an M2 M1 carbine is a machine gun right?

[locomotiveguy]

In Guns Mag Surplus spec ed they rattle on and on about the Thompson and the grease gun but I never read anything about the auto carbine.I remember seeing a few when I was a kid in the early 60's. Did they not use these in large numbers. Were they unreliable or ineffective. I can't even recall seeing one being fired on utube. My old man (here he goes again) said it was his weapon of choice particularly in and out of vehicles with two thirty round clips taped together. Who knows and will share?

[Longcolt44]

The M2 was capable of full auto fire as well as semi auto.

[Junk Yard Dog]

It was extensively used in Korea and later in Vietnam, you will see them in the hands of Marines very late in WW2. The M1 carbine was manufactured only during WW2 and only as a semi auto, later it was given an upgrade kit that converted some of them to M2 select fire, or M3 with the starlight scope.

[locomotiveguy]

Thanks for the info.One thing about the forum you start to realize what you don't know yet.

[SA1911a1]

An old friend of mine,who died a couple of years ago, went ashore, as a young officer, in France a few weeks after D-day, as part of the Third Army. He carried a .30 carbine and said that many of the people that he knew did some simple field modification on them to make them full auto. He told me he didn't remember the trick.....(and he never forgot anything) He was able to bring home his personal weapon, and I always wondered, but never asked.

[Junk Yard Dog]

That trick is not exactly unknown, but best not discussed as such a conversion would be a Felony.

[locomotiveguy]

I remember the m2 had a much more substantial round bolt the receiver had a groove for a hair pin spring that went on the sector lever that protruded fro the stock right from the bridge of the receiver. What kind of rate of fire? They don't seem substantial enough to do this for long.

[musketjon]

It was extensively used in Korea and later in Vietnam, you will see them in the hands of Marines very late in WW2. The M1 carbine was manufactured only during WW2 and only as a semi auto, later it was given an upgrade kit that converted some of them to M2 select fire, or M3 with the starlight scope.

M1 carbines, indeed, were not manufactured after '45, but as such, there were full-auto M2 carbines manufactured at the end of the war, hence the M2 markings occasionally encountered on the receivers. If you have a carbine that is marked M2, even though it only has M1 parts in it, since it was originally made as a full-auto firearm, in ATF' s eyes it's still a NFA gun. Once a machine gun, ALWAYS a machine gun.
Jon

[capt14k]

It had to been registered as a full auto firearm prior to May 19, 1986. I have read stories of finding grandpa's unregistered full auto Carbine post May 19, 1986 and it is a felony to possess and can not be registered. According to ATF website M1 Carbines altered to permit automatic fire, Carbine receivers marked M-2 even though only capable of semi-auto fire, and M2 conversion kits consisting of 7 parts all are machine guns and all must have been registered prior to May 19, 1986 and can not be registered now.

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[Junk Yard Dog]

The chances of finding any carbine with M2 markings are remote. Some are undoubtedly squirreled away and will never see the light of day, a tiny number are registered and are big ticket items traded among the machine gun collectors. The vast majority of carbines are normal M1 models, most M2's were converted with kits both during and after WW2, then converted back at later dates. Uncle did release some M1 carbines for the DCM program years ago, but most were sent to arm our allies during the cold war, South Korea, Vietnam, even pre Castro Cuba, they remained popular aid items well into the 1970's.

[locomotiveguy]

Very interesting JYD they have their own little niche.

[Junk Yard Dog]

There were so few M1 carbines available to the gun buying public that reproductions started to be produced as early as the mid 1950's. The M1 carbine has always been very popular despite some attitudes about low power, it's popular because anyone can use it and it's easy to carry. The South Korea imports in the early 1990's were sucked up by the market in about five minutes, carbines for $150-$175? Yea, I was on that like fly's on crap, it temporarily drove prices on all carbines down and I picked up some special models like the M1A1, and the early flip sight WW2 model without the upgrades. Never again, you want a carbine now and it's seven bills to a G or more, never mind what that para model would bring today

[Longcolt44]

A group bought all the rights and machinery to make the Inland carbines and Garands. They are made in Dayton, Ohio and they are supposed to be interchangeable with the original rifle parts. They start at $1200.00. They are making the carbine and the paratrooper.

[capt14k]

What would M1 paratroopers original and complete with original jump bag bring today? I know an old timer with two of them that look perfect. I would likely own one of them already, but I live in NJ where they are banned by name. He offered me a complete setup for $2,000 two years ago. It was tempting, but the fear of being caught driving home with it or straight to a storage unit in PA deterred me.

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[Longcolt44]

You have a PM capt14.
LC

[Junk Yard Dog]

Double that wouldn't buy mine, I love that little carbine. Inland never made M1 Garands, did they acquire tooling from H&R or IHC? I don't think Winchester would have parted with anything, and certainly not the US government. Or are they using the investment cast receivers from Australia? I don't think the M1 carbine ever went out of production since the 50's, there always seems to have been some company or other making them, some well, some not.

[capt14k]

All this Carbine talk makes me jealous. Also makes me seriously consider moving to PA with or without the wife lol. Even the Iver Johnson M1 Carbines which were made in NJ and not marked M1 are banned in NJ. Only rifle that is like that. We can't own ARs or AKs but we can own CAR-15 or WASR. However any attempts at a NJ Legal M1 Carbine have been squashed.

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[Longcolt44]

CORRECTION: The new Inland company does NOT make a Garand. Just several models of the carbine only. https://www.inland-mfg.com/Inland-Carbines/M1-1945.html

[Junk Yard Dog]

That is a lot of money to spend for a rifle with no history, basically a commercial firearm. Fine if it's a shooter someone wants, but if it's a real milsurp they want then it will not be found there. What worries me is the " built with many of the same features " part. This implies that there is a deviation from the original design someplace, we have seen that before with some of the Universal built carbines. These deviations were not conducive to optimal performance.

[locomotiveguy]

I ordered one from the DCM for $21 or $23 in about 64. I love the performance numbers fps, ftlb, hp, 0to60 and the carbine never rang in. My carbine got lost in the mail (delivered to my road side mail box) and I told DCM and they sent me another and about three weeks later the first one showed up. Of course I mailed back the second one, of course... but never was a fan and don't understand any fascination past handy.