'alternative' to the AR, it's a very different animal. The .30 carbine round is essentially a pistol cartridge, not a rifle cartridge. Ammo is also very expensive and not as readily available on the shelf. It is a lot of fun to shoot though, and I suppose you could do a lot worse for home defense (there is soft point ammo available, but it is not extremely common). Unless you really intend to beat on the gun or modify it, I'd probably go with an original rather than a commercial, you'll probably spend about the same money and the originals have a lot more 'cool' factor to them.

As an AR alternative, I'd also probably go with a Ruger mini 14 or mini 30 if you prefer more 'old school' styling. (Also be aware that you can get a VZ58 clone really cheap right now from PSA if you don't mind that style.)

 

[DoggyDaddy]

I've got one. It's OK. This was the first M1-Carbine I'd ever shot but to me the trigger is awfully stiff. I haven't put tons of ammo through it yet but it's gone *bang* every time I've pulled the trigger.

I thought about getting a "repro" of one, but I just really, really wanted a real one. And working in IT, having an IBM become available at what I considered a reasonable price, well, it became apparent that there were forces afoot here that I should not resist. I have no regrets. And it is a lot of fun to shoot. I know it's a totally different animal than an AR, but I have other rifles that still fill that niche.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

I thought about getting a "repro" of one, but I just really, really wanted a real one. And working in IT, having an IBM become available at what I considered a reasonable price, well, it became apparent that there were forces afoot here that I should not resist. I have no regrets. And it is a lot of fun to shoot. I know it's a totally different animal than an AR, but I have other rifles that still fill that niche.

Nice.

I thought about too. I was torn between getting one I wouldn't mind shooting, a really nice historical one, how much they're all worth, etc. looks like you got a winner, there.

 

[Zjhagens]

I have handled a few at work. I have an original M1 carbine, and in comparison, the Kahr is just.. no. The fit and finish is pretty bad. Nothing like the real thing. For the price, get a real one.

 

[Beowulf]

James River is making a Rockola M1 Carbine that they claim is true to orginal spec. They look nice, but are quite pricey ($1200), so you can buy an original one for a lot less.

Rockola M1 Carbine : M1 Carbine

 

[DoggyDaddy]

James River is making a Rockola M1 Carbine that they claim is true to orginal spec. They look nice, but are quite pricey ($1200), so you can buy an original one for a lot less.

Rockola M1 Carbine : M1 Carbine

That's a gorgeous rifle, repro or not! But yeah, 1200 is a little salty for me.

ETA, if CMP were to come out with the M1 Carbine version of their M1 Service Special Grade, that's how I picture it would look.

 

[Sniper 79]

Cousin has some original M1's he does not want to shoot so he ordered the Auto Ordnance to play with. Shoots dead nuts. I took it out of the box slapped a mag in and was able to walk a golf ball out to a hundred yards no problems at all.

As far as an AR alternative it is not! Lacks power range and ammo is a problem. Better off with a Mini 14, AK,SKS or something else within your budget.

My opinion would be save your money and get something else. Lots of better options.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Cousin has some original M1's he does not want to shoot so he ordered the Auto Ordnance to play with. Shoots dead nuts. I took it out of the box slapped a mag in and was able to walk a golf ball out to a hundred yards no problems at all.

As far as an AR alternative it is not! Lacks power range and ammo is a problem. Better off with a Mini 14, AK,SKS or something else within your budget.

My opinion would be save your money and get something else. Lots of better options.

I've noticed that ammo has become more readily available, and the price has come down somewhat too. I lucked out when I sold my AR. I found someone to trade my 5.56 ammo even up for 2000 rounds of .30 carbine ammo, so I'm set for awhile.

 

[Mcqueen]

M 1 carbine is a lot of fun, but I don't know about that builder. But it is a great gun.

 

[Sgt7330]

Agreed the 30 carbine lacks in stopping power.... but so does the 5.56. If you want a more potent round upgrade to a .30 cal rifle. As a carbine goes, I carry a 5.56 AR daily. At one of our qualification dates a couple years ago I ran my USGI Nat'l Postal Meter M1 Carbine on the line with all the black rifles.
Interesting thing, that 1943 M1 Carbine kept up and I even shot a little better with it than my issued AR. The range did not exceed 100 yards, but included moving, kneeling, prone and multiple mag changes. ( I cringed a bit, as it was raining and nasty out) The carbine ran it fine, except one issue with a junk post war commercial magazine. Other than that, I was surprised how well it performed. Not a great target below, as I am not an expert here, but the M1 kept up just fine.

 

[BE Mike]

I like Kahr handguns. My information is old (6 years), but the Thompson, M-1 carbines and 1911's all had problems. I wouldn't invest in one unless I had a boatload of current raving reviews. To clarify, I'm talking about the ones made by Auto Ordnance (Kahr). I have no truck with the GI ones.

 

[Thor]

The M1 Carbine is a great little gun. It sets between pistols and rifles with not the range of real rifles but more killing power than your average pistol. It still makes a .30 cal. hole.

 

[Beowulf]

Speaking of using the Carbine as home defense, anyone got an opinion on the Hornady Critical Defense .30 Carbine ammo? After a failed experiment with low recoil 12ga buckshot, I'm still looking for an option for my girlfriend for a HD weapon. She isn't really comfortable with handguns, but she does have her dad's carbine. The carbines are small, which is perfect for her and have basically no recoil. So if the CD .30 Carbine ammo is effective, that little carbine might be the perfect gun for her.

To be honest though, even with standard ball ammo, at HD ranges, I'm pretty sure it will put a guy down if you pump a few rounds into him. It was certainly good enough to put some Nazi's and Japanese soldiers down during WWII, and other assorted enemies in Korea and Vietnam (heck, I was in Israel in 2003 and I saw a bunch of M1 Carbines being carried by security forces all over the place).

 

[tradertator]

The 30 caliber carbine round performs ballistically similar to 357 magnum, and you don't hear many people complaining about its "lack of knock down". Its a great cartridge in the hands of a smaller framed shooter who doesn't want a lot of recoil or a heavy rifle. As a kid, I grew up shooting them until the barrel went red and hand guards would smoke. Of course this was back when the surplus ammo was still cheap / abundant, but they still hold a special place in my heart. Would I want to face an MG-42 with it in hand? Absolutely not. But would I feel comfortable with one tucked away in my bedroom as a safeguard against an intruder? Absolutely.

I will agree with the others though, a Mini might be a good compromise. Personally, I'm really not much of an AR fan myself either and tend to lean towards AK's.

 

[cosermann]

Best Choices for Self Defense Ammo

http://www.brassfetcher.com/30 Carbine/30 Carbine.htm

I did not see .30 Carbine Critical Defense listed on Hornady's Website (#1 attribute of ammunition = availability). However, they are currently listing .30 Carbine Critical Duty.

I haven't seen any 3rd party testing of the .30 Carbine Critical Duty (although Hornady claims 15" of penetration to be routine).