M1 Carbine non-SHTF material cuz of ammo?...

[Kenshin]

A lot of people turn away the M1 Carbine as a SHTF weapon becuase ammo and mags (if you didn't have some stocked already) would be too hard to find/scavenge. Is this a true and rational statement?

[bu-bye]

No way I would buy one for SHTF. Buy something in 5.56, 7.62X51, 7.62X39, 9mm, 45ACP, 50BMG. Buy SHTF guns that take ammo and mags you can get from CURRENT Military and police. Don't expect a gun show to take place right in the middle of WW3


Now for fun, I'd buy one. They are fun little guns but there are better options these days. Back then you had your pick of a full size Garand or a M1. Some duties called for a smaller lighter rifle. These days we can have the power, size, and weight all in one.

[ivanimal]

I would for two reasons;
light and easy to conceal with a long coat.
You can get a side arm in the same caliber.

I would not for 3 reasons
Anemic round after 100 yards.
hard to find ammo in a flight situation.
Too hard to mount decent optics.

[fal_762x51]

These days we can have the power, size, and weight all in one.

And it is not the AR15.

[GJJ]

Ammo availability should not be a factor. You should have thousands beforehand. Then, if the S does HTF, if you shoot more than a couple hundred rounds the chances are you will be dead or have lots of extra guns and ammo you took off bad guys.

[Fate]

In a SHTF scenario, I'm arming my friends/family/neighbors with everything I have, so someone will be carrying my Carbines.

M1 Carbines are awesome weapons. If you're using soft point ammo from Georgia Heat, then you have knockdown equal to a .45. With 15 and 30 round mags, you should have enough ammo for the task at hand.

Eventually, you will probably even "upgrade" your armament.

[JPglee1]

A lot of people turn away the M1 Carbine as a SHTF weapon becuase ammo and mags (if you didn't have some stocked already) would be too hard to find/scavenge. Is this a true and rational statement?

Would make a good club

.30 carbine is kinda anemic. I'd rather use a 762x25 pistol (CZ52) which is damn near the same ballistics but in a pistol...

I guess you could use it till it ran outta ammo then give it to someone along the trail? I dunno, but not my idea of a good SHTF gun. Look at all the GIs who used them in Korea and WWII and had nothing good to say about them


JP

P.S> one good thing about M1 Carbines: M2 parts kits

[svenu]

Too hard to mount decent optics.

Nope.

http://www.ultimak.com/buy.htm

[ivanimal]

That is nice! I just bought one for my Mini 30. I was unaware they were available for the carbine. Still I would rather have an AR in shtf. It is what I am used to. Thats why.

[onley11]

I can see someone thinking that a 308 or 30'06 is better than a 223, but not a 30 carbine. The available 223's and m1's have nearly identical dimensions, but within 150-200 yards the 223 is a death ray with 55 gr ammo or tbbc's(fed tactical bonded). And the 223 can reach out to 500 yards if needed(and ammo is everywhere). The 30 carbine has none of these attributes. It would be interesting in cqb with the soft points, plenty of loaded 30 rounders, and the m2 kit.

But so would a m249 saw and we can't have that either. That is my FIRST choice of a shtf gun. You can only get those AFTER the s hits the f. I loved doing cqb with a saw, see something move and dump 30 rounds into it, over and over and over. Of course you need a point man (or woman) with a closed bolt weapon in case the belt fed goes down, but that's what the m4 slung on your back full of 77grn otm's is for, right?

I'd take a m1 in a bad situation, but I'd take a 308 hunting rifle first, that is a monsterously overlooked shtf gun, cause it ain't sexy enough. But it is effective, long range, scoped, and 200 rounds would last a lot longer than for the guy with the m4 or m1. It'll shoot pretty dirty, and breaks less too. Someday I really should clean my enfield. Someday.

The M1 was designed for cooks that had trouble shooting 1911s, same concept as the ruger pc 9 & 40. I'd rather have that 1911 and a real gun.

[Stevil]

+1 on the Ultimak forend, great addition to the M1; close-in the M1/.30 Carbine combination makes for a great weapon.



I have a Simmons Prohunter 2-6 x 32 scope mounted that has 11-20" of eye relief, it works very well.

[simonov]

Well, I guess these SHTF threads are all academic anyway. I hope there aren't really that many tinfoil headgear types around here.

Basic point about the .30 Carbine is it is pretty much a handgun round, not a rifle round. The M1 Carbine was designed to replace the M1911 for service personnel such as truck drivers, etc. It was never originally meant to replace a rifle. Of course, GIs grabbed them because they weighed less than their M1s, as did the ammunition; but when they learned that light weight comes at a considerable price in stopping power, they badmouthed the weapon because it didn't perform well in scenarios for which it was never designed.

The M1 Carbine is a great little plinker. But for situations that call for a rifle (SHTF?), grab a rifle, not an M1 Carbine.

I think it was Ruger who used to make a .30 Carbine revolver.

[Astig Boy]

Personally, I think the M1 Carbine will be the next M1A/M14 bandwagon gun. It isnt so popular now but will be in the next few years when people start learning more about them.

[onley11]

I'm gonna get a rack grade garand and tankerize it in 308. Let me go get my tin foil helmet.

[homerm14]

It's great to hear from all the experts out there. I seem to remember a lot of bad mouthing regarding a certain plastic gun in the 60's that is now all the rage. A gun that uses a round that most feel should not be used for anything but varmets. The .30 carbine round served it's purpose and is not that bad. Would not be my first choice, but if you like it and shoot it well by all means use it. I would'nt want to get shot by one.