Universal m1

[kris smith]

I'm looking at m1 carbines and a gent has a universal and I want to know I it's a late one is this slide a late or early

And if it's an early what's its value ad if it's a late should I consider picking it up ?

[0321jarhead]

Save your money and get an original M1 Carbine.

[bruce381]

late the slides break at the "window" they are junk save you time and money get a USGI carbine then if will go up in value.

[kris smith]

If I was to pick it up what should I pay or the trade value be ?

[0321jarhead]

If the person is telling you that it is a grrreat shooter, he full of you know what. Really, if you buy it you will later kick yourself.

[kris smith]

I know there crap I just need a value I think 400 is too high

[JAGGUY]

Junk is a little bit harsh...
I have both a series 3 Universal like pictured that I bought in 1977 and an Inland I got from CMP a few years ago.

I never have had any problems with the Universal and never knew it was a POS until the interwebs said so....

The Universal isn't a collectable like the GI is, but is isn't a bad rifle at all. The stamped slide can break but they are available at the gun show at the OC Fairgrounds...Also, just because one guy has a discussion on the web about ONE firing out of battery doesn't mean they all do. Mine doesn't and most don't. And it's easy to check...

$300 would be a fair price. I paid 429 for my Inland..

[TRICKSTER]

It's appears to be late, but not the most recent. It has the later slide but does not have the very late slide lock.

http://www.m1carbinesinc.com/carbine_universal.html

[bruce381]

with all crap parts and reciver I would pay no more than 200 tops as I said save up and pay 4-500 for a GI

[kris smith]

I'm not really gunna pay for it probably just trade for it

[0321jarhead]

I'm not really gunna pay for it probably just trade for it

Trade what?

[kris smith]

I've got a mosin 1928 ex dragoon hex reciver plus what ever else

[0321jarhead]

I've got a mosin 1928 ex dragoon hex reciver plus what ever else

IMHO, keep what you have. Better yet, buy a real M1 Carbine. Don't let that hot flash for that Universal win. You will later regret it.

[Marcus von W.]

Well, if you can get it with around $350 or less in trade and/or money, you should always be able to get that back out of it, as long as the slide isn't broken or some of the other common Universal damage/problems (that I mentioned in another M1 Carbine discussion here) don't occur. There is always someone who knows little to nothing about carbines but is enticed by the admitted M1Carbine good looks of the Universal that will drop $350 on one rather than spend a little more on a military version or good commercial one.

Just watching the Trader here I've seen a few deals. The most recent was a Plainfield M1 carbine that was in a g.i. stock and looked like it had a military slide and trigger housing group that went for $400. I almost jumped on that one, but since I already have 2 Rock-olas, 2 Winchesters, 1 Inland, 1 IBM, and 1 Standard Products, I really don't need another carbine.

There is also an Alpine M1 carbine on the Trader, as I recall it was also in the $400 price range. Alpine was another early commercial M1 carbine that used mostly g.i. parts - I don't remember when they were made, but believe it was late 1950's to early 1960's, so they might be old enough to qualify as C&R

Plainfield Machine (which later became the Iver Johnson carbine), National Ordnance, and Federal Ordnance are all decent quality commercial carbines that can sometimes be found in the $400 price range.

A word here about military M1 carbines - back in the 1960's to 1970's era there were some of these (and M1 Garands) that were built up on de-mil cut receiver halves that had been welded together. If done correctly this isn't a problem, but some of them are off and suffer problems that can not be fixed. Even the best "re-weld" (as they are sometimes called....an inaccurate term, but gets the point across) is worth substantially less than an uncut original. Some of these "re-welds" are very well done and refinished to where you can not see evidence of the welding externally, so you have to remove any M1 carbine you are considering from the stock and carefully examine the inside of the receiver. These cut and re-assembled carbines used to be a lot more common, but with all the carbines imported since the 1980's and the ones CMP sold recently, they now represent a very small percent of the carbines out there.

[littlejake]

Universal Carbines sold for about $75 circa 1969. One difference is their use of two recoil springs on two spring guide rods. I don't recall a screw in the OP handle to keep it in the track. Mine was punched to create a square dimple to ride in the track.