Picked up my IAI M1 Carbine

[1 Patriot-of-many]

Won't say run out and buy one since I haven't shot it yet...But
Looks great....It's Walnut not Birch like I figured it would be...The Walnut is actually more expensive so I have to hand it to AIM...THEY ARE THE MAN!!!
Also came with a 10 round mag,Bayo and sheath both look brand new GI issue.....Everything looks perfect....The 15rnd GI mags I purchased don't go in as easy/nice as the 10 round PC mag,But not a big issue......Was going to get a video capture device so I could film and post stills but all I could find was lowres 320x devices........So I can't post a pic yet....But judging from the way it looks definintely worth $375.....Hopefully it will shoot as well as it looks.A cool little carbine,very light,very short,would even make a good home defense rifle(not as good as a pistol of course,but it's very wieldable).

[Schuetzenman]

I'm interested in hearing how it shoots and how reliable it is. I want a carbine but I'm damned if I'm going to pay $500 to get a worn out GI version.

[Skip]

The NRA had a favorable write-up last year on the IMI carbine. You may also look in reloading the .30 Carbine. Commercial ammo isn't cheap and the LC Surplus isn't cheap either. Reloading is alot cheaper when you shoot as much as I do.

[neilwest]

1. Your gonna love it.

[REDSTAR]

Sounds great! Cant wait to hear how it shoots, $375 sounds good to me, I've handled them at gunshows and liked the short pull myself.

[Faulkner]

The IAI carbine gets mixed results from the died-in-the-wool M1 carbine guys. I've shot one and was pretty impressed by it.

As a alternate to the IAI, I have built up two carbines from new Springfield, Inc., receivers. It was great fun. I used mainly new/unissued USGI parts, including a Winchester barrel on one and a Springfield USGI on the other. They ended up costing me around $400 each and took me about 6 months each to gather the parts and assemble. It's kind of addicting, I'm think about doing another.

[sfc ret]

I got one and it is one very accurate carbine, i would put it in the same league as a AR in terms of tight groupings and accuracy....I paid more then you did, so you did very good....don't you hate it when somebody buy a weapon cheaper then what you paid for it :). you'll be very happy with it......if for some reason something does go wrong, remember you have a 1 year warranty with it. so you have a recourse to get it fixed. I've seen GI carbines being sold...but they where worn out whores, that had outrageous prices on them.

some of those died-in-the wool M1 carbine guys turn up their noses on this little gun, simply because it isn't "a real GI carbine".....these are the same people who get so anal about their carbines they look for a IBM hammer, firing pin, extractor etc... for their IBM carbine. and will pay thousands for a "correct" carbine....which when your talking about a military rifle, real there is no such thing as "correct" military rifle....parts where supplied from one contractor to another if they ran short. the military didn't care what parts were who's...just so long as they worked.

[neilwest]

1. The Gunnersmate at our Armory onboard used to have boxes of 1911a1 parts and constantly swapped to keep the things usable. I dont ever remember checking serial numbers when it was issued to me, just glad to be getting it.

2. I believe if it walks like a M1 Carbine, and talks like a M1Carbine, then it is a M1 Carbine,

3. Now as a collecter I want all matching numbers, but thats because it is so rare to find them.

[Faulkner]

Originally posted by sfc ret
...which when your talking about a military rifle, real there is no such thing as "correct" military rifle....parts where supplied from one contractor to another if they ran short. the military didn't care what parts were who's...just so long as they worked.

I couldn't agree more.

[keirnna]

I know this is a really old thread, but I have a question. Does anyone have the contact information for IAI? I have found two different web addesses for their old website, but now there are just spam placeholders there. I purchases an IAI M-888 M1 Carbine several years ago and it has a major jamming problem. I didn't know this was a widespread problem with this. I just thought that I had some bad magazines. I live overseas and was in the military for the last four years, so I only have had a chance to take the rifle to the range a few times. After reading everyone elses story I now am positive I need to send my rifle in for service.

[American Rage]

I know this is a really old thread, but I have a question. Does anyone have the contact information for IAI? I have found two different web addesses for their old website, but now there are just spam placeholders there. I purchases an IAI M-888 M1 Carbine several years ago and it has a major jamming problem. I didn't know this was a widespread problem with this. I just thought that I had some bad magazines. I live overseas and was in the military for the last four years, so I only have had a chance to take the rifle to the range a few times. After reading everyone elses story I now am positive I need to send my rifle in for service.


I've heard that IAI is out of business. Still, a gunsmith with M1 carbine experience may solve your problem.


Rage

[Faulkner]

It is my understanding that IMI carbines had a tighter tolerance on the chamber measurements. This was a double edged sword as the tighter chamber allowed more accuracy, but it also could cause less flexibility for reliability with a dirty chamber. USGI carbine chambers reportedly had a somewhat looser tolerance to allow for combat conditions. Kind of the same phylosophy as to why a Glock is a super reliable handgun but they don't really make good target pistols.

With that said, you need to really make sure the chamber is clean as well as the gas port and piston. I don't necessarily recommend disassembling the gas port/piston assembly, but the piston does need to move freely.

[keirnna]

Yeah I was in the USMC for 4 years. One thing every marine knows how to do is how to clean a weapon and shoot it. My M1 Carbine is clean, but it still is ass!

[Faulkner]

Not being telepathic I didn't know you were a marine or that you understood the basics of the short stroke piston operating system of a carbine. Most posters here don't. Sounds like you've eliminated any obvious symptoms to the problem.

If you suspect a magazine problem, I recommend using only USGI 15 round magazines. I have a box full of 30 round magazines I no longer use because they cause fail to feed problems.

Carbines are not all that difficult to make work. If you've ruled out the gas system and magazines, that really leaves only two other places. The extractor is the weakest link on a carbine and if it's worn or chipped it causes fail to feed problems. I always keep several on hand as spares.

The recoil spring is the other place I'd look. You might try replacing it.

[keirnna]

Thanks for the help. I wasn't trying to be a smart ass with my post about cleaning the weapon. I have tried all kinds of magaizines because that was my original assumption. The rifle has been cleaned many times, and I don't think I've even been able to get a full 100 rounds through it because it jams so much. I also thought that it might just take the parts a few hundred rounds to wear in properly. Was that just crazy of me or is there some truth to that?

[Flinter]

Are you getting lots of stovepipe jams? Sometimes the extractor comes off the rim and leaves the fired case in the chamber?

That's what my IAI does. Actually, did. I ruined the bolt on mine.

If you try to replace the ejector the one in your gun will be a little smaller than milspec. I found out the hard way.

That's why I need a bolt.....