Universal m1 carbine.

[RickN]

I had one years ago and liked it. If the round was just a little more powerful the M-1 carbine would be my favorite long gun. Just to weak for reliable deer hunting I feel.

 

[SSG_McD]

As with all these, even issue guns, they are finicky when it comes to ammo. They like GOV issue surplus but the commercial ammo is hit and miss.
Going with what Corgi Rancher says, I'd inspect all your parts for anything out of the ordinary and any wear.
@O4L posted this link somewhere before and I saved it. I don't know of another resource as indepth.
http://www.m1carbinesinc.com/index.htmlParts page:
http://www.m1carbinesinc.com/parts.html
If you reload - 15gr of W296 or H110 (identical powder) behind a 110 gr bullet. That's pretty much the USG load.

Thank you for the links to those pages. I’ve enjoyed reading them. The plastic plate bugged me but now I see it’s for a scope mount (I’ll never use). I have been getting some grief about it being a universal but a few lines I read made me feel better about it.
Thanks again.

 

[madokie]

early ones were made with mostly GI parts and then they made up "replacement" parts, and the timing can be off and they will fire"out of battery" ,there is part of the receiver that looks like a bar that is used to make sure the bolt is locked before the hammer can fall, and if its not machined to the correct distance ,"out of battery" firing can occur, you will have to inspect your gun and see if thats the case,, i have one and had to send it off to get it welded and remachined,years ago, now it shoots fine and feeds every thing..

 

[VarmintHunter59]

Back in the 80s I traded for them every once in a while. Nothing spectacular to report. I stood on a bridge banister once and shot one and the ventilated hand guard popped off and fell in the creek. (Non-retrievable.) Numrich. I never took the time to try to get one into a workable, reliable, condition. All that being said, it would be nice to have one now. For that same price of course! lol

 

[Leggett71]

Have one and it shoots OK after I had my gunsmith rebuild it. When first bought it was hit or miss on ammo feeding and finally locked up requiring my gunsmith to replace the barrel. As noted by earlier reply the newer models are not to GI specs and my replacement GI barrel had to be trimmed & chamber reamed to install.

 

[SSG_McD]

I traded it last night for a savage Lee Enfield. I do want to say though I did shoot the universal before trading. I fired 100 rounds and had zero problems. It cycled through every magazine. I don’t know if you all were unlucky or what. My experience although short with the universal m1 was excellent.