Scoped M1 Carbine

[Mikey]

My granddad gave me this rifle this past Christmas. It's an Inland parts gun that he built. He built one for myself, my brother, and my Dad.

Mine had no rear sight on it when he gave it to me. He said that he had a rear sight and had also had some scope mounts for it. He wanted to see what I wanted before he put anything on it. I said I'd like to check out a scope mount because I already have several M1's and it would be neat to have one that was a little different.

I figured he had one of the cheap Chinese made mounts that replaces the rear sight and would flop around. At most i would mount a red dot on it and keep fiddling with it to make sure it didn't fall off.

We went to his shop and started digging around to find the mount and he pulls out the Chinese made mount and says, "oh I also have this one too if you want but it's kind of a weird mount. It was one of the original mounts for the second generation night vision scope the military used in late Korea and early Vietnam. I looked at it and it uses redfield style rings. A twist in front ring and a side clamped rear ring. A trip to the shop and I had my rings. I had to carve a relief in the stock to get the front barrel clamp to fit in and had to drill a hole and carve a relief in the top handguard to let the post through.

http://www.usrnsf.com/Rifle_History/M3%20Carbine.jpg

I was looking at scopes and I had my heart set on a Weaver K series, fixed 2.5 power scope. Something small, extremely simple, light weight, and it seemed to fit the period. But it was out of production. All the ones I saw online were in the 200-250 range. I could get a brand new 2.5 fixed power Leupold for that.

I went to the gunshow yesterday and there on one of the tables was a pile of older scopes. Weavers, redfields, k series, s series, 2.5 and 4 power fixed, adjustable, post and line, duplex reticles... Choices abound!

Found a nice looking Weaver K 2.5 asking 125 for it. After some negotiation it was mine for $70. Mounted my scope and wrapped the stock with paracord to bring my cheek up some.

Here she is today.

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f268/rmikemcd/DSCN0466.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f268/rmikemcd/DSCN0465.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f268/rmikemcd/DSCN0464.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f268/rmikemcd/DSCN0463.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f268/rmikemcd/DSCN0461.jpg

[Mikey]

Nothing, huh?

[rat31465]

My Uncle Winfred loaned my older brother an M1 carbine to deer hunt with one year when we were younger, much younger anyway than we are today...My brother didn't like and couldn't get used to the idea of shooting a peep sight and so he and I traded rifles for the first weekend of Missouri Deer Season.
I took my Uncles Winchester M1, he took my scoped 6.5 Italian Carcano... I managed to fill my Doe tag with the M1 on the second morning of Missouri Deer Season that year.
The first deer I saw was one spooked out of the brush by my Dad, I missed on the first shot. She started running and after two quick follow up shots, I connected with meat on the third shot...only after a short search did Dad and I find my deer less than 50 yards from where the blood trail started.
...did I mention that the distance was a little over 125 yards...?

I have always liked these little carbines and believe that my love for short, light recoiling and quick handling carbines really took off after shooting my Uncles .30 M1 Carbine that morning.

You have a slick looking little carbine there...she ought to be a fun one to shoot.

[Aristogeiton]

I bet that carbine will be really fun to shoot. I love the looks of that old Weaver.

Let us know how it groups!

[Entropy]

I tried mounting a 3x scope on a WWII Underwood carbine about 15yrs ago. Unfortunately, I could only get 5" groupings at 100yrds. I decided that I liked the good ole iron sights better and took the mount off. Other carbines that I've owned and shot haven't been able to get better accuracy than that. I can still pop silhouettes at 300yrds without any problem, but the carbine just isn't a precision rifle.

Let us know how it shoots. Perhaps with some good quality ammo it might get some pretty decent groupings.:)

I really wish there were some modernized rifles chambered in .30 Carbine. It really is a nice caliber.

[Mikey]

It does about 2.5" at 75 yds.

not a match winner by any means. lots of fun though.

[m4fun]

these are real crap shoots for accuracy. I have a new manufacture Auto-ordinance that shoots circles around my Wincherster and Inland.

2.75" at 75 is a winner in my book for one of these.

P.S. - the scope mount is awesome. I would get the starlight for it!

[warpigM-4]

very cool will your granddad Adopt me:D

[LHS]

For a minute I thought you were going to say your granddad pulled a Snooperscope out of his parts bin.

I've seen one or two for sale at gun shows, but who knows if they still work, and they're always godawful expensive. Still, impressive tech for the time frame. I bet it gave the Japanese quite a surprise when it was first fielded.

[Buck]

Very cool little carbine... If you use a GI carbine pouch on the butt you can add a little padding to the inside to give you the proper cheekweld instead of the 550 cord...

B

[Mikey]

I'm looking into getting a leather cheekpeice made. It's was the material used on the Garands and it would definitely look better than the 550 cord.

-Mike