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Roger that and thanks. On the topic, I see AIM Surplus has KCI M1 Carbine mags and another, non-specified, Korean made mag at very reasonable rates for 15-rounders and slightly more for 30-rounders. Anyone have experience with these?

Parenthetically, I'm seeing overwhelmingly negative reviews for Pro-Mag M1 Carbine magazines. I'm not surprised, as my own experience with Pro-Mags have ranged from good as OEMs to worse than worthless. As such, I do believe I will steer clear of them. That said, anyone have experience with them and can confirm or deny the crapiliciousness?

If you mean Pro Mag? That has always been the case. The QC with them has always left a lot. I have a couple for my P11 that amazingly work. Can't remember where I got them. Over the years this has always been the case. You get some that work like an OEM. Others are crap. During the great ban I often found you could make one work if you needed to. Carefully re working them. Now days I don't bother.
 
To quote Ace Venture, "Alllllrighty then".

So, I checked out all the local sources in the small towns in these a parts for either an original M1 Carbine or a clone and nada. On a trip up north, I checked several sources in Roseburg for an original or a clone and nope not a one. The Mrs (@TeacherSmurf) looked at Cabela's whilst in Eugene and, despite listing them in stock, nope, not a single one. So, after a bunch of Intra-Tube comparison shopping, I bought a NIB Auto Ordnance M1 Carbine on Grab a Gun at a very reasonable rate. I've got a message into the receiving FFL to handle the transfer. Hopefully it will be here in a couple weeks.

Anywho, thank you all for the thoughts, info, etc. Much appreciated.
 
If you mean Pro Mag? That has always been the case. The QC with them has always left a lot. I have a couple for my P11 that amazingly work. Can't remember where I got them. Over the years this has always been the case. You get some that work like an OEM. Others are crap. During the great ban I often found you could make one work if you needed to. Carefully re working them. Now days I don't bother.

Indeed, I mean Pro Mag. My experience with them has ranged from flawless/just as good as OEM to only good for plinking at the range to toss directly in the trashcan and learn from the experience. Considering the reviews I'm seeing online regarding the M1 Carbine mags, I'm going to just skip them.
 
Indeed, I mean Pro Mag. My experience with them has ranged from flawless/just as good as OEM to only good for plinking at the range to toss directly in the trashcan and learn from the experience. Considering the reviews I'm seeing online regarding the M1 Carbine mags, I'm going to just skip them.

Dear brother,

Go to projectsheepdog.blogspot.com and read what can be done to make your Auto Ordnance Carbine the "commercial carbine of your dreams". This can be done with minimal additional outlay and it will make the Auto Ordnance Carbine "dead nuts reliable".
 
Dear brother,

Go to projectsheepdog.blogspot.com and read what can be done to make your Auto Ordnance Carbine the "commercial carbine of your dreams". This can be done with minimal additional outlay and it will make the Auto Ordnance Carbine "dead nuts reliable".

Roger that. I'll check out the link. :)
 
Indeed, I mean Pro Mag. My experience with them has ranged from flawless/just as good as OEM to only good for plinking at the range to toss directly in the trashcan and learn from the experience. Considering the reviews I'm seeing online regarding the M1 Carbine mags, I'm going to just skip them.

That would be my advice. Unless there is some mag that's hard to find so very expensive I would not bother with ProMags. Since M-1 mags are still easy to find I would pay the extra for ones you know will just work.
As for your M1 should be lots of fun. These are of course getting harder and harder to come by as time goes on. I can see some for sale right now but the sellers want a lot of money for the few that are out there. Even for just a mixed parts shooter.
 
Have coveted one of these for years.. they were fairly well liked in Michigan circa '50's/'60's when I was growing up.. got a lot of use around the farmsteads for various critters including whitetails, not to mention poaching. Quite a few dad's and uncles had used these during ww2 and Korea so they were around. Not bad for what is more pistol round than rifle... My only use was in the dimly-remembered past in N Cali, where they proved handy on those little deer (black-tails, maybe?) in the coastal mtns. Light-weight, handy, and used to be quite affordable back when case-lots of mil-surp were still available (a thing of the past!). While any bullet will kill.. some are more prone to injury, so when it came time to buy my own light carbine I opted for the :eek: Mini-14...
Goes without saying- wish I had one or two military, including but not limited to- a Saginaw/Grand Rapids (my home-town)- formerly Irwin-Pederson- Steering Gear-GM, a Rock-Ola, and of course a Winchester... along with extra mags and a case of ammo in my collection..
 
Alrighty then, I ordered six 15-rounders from Keep Shooting and three 30-rounders from AIM Surplus. I'll undoubtedly sock away more mags in the coming months because, well, I go more than a little gonzo on the mag front. That aside, let's talk ammo ...

  • What are you feeding our M1 Carbines?
  • Any that work great and therefore recommended?
  • Any that is crapola that should be avoided?
Thanks!
 
Alrighty then, I ordered six 15-rounders from Keep Shooting and three 30-rounders from AIM Surplus. I'll undoubtedly sock away more mags in the coming months because, well, I go more than a little gonzo on the mag front. That aside, let's talk ammo ...

  • What are you feeding our M1 Carbines?
  • Any that work great and therefore recommended?
  • Any that is crapola that should be avoided?
Thanks!

Did you check the link that I provided? The "sheepdog" article is quite explicit.
 
Alrighty then, I ordered six 15-rounders from Keep Shooting and three 30-rounders from AIM Surplus. I'll undoubtedly sock away more mags in the coming months because, well, I go more than a little gonzo on the mag front. That aside, let's talk ammo ...

  • What are you feeding our M1 Carbines?
  • Any that work great and therefore recommended?
  • Any that is crapola that should be avoided?
Thanks!

I've only shot Armscore through my new manufacture Inland. Had no issues with it. Payed about $22.00/50 and had delivered to Cabela's. Now I see Armscore for less than that on several sites. I WILL load for it eventually, after I use up the 500 or so rounds I have. Got lucky and found 300 once fired bras for $25.00.
 
Did you check the link that I provided? The "sheepdog" article is quite explicit.

Indeed I did. It was a good read. I'll have to check out the Gold Dot and Corbon offerings in .30 Carbine because, in addition to the recommendation in the article, I've had good results with those in pistol cartridges.

Parenthetically, did you do any of the modifications the author mentioned (e.g., springs, polishing, etc.)?

I've only shot Armscore through my new manufacture Inland. Had no issues with it. Payed about $22.00/50 and had delivered to Cabela's. Now I see Armscore for less than that on several sites. I WILL load for it eventually, after I use up the 500 or so rounds I have. Got lucky and found 300 once fired bras for $25.00.

Thanks for the heads up. I'll check it out.
 
Indeed I did. It was a good read. I'll have to check out the Gold Dot and CorBon offerings in .30 Carbine because, in addition to the recommendation in the article, I've had good results with those in pistol cartridges.

Parenthetically, did you do any of the modifications the author mentioned (e.g., springs, polishing)?

No, I haven't, but will sometime soon. The Auto Ordnance isn't built the same as the original military "Light Rifle" but A/O's rifle isn't bad. Magazines (and their fit) are critical to proper function and owner satisfaction.

All the "old timers" (WW2 and Korean Veterans) derided the "Light Rifle" but the Vietnam Veterans liked it. With Underwood Ammnunition the darned thing performs better than nearly everyone expects.

I'll take it into "urban battle" anytime! :s0155:
 
Just a thought to the 30 carbine feed design.

Much like the feed lips on the ''Rock and lock'' magazine FAL. The feed lips on the 30 carbine are machined into the receiver.
The magazine just holds the rounds. So the magazine must maintain a good relation to these feed lips to support proper function.

To make things even more difficult. The 30 carbine magazines push straight in from the bottom. So they don't lock up as tight necessarily as the ''Rock and Lock'' design.

They need to fit right.

GI magazines seam to maintain this relationship better than others.





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CountryGent:

Permit me to let you in on a little secret. The M1 Carbine is the military world's "best-kept secret". It is still being used in South America, Korea, Israel and in other "special squads" around the globe. Americans have been rediscovering the "light rifle" lately. With excellent JHP and Soft Point ammunition, the round performs quite well. With Underwood's ammunition, the Carbine is exceptional.

Take it our into the dense woods and a properly-placed Lehigh round will drop a Whitetail Deer like a bad habit.
Game up to 200 lbs. can be taken quite handily. Keep your ranges between 50 and 75 yards and medium-sized game will drop quite rapidly.

You might be surprised.
 
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Well, I just got back from shooting it for the first time. Before going out, I gave a good look over. The rifle appeared to be clean, but bone dry, so I gave it a light lubrication with Rem Oil. I also ran an oily patch, followed by a dry one, to make sure the bore was good to go. There was a light rain, but not enough to stop an Oregonian, so I headed up to the home range to give it a go.

Impressions:

  • Very light and fast handling. It comes to the shoulder very well.
  • Accuracy was good enough for informal shooting I was doing. I was shooting, mainly, at a range gong and had no trouble making it dance.
  • I was using, relatively, inexpensive Armscor ball ammunition. I could see using this for plinking, but have the better stuff tested and ready for preparedness purposes.
  • The sights were good, though I would like to make the front standout a little more. Maybe a little paint or high visibility aftermarket type would work.
  • Felt recoil was, for all intents and purposes, non-existent.
  • Reliability, however, was pretty bad. Lots of failures to feed (most of them) or to go completely into battery (some of them). I'm 99% sure it was the magazines:
    • The rifle came with one (1) 15-round magazine and it fed flawlessly every time. I'm planning on ordering some more from AO later today.
    • I brought five (5) 15-round magazines from Keep Shooting and ran them all in this session. They ranged from a few failures to a bunch. One of them fell out of the rifle and sprayed cartridges all over the ground. In examining it, the follower was stuck in the magazine body. It was tossed.
    • I have three (3) 30-round magazines, but only took one (1) with me to the home range. It jammed nonstop.
  • The magazine release was stiff at first, but loosened up fast.
  • The safety is really stiff, but I reckon that is going to loosen up with use.
  • I think I'll add a sling soon. This carbine should pack easy.
All and all, I like it, but I'm likely going to have to do some experimentation and replacement of the magazines.

Cheers.
 
Well, I just got back from shooting it for the first time. Before going out, I gave a good look over. The rifle appeared to be clean, but bone dry, so I gave it a light lubrication with Rem Oil. I also ran an oily patch, followed by a dry one, to make sure the bore was good to go. There was a light rain, but not enough to stop an Oregonian, so I headed up to the home range to give it a go.

Impressions:

  • Very light and fast handling. It comes to the shoulder very well.
  • Accuracy was good enough for informal shooting I was doing. I was shooting, mainly, at a range gong and had no trouble making it dance.
  • I was using, relatively, inexpensive Armscor ball ammunition. I could see using this for plinking, but have the better stuff tested and ready for preparedness purposes.
  • The sights were good, though I would like to make the front standout a little more. Maybe a little paint or high visibility aftermarket type would work.
  • Felt recoil was, for all intents and purposes, non-existent.
  • Reliability, however, was pretty bad. Lots of failures to feed (most of them) or to go completely into battery (some of them). I'm 99% sure it was the magazines:
    • The rifle came with one (1) 15-round magazine and it fed flawlessly every time. I'm planning on ordering some more from AO later today.
    • I brought five (5) 15-round magazines from Keep Shooting and ran them all in this session. They ranged from a few failures to a bunch. One of them fell out of the rifle and sprayed cartridges all over the ground. In examining it, the follower was stuck in the magazine body. It was tossed.
    • I have three (3) 30-round magazines, but only took one (1) with me to the home range. It jammed nonstop.
  • The magazine release was stiff at first, but loosened up fast.
  • The safety is really stiff, but I reckon that is going to loosen up with use.
  • I think I'll add a sling soon. This carbine should pack easy.
All and all, I like it, but I'm likely going to have to do some experimentation and replacement of the magazines.

Cheers.

I KNEW you would like it. "There's something about an M1 Carbine, man". (Sung to the "Aqua-Velva Man" jingle). When you have the proper magazines the darned thing will run as if it were a sewing machine.

Don't let people lie to you and feed you the old "it's not effective at more than 50 yards" bull sauce. Feed it right, and you'll have a best friend for life.
 
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In a house, you can "shoot from the hip" and make it serve as you would a handgun. Hmmm... power in excess of a 44 Magnum, negligible recoil, Soft points and Lehigh projectile ammunition from Underwood, 15 and 30 round magazines... Where's the downside? ;):s0155:
 
Well, I just got back from shooting it for the first time. Before going out, I gave a good look over. The rifle appeared to be clean, but bone dry, so I gave it a light lubrication with Rem Oil. I also ran an oily patch, followed by a dry one, to make sure the bore was good to go. There was a light rain, but not enough to stop an Oregonian, so I headed up to the home range to give it a go.

Impressions:

All and all, I like it, but I'm likely going to have to do some experimentation and replacement of the magazines.

Cheers.

Sounds like a LOT of fun and nice damn little rifle. J&G Sales mentioned Mil Surp mags in their last flyer I got in the mail the other day. Did not see what the prices were like there.
 

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