My custom M1 carbine hunting rifle

[Rattler]

Way back in the summer of 1980, just after I graduated college, custom rifles were all the rage. After reading a book on customizing rifles by T.L. Bish,(https://www.hillcountrybooks.com/products/keyword/%20care) I decided my Plainfield Machine M1 Carbine needed to be gentrified. I spent the better part of that summer doing the work in my back yard. (Got a great tan that summer) The rifle was completely polished, tuned, smoothed and reblued. I added Williams sights, a front ramp and a rear peep. The bolt was jeweled and a Fajen mannlicher walnut stock was also worked from a rough semi finished piece. It was fitted to the rifle when it was completed. She's a hunting rifle with the 5 round mag, but still works as my home defense rifle and will still shoot a 30 round mag without fail. It shoots into a 2" group at 100 yards all day long. It wasn't a collectible M1 to begin with, so no harm done to it's value. Some may not like it, but I love it.  The pictures show how it looks, with one added to show how it used to look.

Edited March 27, 2019 by Rattler

[bugsNbows]

I think she's purdy. Love the full stock! Congrats.

[moog5050]

Looks cool to me.  

[ATbuckhunter]

I definitely wouldnt mind taking that out on a hunt. Especially on a snowy day 

[Rattler]

It does hunt well.  It's short and light and quick on target.  Shots within 50 yards have plenty of power to take down a whitetail.  Great fun when just out for a walk in the woods.

 

[ny hunter]

Great looking rifle.,

[helmut in the bush]

Cool

[grampy]

A beautiful rifle Rattler! I love the sporterized look of it! So cool that you've had it all these years, and still take it hunting. Do you have a pic with it laying on a deer?  

This is surely a rifle to pass on to a son or daughter one day. To continue making memories.

[ApexerER]

shes purdy!

[wolc123]

14 hours ago, Rattler said:

It does hunt well.  It's short and light and quick on target.  Shots within 50 yards have plenty of power to take down a whitetail.  Great fun when just out for a walk in the woods.

 

How was the meat damage on those deer ?    I would think it would be minimal with the medium diameter, slower velocity bullet, especially if bone is struck.  On the two mature bucks that I butchered last fall, the one my neighbor gave me was hit on the hip, and on the spine with a .243.   Both bullets remained in the deer.  More bloodied meat had to be trimmed away and discarded on that deer than on any that I have ever butchered (I have done over a hundred total, including a few road/automobile kills).   By contrast, my own mature buck last year was struck on the spine twice, one way behind and one forward of the shoulder.  Both 12 gauge sabots passed thru after striking bone.  A total of three slugs passed thru that buck, including my initial shot, which passed just under his spine and behind the vitals, hitting no bone. 

 I thought the meat damage was going to be intense on that one, after taking those three slugs.  I was surprised when it was minimal, probably less than a pound total.   Only a little trimming around the three bullet paths was required.  The two slugs that hit further back were copper-jacketed, pointed-nose Hornady SST's, fired at a hundred yard range. The one forward was an older Federal solid lead sabot, fired at point blank range as the buck was pulling himself back up with his front legs. 

 After seeing the meat damage from my neighbor's .243, I took it off the list of rifles I would consider for deer.  I have never had excessive meat damage with my 30/06.  I am still waiting to see what my new 30/30 will do.   My guess is that it will be less than the 30/06, because the same diameter bullet is slower (probably half way in between the speed of you .30 cal carbine bullet and the 30/06).                 

Edited March 28, 2019 by wolc123

[Rattler]

Grampy, sadly, I have no pics of hunting with it at all.  Mainly because when I hunt with it I travel light and take only what is essential.  I would love to leave it to my grandson if he takes up hunting, or at least wants to own some firearms for target shooting.  But at this time, he's only 5 months old, so I'll have to see what happens.   

Wolc, there is very little meat damage with the 110 grain soft points.  They expand just enough to do internal damage and half the time do not exit the far side of the deer.  The shot looks similar to a .357 mag rifle hit on a deer.  All my shots have been through the ribs and in the lungs or heart.  At less than 50 yards, which is what I hold to with it, it will do the job with one shot every time when it hits the lungs or heart.  I think meat damage would be similar to what a .30-30 with a 150 grain soft point would do at 150 yards, where the velocity would be close to the .30 carbine's at 50 yards.

[Rattler]

I buddy of mine just send me this photo from back in the day hunting at his place outside of Bloomville, NY.  Must've been about 1982 or so.  I've never even seen this.  I was cleaning the rifle after the hunt and checking the sights.  

[GreeneHunter]

I inherited an M1 Carbine from a Family member and it currently is in the " Used to look stage " . I haven't had the opportunity to take it to the filed yet but was thinking it would be a good Coyote Gun . I may even try it during Deer season next year !

[Rattler]

It's a good coyote gun if it's accurate and you are shooting 100 yards or less.  Using 110 grain soft points and hitting the heart or lungs, it will take a deer under 50 yards with no problem.  It could do it at 100 yards, but the shot would have to be well placed.

 

[Chef]

That’s awesome, I have a carbine that is collectible so I wouldn’t sporterize it but I have been wanting to take it and my garand hunting for a long time


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