Shooting the M1 Carbine

[schafe]

About a year ago I started wondering what it might have been like, for my Dad at The Battle of the Bulge. I researched(with some help from INGO) that , as a foreward observer, he probably carried an M1 carbine.
Untill now I had never owned a long gun, just SD pistols, so a few months ago, I bought a Universal M1 carbine (yeah, I know it's not a military version, but the price was right.)to try to experience what those firearms were like.
So yesterday, after cleaning and checking the carbine for firing out of battery, and cracked slide, I took it to the range.
I only fired 10 rounds, and thankfully, the thing ran like a top, so no problems there, but my eyes were watering (from the wind, of course)and wouldn't allow me to see where it was hitting.....I will need a way to spot better next time.
It was an enlightening experience, and made me better appreciate the skills and sacrifice our fathers and grandfathers brought to the war for us.
Next trip I'll try to sight it in.....Yesterday I just wanted the experience.

 

[DragonGunner]

Good story, the Carbines are fun an light. Good guess that your Dad carried the Carbine, but you never know, he could of carried a Garand....better get one of those too!!! My brother was a FO in Nam an carried a 1911 an CAR, short version of the M16.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

I'd suspect that there's a right good chance that your dad and my grandfather knew each other.

My maternal grandfather was also a forward observer at the Battle of the Bulge.


-J-

 

[schafe]

I'd suspect that there's a right good chance that your dad and my grandfather knew each other.

My maternal grandfather was also a forward observer at the Battle of the Bulge.


-J-

God bless him! The average lifespan of a foreward observer during battle was incredibly short. They were a brave lot. Dad was one of the lucky ones, and made it back. (He considered it Divine Providence.)
104th Timberwolves....nightfighters.

 

[Sgt7330]

Cool way to think of how your dad served. Next time you get a chance grab a USGI Carbine, I think you will not be disappointed. Fact is, obviously, they arent making any more of them and you can't even get carbines through regular CMP sales now either.
My grandfather served in the 82nd during that time and was sent out right before the Bulge due to being frozen in a water-filled foxhole while being shelled. He talked with good report about the M-1 carbine he carried. Being a young kid I didnt think much about it until I got older, now I own one.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

God bless him! The average lifespan of a foreward observer during battle was incredibly short. They were a brave lot. Dad was one of the lucky ones, and made it back. (He considered it Divine Providence.)
104th Timberwolves....nightfighters.

I'll have to figure out if my aunt has my grandfather's DD214. I know that he was wounded by some shrapnel (he saved it!), was awarded the Purple Heart, and he also earned a battlefield promotion from Sgt to 2Lt.

 

[kedie]

Good guess that your Dad carried the Carbine, but you never know, he could of carried a Garand....better get one of those too!!!

Or a Grease gun, or a Thompson, or a BAR, or a M1919, or a 1903A4, or a Bazooka, or rode in a Sherman. Just to be safe you better get one of each of these, and then invite me over to help you shoot/drive all of them.

 

[Mosineer]

Cool way to think of how your dad served. Next time you get a chance grab a USGI Carbine, I think you will not be disappointed. Fact is, obviously, they arent making any more of them and you can't even get carbines through regular CMP sales now either.

+1 on the USGI Carbine. As far as the CMP getting no more carbines, we can the thank the present admistration for canceling the Korean deal for over 700,000 Cabines and Garands (mostly Carbines)
Thankful I got my 2nd carbine from CMP last summer...

 

[JohnP82]

Great story! And congrats on the purchase and range time with it

 

[boozoo]

My understanding was the Korean deal was not going to the CMP anyway.... those weren't lend-lease returns.

I got super lucky when I decided to get my "Bavarian Rural Police" marked carbine from the CMP... a few months later they moved everything they had left into auction and that was it.

What I don't get is there were 6.5million made.... you'd THINK they would be cheap.

 

[Griffeycom]

My understanding was the Korean deal was not going to the CMP anyway.... those weren't lend-lease returns.

Yes that is correct, if the Koreans SELL them to importers here in the US they are not going to the CMP.

If some how we get the Koreans to GIVE THEM BACK then they should go to the CMP, but that's not likely to happen since they want to SELL them to us. I'm pretty sure a lot of them were given to them now they want to sell them! Silly Koreans!!!

 

[Hiker1911]

Thanks, I'll have my first chance to shoot an M1 at the range, soon. A friend has that one that he is going to take for my enjoyment-which he has no plans to sell.

 

[Hkindiana]

My understanding was the Korean deal was not going to the CMP anyway.... those weren't lend-lease returns.

I got super lucky when I decided to get my "Bavarian Rural Police" marked carbine from the CMP... a few months later they moved everything they had left into auction and that was it.

What I don't get is there were 6.5million made.... you'd THINK they would be cheap.

Back in the 90's when "Blue Sky" imported a bunch of carbines from Korea, I purchased 800 of them. I got every maker including Irwin Pederson and un-quality! They cost me $90 each, and every one came with an oiler, a sling, and an original 30 round magazine!!! The Garands were $125 each. I wish I had just stuck them all in a warehouse - they would have been a great investment.

 

[gunman41mag]

About a year ago I started wondering what it might have been like, for my Dad at The Battle of the Bulge. I researched(with some help from INGO) that , as a foreward observer, he probably carried an M1 carbine.
Untill now I had never owned a long gun, just SD pistols, so a few months ago, I bought a Universal M1 carbine (yeah, I know it's not a military version, but the price was right.)to try to experience what those firearms were like.
So yesterday, after cleaning and checking the carbine for firing out of battery, and cracked slide, I took it to the range.
I only fired 10 rounds, and thankfully, the thing ran like a top, so no problems there, but my eyes were watering (from the wind, of course)and wouldn't allow me to see where it was hitting.....I will need a way to spot better next time.
It was an enlightening experience, and made me better appreciate the skills and sacrifice our fathers and grandfathers brought to the war for us.
Next trip I'll try to sight it in.....Yesterday I just wanted the experience.

I have a UNIVERSAL & it shoots good, I also have a UNIVERSAL ENFORCER pistol, but the prize is a NATIONAL POSTAL METERI got a great deal on

 

[thompal]

I'll have to figure out if my aunt has my grandfather's DD214. I know that he was wounded by some shrapnel (he saved it!), was awarded the Purple Heart, and he also earned a battlefield promotion from Sgt to 2Lt.

In which case, he may have run into my uncle, who was an Army surgeon at the Bulge. He told me about having to remove a live mortar round which had come down on a soldier, penetrated his shoulder and lodged in his rib cage, and not exploded.

He had an area sandbagged off, and operated in there just in case the mortar round exploded while he was removing it.

Yeeesh.

 

[tenring]

If you ever get a chance to fire a banana magazine through an M2, now that's a rush.

 

[Papper2]

Carbines Were cheap thru the NRA in the late 50's or early 60's-- my memory is not good enough to bring the dates Back up. I Bought, Thru the NRA, a surplus carbine for $15 Plus shipping. -- The total was under $25 for the delivered package--I have NO Idea how many were available to the public ( Members). After throwing several hundred rounds Into the Old Gravel Pit I cleaned it and put it in the safe where my son and /or grandson will hopefully get some pleasure out of it too.