I inherited a Plainfield circa 1962 (almost 60yo) that had sat, untouched, in a closet AT LEAST north of 40 years. The first time I fired it, I learned not to fill the 30rd mags to capacity (28 worked perfectly), and I had to bend one side of the 15rd mag back to shape (with my fingers) to make it work (loaded to 14rds). Keeping the feed ramp clean and wet with aerosol rem oil solved all 'failure to feed' issues upon my second trip to the range. That ramp seems to be the issue on mine. To my knowledge, no repairs/replacements have ever been made to it. I can honestly say that it runs so well, and is so accurate (at least at 100yds), that I would not hesitate to grab it for home defense. There is essentially ZERO recoil, and factory ammo rings my 9" steel plate just as loudly as my 5.56. I LOVE THIS RIFLE.

I spoke to a paratrooper from the 82nd who carried the M1 Carbine the whole war. He told me the magazines they were issued they considered them disposable. Every so often they would get new magazines in and they would ditch the old magazines.

"It liked Tula steel cased better than anything else" We'll there's a sentence I've never heard before!

When this gun was built, a pickup engine was old and due for a rebuild typically around 70,000 miles. Today, 70,000 is just past the "still breaking it in" point, and 200k is when we expect a Pickup engine to start showing it's age.

My A/O M1 Carbine has never hiccuped in 2000 rounds, keep them clean use good mags no problems at all. Knew a old Korean vet now long gone that told me in 1952 he used a M1 Carbine , the way they cleaned the M1 Carbine and Garand on the line was weird. He said they'd load a live round in the chamber pour a shot of military bore cleaner in the barrel and fire it. When I asked why they didn't just clean the bore normally he said why to many damn Chinese around and no one wanted to chance it by disassembling the rifle.

Should definitely not be the final video on the M-1 carbine.

If you're gonna run 30 round mags, source the M2 mag release piece. Pops right in (simple standard tool required) and holds the mags from two securing points.

For those malfunctions in the video, I would try replacing the extractor, extractor spring, ejector, and ejector spring. Just like any other gun, parts will become worn out or chipped or damaged over time and need replacing. Slide recoil spring should be at least 10 1/4" long. Also, for certain ammo and if you reload, the bullets used by the companies can sometimes have a different ogive from USGI ammunition and could "hang up" on the feed ramp randomly when shooting. The ogive of the bullet can be more fat and blunt, as opposed to USGI's somewhat more narrow, almost like a semi spitzer, meaning the bullets would have to be seated in deeper for reliable feeding. Good magazines are also important, KCI and Auto Ordnance 30rd mags work 100% for me. You shouldn't have to down-load less than 30 for 100% function, I always fill mine up to full capacity with no issues.

When it comes to reliability expectations then and now, it should be noted that the M1 Carbine was issued to members of a squad whose smallest subunit is the fireteam which is 4 guys. You were not meant to act on your own and if you had a malfunction, you had at least 3 other guys to cover you. There was also much more open field fighting back in WW2 and Korea so you had some space and time to quickly fix most issues. Today, most civilian shooters base their expectations on home defense or competions where in the close confines of your house or being on the clock, malfunctions can cost you dearly. Additionally, many are the sole firearm users in their home, so back-up is non existent. As for those with military experience, especially regarding close-quarters combat, I cannot say and welcome your opinions.

I have enjoyed the M1 carbine series. Thank you for presenting it in all its episodes.

I have two of these, one GI Winchester, and a Pennfeild. The repo is not horrible, love them both. Steel case runs fine in both. Loved this series!

I had an Inland(newly made), had over 4,500 rounds through it before I sold it. Out of all of those rounds, I can recall exactly what failed and why. I had one box of steel cased Tula ammo that was a bad lot, as at least half of the rounds fired in that gun were Tula. I had some PPU JSP's, 4 boxes that had the same problem of improperly seated bullets, so some were longer than others and this caused failures to feed. But it wasnt consistent... maybe every 4th or 6th round it may happen but not usually back to back. And lastly... 2 boxes of Hornady Critical Defense that failed in numerous ways from feeding, ejecting, extracting, and even a swollen case stuck in the chamber. As far as rounds getting stuck on the feed ramp, this only happened with the above mentioned malfunctions. The first time it happened with the PPU ammo, I polished the feed ramp after firing and never had a single round of FMJ fail. Federal Power Shok was always 100% and top notch. The Hornady Custom XTP's ran great, as did Israeli made .30 Carbine JSP's. Now I understand I'm a data point of 1, but this was simply my experience with the rifle. I had read several others having similar experiences to me. But most of the complaints appeared to be people who werent aware of an M1 Carbine's shortcomings or they got buyer's remorse because the price they paid. Oil them well, find what they like and keep giving it to them.

This has been a topical series for me albeit with some sadness; among the firearms I'll inherit on my father's passing is a M1 carbine that he has probably had longer than I've been around (1962) along with a British .303, a 20 Ga single shot from Sears that I remember going with my Mom to get circa 1968 or so for Christmas that I think has been shot once to dispatch a mouse that the trap failed to kill, a strange little single shot .22 that had a trap door to fold back to extract the spent round, the bolt action .22 I got to shoot a few times growing up, a .25 in his nightstand and a few others that escape my memory at the moment. A lot of ammo for the M1 & .303 including some mags and stripper clips and "Western Auto" branded .22 LR. (Wouldn't trust any of it for defense, but for range fodder... heck yeah! And I know where to buy the fresh ammo.) I'll buy the bolt tool and spring kit when the time comes that it is in my gun safe to keep it fresh which based on e-mails from my Mom may be coming in the near(ish) future but I pray/hope i is not.

Nice series on a historically important gun, and a really cool gun at that. All of the significant parts are stamped with a letter or symbol indicating the manufacturer, so mismatched parts most likely means it was rebuilt or arsenal overhauled. There are really good reference works on the M-1 Carbine.

I love the G.I. M1 Carbine and really appreciated, enjoyed your series on it! I've owned a couple in the past 10 years, both Inlands. First one, I should have kept! She was all G.I. and ran flawlessly. Out of well over a thousand rounds, I never had a single malfunction. Got rid of that one and later on, picked up another Inland.. many issued with that one so sold it a handful of years ago. Just picked up a gorgeous Standard Products M1 that has been as reliable as the first Carbine I owned; looking forward to more range time with her! Thanks again for all you folks do - keep up the great work!

Your ammo literally gets to my house faster than Amazon packages. Love your videos and ammo.

Yes, I have listened to other people on other youtube channels talking about the trouble they had with 30 rd magazines. Filling them up to only 25 rd.s like you did cut out the magazine failures. Thank you for a good and informative video. Sad that B.O. put a ban on importing US arms back into the country - usually from S.K. - I would like to own an M1 Carbine. Take care and stay safe and well.

More on the little carbine please. More ammo and magazine testing and figure out what’s causing it’s hiccups. I really think it’s an excellent home defense carbine being how handy and easy to operate it is and that it doesn’t take much to train someone on the basics of operation.

I love this series and the model 66 series. I have always wanted a m1 carbine but like anyone else cash is a consideration and someone always seems to talk me out of buying one! Keep up the great work

This is the first gun I became fond of when I was a boy. Back in those days I was playing old First Person Shooters such as the original Call Of Duty, Brothers In Arms etc and watched a lot of films from the 50's and 60's which had GI's wielding the carbine.

I had an Inland GI M1 Carbine and I rarely had a problem. Most common was the half feed. Keep it clean, use the right ammo, and stick to the 15 round mags.

One thing that can improve the reliability with the 30 round magazines is changing to an M2 (FA) style magazine release. It actually holds the magazine more firmly and can eliminate a lot of problems.

Also the M1 carbine likes to run fairly wet, keep it well lubed and it runs well.

I enjoy working on old firearms with problems. I enjoy a lot, finding and fixing the problems to make the firearm once again dependable. Plus it's good fun and great mental therapy for me.

Chris - Thanks for ANOTHER great video. The information conveyed was, as always, excellent. BUT the ways in which you present it, your articulateness, your cogency and organization, your humor, and your tangible attitude of expertise without any condescension are even better. = = = = = = = = P. S.: FWIW, I’ve never owned an M1 Carbine, but my maternal grandfather (a World War I infantry corporal) carried one as a civil service security guard, at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, during World War II. Generally, he loved it, BUT he always said the GI magazines were comparatively flimsy and caused many malfunctions.

That was an awesome series on the M1 Carbine!!

Real informative! Good work!

Surprised you didn't at least mention the bayonet, I have a real nice one, I wanted a complete set up. Great video series, probably my favorite all time rifle, been shooting one since I was knee high to a grasshopper, absolutely love it.

This series was great. Thank you.

Hey Chris, I'm missing your handgun reviews. Would love to see a review of the Taurus 856 revolver, or that strange double-shot 22 magnum revolver. Thunder 333 or somesuch name. I really respect your discretion and even-handedness in the reviews.

Paul harrell says that the reliability is often contingent on the mags. The mags where originally designed to be disposable, allegedly.

Love the channel and series, but it drives me crazy the way you run the oprod with your trigger finger. The military taught that if you do that and it slam fires, it will hit you in the web of the hand and break your wrist. Always operate and oprod with your palm up to sky (use pinky and ring finger) if it slams it will slide over your palm and not injure you. Old timers taught me that on Garand first minute out.

I love my 43 Underwood but I have to say you are very correct regarding the magazines. The blued mags work best in my experience but the parkerized ones are a great second. I have yet to find an aftermarket 15 or 30 round magazine that feeds reliably. Thanks for the great vid!

Mine is an import GI gun. I rebuilt it years ago with late model parts and NOS 1951 barrel. Late revision parts were created for reliability based on tests and field reports. SO it is a mixmaster but intended for shooting. I would say that nowadays building one and finding parts to hand select would be difficult and expensive. Not 20 years ago. Winchester ball has always been my benchmark for accuracy but there could be others as good. You can handload SP or HP ammo observing the critical trim-to length and OAL but it is hard to make it group quite as good as Winchester. But good enough for home defense. Now that beater carbines cost like a new AR, you probably will either work with the one you got, or select another platform unless you are a history nut.

Good magazines and checking to see if the extractor, ejector, and springs are not broken/worn are also key to making them run reliably. Ammo can also affect reliability if the bullet profile and powder charge isn’t close to the original spec ammo. The rifles are old so these parts have a good chance of being worn or broken down the line.

Yea, I’m in MA. I’ll check out the suggestions and thank you to all.

Spot on assessment. For the record I have had excellent results with all KCI magazines. KCI AR15, AK47, and M1A magazines are well built and exceptionally reliable. Due to their weight and cost they are my dump mags for competition and they continue to run exceptionally well.

Great vid series! I built my usgi spec carbine from new surplus parts except the bbl and receiver, it is new Fulton , barrel is new criterion match grade. I reload using ww296 15 grains, per load data. These guns were designed to run with a pretty consistent loading. They don’t respond well with downloaded or under pressured ammo.

great video, thanks ... have had all the same problems with my two carbines ... like you, i replaced all the springs -- better, but still the occasional failure ... interesting that you had good luck with steel case ammo ... they were performed the worst for me.

Great video..spring fatigue is the biggest problem with U.S govt contacted ww2 carbines..op rod return spring and magazine springs lose their..resilience..GREAT handy rifle

I just purchased my first M1 Carbine a few weeks ago and I took it out to the range to test it out. I put about 60 rounds through it and I had no malfunctions at all. I was using PPU brass cased soft point and FMJ ammo, and I tested out two 15 round mags and one 30 round mag I purchased for $10. It is a National Postal Meter built in 1944 and it also has the Blue Sky marking on the barrel.

I have an aftermarket made in the 70s. Just had it taken in for all the same reasons you described. The smith, who is a friend of mine luckily. Did a deep cleaning, tested it and it cycled fine. He decided to shoot the two mags of ammo I provided for testing. And the firing pin broke. I don’t know if he checked the springs but he said everything seemed functionally sound. I might have him upgrade the springs since he already has it. And order that sweet rail at the same time

2nd version gasplug and clean the gasport. That also helps

This video series has been hugely entertaining.

I got lucky with my repro M1, in that my AO carbine works really well. I use KCI 30rd mags that work great, and I shoot mostly Tula through it... with very good results. My example is pretty accurate, sorta 'good AK' - like at 100yds. I've had some good results with Federal FMJ out to 200yds, once you know the hold. It's good for man-sized targets out that far. I prefer to lube mine with lithium based grease over motor oil, as it sticks and stays. Overall, I'm very happy with the AO. I should note: I only load my 30rd mags to 25rds, seems to help.

Recoil spring is one of the most common parts to cause reliability issues with this. That and the magazines.

Great information. Don’t stop now. Really looking hard at purchasing from Fulton. Would like for a home defense weapon.

Thanks for the video. That's good information and a fun video. If I were going for a carbine-type of firearm, I'd probably just go for one of the 9mm versions. I don't remember how the .300 Blackout compares in terms of power, but maybe an AR platform in that caliber would be a better choice as well.

Wow this episode really put a damper on my M1 carbine craving.

I have a Blue Sky marked carbine, bought straight from a distributor in the mid'90s. My understanding was that it was from Austria, used by police and was/is in absolutely beautiful shape. The carbine you are featuring sounds and looks the same.

This channel is sensible, well done- affable. Only took me 3 years to find it wth.

Great video. I actually brought some 30carbine ammo from y'all a couple months ago. Left a review about not blaming your tools! 😂

My Inland has a 12/1943 marked barrel and the serial number on the receiver is from late in the January-August 1944 block. It has sat in a safe for decades. I have some original GI magazines but those I am replacing with KCI 15 and 30-round magazines over time. I am getting a Wolf spring kit to at least replace the main spring with. I have a lot of 1950's manufactured 30 carbine ammo most in the original box.

I got a 1944 with the import stamp not so long ago, probably the most anti-collector example you can get, and it maybe has a FTF 1 in 100 rounds. I've replaced the main spring and it works great.

I have owned two reproductions (Inland& Kahr) and one USGI Inland. I got the same reliability on all three. Basically they are kinda reliable in the end. Just a very cool range toy for me.

A couple of things from my experience and what I have found in research. The M2 bolt works better than the M1 bolt and is interchangeable, it has more mass. My carbine had an M2 bolt. I could not load my 30 round magazine with more than 24 rounds or it would have feed issues, but loaded with less it worked well. Frequently lubricate with light lubricants, the guns were issued with an oil bottle for a reason. In WW2 and Korea some soldiers reported using Vitalis hair tonic to keep their guns running, I used Singer sewing machine oil. Though I have no personal experience with this, I have heard the Carbines made by Howa in the 60's are of very high quality.

I have a Inland General Motors, made 9 44 , have issues when I use Federal soft points, 95 percent of the time it cycles good . Enjoyed your post. 🇺🇸

Would love if you did more videos on lever guns. Really enjoyed the video done on the .357 silenced levergun

Really like this four-part series on the M-1 Carbine, which is my "legally-safe" home defense choice. I've got a Ruger 556, but I don't want to explain to a jury why I needed an "assault rifle" to defend myself, my wife and my cats.

Thanks for the series. I have an IBM original my grand dad brought home from WWII. It runs well and with my hand loads has not had a failure yet. *crosses fingers. I find that a H-110 and Hornady's 110 gr. 1/2 jacket bullet runs very well and very accurately. I only use 10 and 15 round mags, so that helps also.

Great video! Now off to watch #3! 🇺🇸🦅🦄😎

They are old workhorses. My shooter Rock-ola hiccups once in a while, but still fun to shoot. It’s in battlefield pickup condition, which looks really cool. I find it to be picky with mags, and the occasional failure to extract.

I have an old M-1 Carbine, and the only issue I ever encountered was the extractor eventually wore down to the point that one out of few hundred rounds failed to eject. Replaced it, and updated the main string (might as well), and no more issues.

This was a great series, thanks. I can't believe no one makes a great copy of this gun. Hey Ruger!

The main recoil spring on one of mine is definitely worn. I get an ejection failure about every 5-6 rounds. It was also made by inland and imported by blue sky. My dad bought it in the early 80s and it was passed down to me. The barrel is almost completely shot out, but it’s still somewhat accurate considering how many rounds must have been put through it. The other one I own works fantastic though.

The M1 carbine is a case where G.I. magazines are not actually better. They are flimsy and garbage. Ken Hackathorn and Larry Vickers have confirmed this in their videos on the M1. The Korean mags are far better. Replace all of the springs in your rifle and get Korean magazines and you will eliminate 90% of the problems.

Just a note - The 1944 vintage M1 carbine did not have the bayonet lug. They got upgraded with the lug, between WW2 and the Korean war in 1950.

Will have to consider looking into Fulton Armory if my M1 Carbine ever has issues, and thank you for the KCI mag recommendation!

Excellent series. Fulton Armory is highly recommended but not cheap. Have a 1942 Inland refurbished by them and I think it's well worth the investment. Also have a recent production from Auto Ordnance, which didn't work initially but they took care of all the problems at no charge and the rifle is now working flawlessly. Give us an update when you get a chance.

Excellent review, but I will pass on this one for defensive use, friend. Thanks for all the effort you put into this channel!

Feeding issues: Lead tipped bullets sticking to the feedramp. With each clambering a little bit of the lead will coat the reedramp thereby making it _sticky_ . Winchester leadtip being extremely troublesome.

Tip of the day, newer phones have awesome slow motion video capture. Use this to take video of your bolt cycling, and any problems you witness in feeding and ejecting can be tinkered with and resolved, because you'll be able to see what's going on!

I currently have a 43 IBM AND A 44 Inland and never have had all the problems your having. In the past I've owned Winchesters and Saginaw's also no problems. When I take them out which is often after I'm done I just clean the bore and wipe the fowling off. Good to go. I love these little guns.

FYI, I put new wolff springs in my 30 round Mags, the wolff springs have xtra power and now my 30 round mags work great . you can now run 30 rounds in them no problem

Enjoyed the series

The chamber needs polished and to be as clean and smooth as glass. Just FYI my experience with the AR15/ M16 is late 1979-82 in the Marine Corp and I was never issued one that did not jam. I tell my self some times I need another but I have yet to pull the trigger on one. I do have a lot of other Semi Auto firearms and they are all flawless and I truly believe reliably is with who maintains it.

My WWII M 1 carbine has given me no problems at all jamming. Fires very well.

I have a Universal M1 carbine that my father bought after WWII. I have never replaced any springs or parts, and to my knowledge, neither did my father. I have never had a malfunction of any kind.

I have an Inland carbine made in 1942. I have fired several hundred rounds thru it without a single failure. I replaced the bolt because the face of it was banged up pretty good and the person I bought it from said that it went full auto. That is the only thing I have done to it in the 20 or so years that Ive owned it. I reload my ammo so that may be part of the reason it works so well.

Love you Chris !

Good magazines, mag springs and springs in the weapon itself help. The Fulton Armory produced weapons are very good. It would be interesting to see Cproducts makers of the AR15 Duramag look into making 15 and 30 round for these carbines. The potential for a good handy, dependable, carbine is good if someone would undertake to address the weaknesses of the platform. over the years I've owned two and they were thoroughly enjoyable rifles to shoot. Light and easy pointing, a decent sight. It's a decent rifle once the issues are addressed.

I ALWAYS had problems with feeding lead-tipped Winchester ammo in my GI (deport rebuilt in the 60's) Inland (1944 vintage) carbine.. The 'sticky' lead tips would rub against the feedramp and stick with bolt open and round partly out of the magazine and that leadtip hard against the feedramp. FMJ of any brand was not a problem.

I have a 1943 or 45 Standard Products and I’ve only fired it 15 rounds. I loved it! I feel a bit ashamed but I didn’t know how to check it before o did a 500 round range day. But it is coming because I do like this rifle a lot.

My dad swapped his issue lee enfield No4 for an M1 in Korea , loved it in that theatre 👌🏻😎

I have a ‘43 Winchester. Only malfunctions I’ve had was with a particular magazine, which is a newer one. It cycles fine with my old USGI mags.

I would like to see a lever action series with traditional lever action caliber and some new school ones would be really cool series

There is nothing more fun to shoot or work on. I’ve had many and some never malfunction.

Great Video

I had that gun, exactly... 1944 Inland with a Blue Sky import mark, bought it 25 years ago at a gun show for $180. Had it for 20 years, never had a jam, NEVER... thousands of rounds. Wish I still had it, best gun I ever owned, accurate as hell with the original iron sights. Gave it to a old friend. He still has it. Get to see her once in a while. Too expensive to replace these days.

I would say on magazines if you want reliable feeding stick to the 15 rounders for an M-1, the 30 rounders are designed for an M-2 which has a third catch to hold it in place.

My Auto Ordinance Carbine is very reliable. Most failures are caused by the magazines. Often times the springs in the mags have been reinstalled backwards after cleaning as I discovered recently. I had a few that gave me problem. I went through my mags, sure enough some had springs in my mags backwards. Test fired, no further issues, performed perfectly.

Mine was finicky with brass ammo in general. FTE every 2 to 3 magazines. When I use Wolf or Tula (ODD I KNOW!) it never jammed. I can't stand using Wolf or Tula but the stuff worked flawless in my M1. I got the advise to change the ejector and spring and it did a lot better with brass but jammed once every 200-300 rds. I then did flitz polish the action and feed area, changed springs etc. Total cost under $30 total. Now I have 5k through it, no jams. I had a buddy with a brand new AR come out and every other mag he had a problem. I broke out my M1 and quick fired 5 30rd mags, no issue. I looked at him and said "GI Issue, Made for war :)" . Just treat your rifle right and it will be there when you need it. Old age means pitting and things so polishing is good, good cleaning and proper lubing is key. I use Super Lube in all my guns with great success. I also always polish feed ramps and slick up the slide actions.

Great series, I've watched all four today, Ty! So, a new 2020 Fulton M1 Carbine might not have the various springs problems of the WW2 GI issued Carbines, correct? I have a M1 interest for range fun, not for defense nor historical retrieval. (Glad to hear about the Korean magazines.)

It's funny that the suggestions are "Get a GI M1 then change out all the old parts".

Concerning ammo, some French surplus was imported that was corrosive, as well as a load of Chinese ammo that was indestingable from Lake City 1953 production, right up to the brown paperboard 50 round boxes. All of the above were berdan primed. I suggest cleaning with ammonia based cleaner, including the gas piston, then regular cleaning.

I have one of the reproductions, a Universal. I replaced the entire bolt assembly with a Winchester and replaced the gas piston and nut with the MIL spec design. Got all the parts at a gun show, new old stock, at reasonable cost. I have had no operation problems at all.

I’ve had good luck with 15rd m1 magazines from ProMag. That’s in a Fulton Armory gun, however. I just want someone to manufacture a picatinny mount for the bayonet lug so I can put a flashlight on it!

I bought one at a gun show in Charlotte NC. I bought it specifically because Malcolm X used it to protect his home from assassins. As a teen I had a poster hanging on my wall with him holding his rifle and looking out the window. I thought it was the coolest photo on the planet. So when I saw it for sale at the show, I had to buy. I shoot it regularly, use it for home defense, and my wife and oldest daughter knows how to use it in case something happens and I'm not there. The M1 Carbine is very reliable as long as it's kept clean and maintained.

I own 10 M1 Carbines and have only suffered one non-ammo malfunction and it was with my M2 - a chipped extractor. All function fine, even with 70-year old springs. One of our favorites firearms. reliability was high as our modern guns when these were initially issued with contract ammo. And as a factory certified AR-platform armorer, I can attest that most MSR's would not survive combat operations very well, unless they are made by a Tier 1 manufacturer.

I own two M1 carbines, and the only malfunctions I have had were related to worn out magazine springs, causing failures to feed. Total of six instances so far. Replaced the mag springs with Wolff springs and no further problems.