If it has 500 rounds on it I'd be surprised, it was clean as a whistle when I inspected it at the shop and when I got home it was even dusty on the barrel when I cleaned it before I test fired it.

I think it has a USGI trigger group and slide

BE-B code on the group and the slide has "C" stamped on the underside. Serial number is in the 13000 range, if I read things right that's between 1965-68 when they were still using surplus parts. Can't quite make out the marking on the hammer (old eyes and need a better magnifying glass) but it has one on it.

Range Time, 10 yards test fire

   

I ran 150 rounds PPU through it, starting 1 round at a time then working my way up to 10 rounds in the mag. I did have 1 failure to extract at 10 rounds and 1 stovepipe at 20. I want to say the gas piston was stiffish, it didn't move freely when I cleaned it the 1st time. It's "free" now so I figure it had some old oil or the like that needed working out.

Gun ran the next 125 rounds like a Swiss watch. Next weekend I'll take it to a outdoor range and do a proper zero check, today was strictly a function check and so far so good.  

 

I will later. I figured it was a IBM because my Fulton Armory Carbine has the same markings on it  

It's also damn near new IMO, I've got to use a small rubber hammer to get the damn thing off the rifle and the retaining pin is tight as hell.

The 1 "weird" thing is there is a Phillips screw holding the recoil plate in the stock. I've got a spare USGI one I could use but I figure if it ain't broke don't worry about it     

http://www.m1carbinesinc.com/carbine_Plainfield05.html" rel="nofollow - http://www.m1carbinesinc.com/carbine_Plainfield05.html

About 1966 Plainfield replaced the GI style recoil plate screw with a Phillips head screw. Threading of
this screw and the escutcheon nut the screw was mated too were not compatible with their GI counterparts.

 

is the butt plate plastic with Philips head screws?

About 1966 Plainfield replaced the GI style recoil plate screw with a Phillips head screw. Threading of
this screw and the escutcheon nut the screw was mated too were not compatible with their GI counterparts.

That's what I got.

The butt plate is plastic but it has 2 flathead screws. Still can't make out the marking on the hammer, it "looks" like what's shown for IBM groups here.

If the recoil plate screw holds it ain't a concern. I bought this as a plinker that I might try running cheap steel case Wolf ammo through (I was leery of using that on my "good" Carbines")

This will be the 3rd Plainfield I've owned over the years. The 1st was as reliable as the Rockola I got from a relative decades ago (my ex sold it in the messy divorce I went through 2001 along with the Rock  ).

The 2nd was a POS I bought 7-8 years ago, luckily for me the LGS had a 90 day used gun warranty. They told me they never could get it working.

This one ran great today, I figure if it keeps it up I've got another toy in the safe I can run hard and only be out $600 down the road  

I have a little different take on shooters. Not bashing commercials, because I have a couple. The early Plainfield’s have a good reputation, but as production progressed, they all got sloppy to some degree. I rather like to keep a good USGI shooter and relegate the commercials to have in case I need one. Most of the time, the old 77 year old GI carbine will be in better condition tolerance-wise than about any commercial. Of course, there are exceptions to about everything. 

I've been looking for a decent commercial for a few months now, for a different reason. I'm wanting a "plinker" that I can try steel cased ammo on like Wolf. I spent decent money getting my USGI's redone by Fulton Armory and hate to ruin them.

This, if it keeps shooting like today I can risk running steel through and only be out $600 bucks if I break something.

Long term, I would say extractor or wearing the gas piston out faster with dirty ammo

That's the plan, I sort of wanted a "cheap'' commercial Carbine I could use as a beater and keep my current USGI's and FA low mileage.

I'm actually tempted to swap the trigger group from this and use it on my "Howa" mixmaster that has a Winchester receiver on it for some reason (that was a oddball I think some of you will remember from last year).

I doubt if I do, it also going to be a "beater". Current plan is adding a Ultimak rail and fitting it to a Choate folding stock I have and running a red dot on it, turning that into this.

I'll also ream the wood stock the Howa has on it so I can swap them around. I'm waiting for a friend to let me borrow a Dremel set and Numrich to ship me a walnut stock I ordered for one of my USGI's.

I've got a spare stock here now but figure better to have a 2nd in case I screw up. It'll make Carbine "purists" cry but I think that rig pictured is a ideal "truck gun" set up. Handy to use, 18" barrel if I need to hit out to 200-300 yards and folded as compact as most AR pistols.

I have one myself, in my opinion the M1 Carbine was way ahead in concept for 1940's design. Truly the M2 was the first close quarter assult rifle. 

I have an Inland in M1A1 shooter that is great, my Quality Hardware tactical handles rapid fire drills on the range a bit better due to the increased weight. However the M1A1 was ahead of it's time because when it comes to clear the room drills it maneuvers it's stil very good.

 

I can't decide which Carbine to mount the tac rail on. Common sense says the Fulton Armory one I own since it's the newest made one and the wood stock is already set up for the mount (all my "birch" stocks will need reaming out).

The Howa on the other hand has been rebuilt by FA and has new barrel, trigger group parts as needed and a new bolt so it's basically sound. I did reuse the front sight when they replaced the worn rear sight so it could use some filing down to get a proper zero.

I have to aim about a inch low at 50 yards to hit the 10 ring. I figure putting a red dot (I've got a Vortex Sparc MkI that was just sitting on a AR I seldom shoot) on it would cure that issue and having 2 stocks set up for the tac rail I can swap as I feel the need, use the normal stock for range days and keep the Choate stock for the truck gun option.

I'm really wanting to test Hornady .30 HP but can't find any in stock. That would be my "truck gun" loadout. I've 2 .30 round USGI mags that I still need to check through all my Carbines but I figure if those don't work I'm up to 12 15 rounders I trust (been testing different ones every range trip)      

I'm glad I don't live in New Jersey, that's for sure.

I'm in Cincinnati so I should be ok. The only problem I "could" have is if I carried it loaded in my car. Your only allowed 1 loaded weapon on you "possession" at a time under Ohio CCW laws and it has to be a pistol.

Your allowed to have loaded mags for a rifle though and I figure a folded M-1 Carbine fits in a gym bag I have nicely. If I happen to run into anything "sporty" I'll use a pistol 1st and then try for the rifle.

I own several AR carbine length rifles but have never been a fan of "pistol" AR's. A reliable M-1 Carbine with a folding stock should do nicely if I needed it and take as much time to deploy as a AR carbine, plus be easier to conceal IMO   

Make sure the parts are in spec, replace the springs, get and test good mags and feed it good near maximum pressure ammunition. 

I had my 2 USGI Inlands and a Made in Japan "Howa" (based on a WWII Winchester receiver) worked over by Fulton Armory over the past year.

 

Left to right (that picture is loaded funny on my hosting site), Fulton Armory new production, 2 USGI Inlands and the Howa. The later 3 have new barrels, gas pistons and new springs and other parts as recommended by FA.

Right now all 4 love Armscor and S&B, no issue with PPU but the Howa has had problems with Aguila. I'm almost out of that so I'll burn that through the Plainfield to get rid of it.

I'd read the same thing but during the 1st week of the current panic bought a case of 500 because it was in stock at "normal" prices. I was scrounging the internet looking for any .30 Carbine brass cased in stock. I got very lucky, I found a place with Armscor at $11.99 a box and snapped that up.

I swear no 2 rounds of the Aquila have the same feel on recoil, and it's "weaker" than my Armscor, S&B and PPU types 

Nice, I haven't decided if I want to add a pistol grip to the Choate stock when I finally modify it for the tac rail

The synthetic stock, with the grips add just a bit of weight and makes  up close rapid follow up shots a bit easier. Jury's still out on the light.

I'm waiting to get an AR in the new 6MM ARC, it's a 108 grain projectile at 2,600 FPS in a 16" barrel it's 8 lbs and in that configuration because it operates at 52,000 PSI can rapid fire without barrel damage and make 700 yard hits.

It took 80 years but they finally capitalized on the lessons from the M1 Carbine. The 30 Carbine was that far ahead of its contemporaries. 

I plan on comparing the Carbine I "convert" to a TAC rifle to my current "SHTF" AR-15 setup, a BCM 14.5 pinned build with a red dot on it.

I already know with the Choate stock the Carbine fits into a non gun bag looking gym bag while the AR doesn't. I've never liked how AR "pistols" handle and figure the ATF will crack down on the "stocks" being used sooner or later....under the radar is the best way to stay out of trouble.

Out to 150 yards (the range I figure I would need a "truck rifle") the .30 Carbine should be as effective as 5.56 in a "pistol" AR 

BTW 5.56 performance from a short barrel with SP or HP is lacking, it requires  55 or 62 FMJ. 

The 30 Carbine like soft points for soft targets and FMJ for harder targets.

I recently replaced a late style cast trigger housing out of a friends Plainfield. Where the hammer would strike/stop on the left side had chipped away the edge of both the TH and the cast hammer. letting the hammer bind slightly down ward. His bolt was GI and showed slight hits on the rear left edge.

Congrats

1st 75 rounds. The 5 hits in the 7 and 8 rings are the 1st 5 rounds, I start dialing and by the end of the 50 rounds PPU I'm using have it where I want. I did have 3 FTF/FTE's on the 1st 15 rounds, I changed mags for rest of this target no issues.

65 rounds this target. I knocked the elevation off so I had to double check that. Quick fix and the only issue I had was 1 FTF about 40 rounds in. This is using Aquila brand which I always seem to have 1 FTF every 100 rounds any Carbine I've used it on recently.

Lucky for me I'm out, I've got to test a new Sig P229 tomorrow and figure I'll try 100 rounds of Armscor while I'm at it. So far every Carbine I've used that on eats it up. Otherwise I might look into new extractor springs for the bolt on this one. I figure while they might not have been shot much they are 54 years old, new ones won't hur

The down side, the surplus seems a tad dirtier than the PPU, it took a few more patches to clean it up.

I'll run another 100 next weekend and see what happens.