Optic for M1 carbine

lazarus · Nov 11, 2017

I recently picked up an M1 carbine. It came with a cantelivered rail/scope mount in place of the rear sight. It has a really crappy old tasco 4x40 scope on it and the eye relief is too long and not enough movement with the tiny rail to get my eye away from the scope. I adjusted it and it is a little better, but the eye relief either needs to be about an inch less or mount the scope an inch or so further away.

I am thinking I may get an original GI rear sight or a good reproduction (it is a WWII production carbine).

But I’d kind of like to play with something on it and see if I like it. I am not willing to spend a ton. $100 or less preferred. $200 or so if I might reuse it on another rifle if I decide to pull it and out a Peep sight on it.

Thoughts on what to do? A red dot like a Bushnell TRS-25 (I have one in my 10/22 and I want to put a scope back on the 10/22) may work, but I’d kind of like a small amount of magnification. Compact scope? Prism? Just do a red dot and call it the short range carbine it is?

I’ve been eyeballing a 2.5 or 3x Primary Arms prism scope as is probably reuse that on an AR-15 at some point if I decided to remove it from the carbine, but seems heavy for the light little rifle. A cheap AIM or Monstrum 4x compact scope...maybe? But I’d kind of rather around 2.5-3x.

WWJD?

Threeband · Nov 11, 2017

This is the correct optic for your Carbine:

Don't forget the battery:

SCARCQB · Nov 11, 2017

That thing has killed more Asians than day old sushi.

fidelity · Nov 11, 2017

^
Lol.

(note the quipping poster may have some Asian roots)

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

Threeband · Nov 11, 2017

The quipping poster knows whereof he speaks.

lazarus · Nov 12, 2017

I mean, if I happen to come across a period correct IRNV scope, sure. Failing that...

Any suggestions?

K31 · Nov 12, 2017

fidelity said:
(note the quipping poster may have some Asian roots)

You mean like ginseng? :shrug:

5.56blaster · Nov 12, 2017

fidelity said:
^
Lol.

(note the quipping poster may have some Asian roots)

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

Asian Roots sounds like a punk band.

lazarus · Nov 12, 2017

And on topic?

dreadpirate · Nov 14, 2017

Threeband said:
This is the correct optic for your Carbine:

Don't forget the battery:

Do you have one?

lazarus · Nov 25, 2017

Is it just me, or does everyone on the forum (me included) have a bad case I’d ADHD?

An update, I think medium term I am going to mount a TRS-25 red dot on it. Picked one up from Amazon for $42. In the “why the hell not?” territory (because I spent $1000 during BF is why not says my inner voice!!!)

Short term I am going to keep the 4x scope on it just to see about accuracy at longer ranges with a couple of different boxes of ammo. I managed about a 3” 40 shot group at 50yds. That was with a scope that was so close I basically had to hover the rifle an inch off my shoulder to see through it

I figure I could probably tighten that up to a 2” or less group at 50. Interested to find out.

I figure if I can hit 8” steel at 200 with a little Kentucky windage with >80% I am doing decent with one.

Long term I think I want to get an original flip aperture sight. I like it better than the adjustable ladder sights, seems to be less problematic and this is an earlier GI carbine which I think originally used a flip aperture as well.

Qbeam · Nov 25, 2017

You could check these guys out for a mount and get a Long Eye Relief scope (Handgun scopes fall in this category).

http://www.ultimak.com/BuyM1C.htm

Q

Major03 · Nov 25, 2017

I like to think of firearms as tools. While I love my M1 carbine, it was designed as a replacement for the 1911 pistol for officers and support troops and was primarily considered a defensive weapon.

In this role, it shines. As a rifle it doesn’t so much.

If you put any kind of optic on it, I’d go with a red dot.

Personally I’d put peep sights back on it and take it back to it’s roots.

Magnumite · Nov 28, 2017

^^^ Peeps first and foremost. Red dot second if you haf' ta'. Fast, close in, handy. Anything else will muddle its handling. The M1 Carbine doesn't exhibit gilt edged accuracy.

When those rifles were reconditioned the armorers reached into the collection of front sights and placed one on whatever rifle they were working on. My suggestion is get a good untouched or tall front sight when you get the rear flip sight so you can regulate elevation impact. Mine has the adjustables and the closest I could get at 100 yards was 12 - 14 inches high, IIRC. No good. I located a fresh GI original front sight and regulated it so POA/POI coincide properly.

lazarus · Nov 30, 2017

Thanks for the suggestions on irons

airbornetrooper · Jan 2, 2018

Major03 said:
I like to think of firearms as tools. While I love my M1 carbine, it was designed as a replacement for the 1911 pistol for officers and support troops and was primarily considered a defensive weapon.

In this role, it shines. As a rifle it doesn’t so much.

If you put any kind of optic on it, I’d go with a red dot.

Personally I’d put peep sights back on it and take it back to it’s roots.

Essentially it was the first personal defense weapon (PDW). The replacement sights always annoyed me because they obscure the manufacturer's mark.

midlifecrisis · Jan 28, 2018

What kind of ammunition are you shooting out of it? I have an old M1-carbine. My dad actually had a box of NATO spec ammunition that was God knows how old. It fired those pretty well but I've had malfunctions with store bought ammunition.

lazarus · Feb 11, 2018

Mostly Wolf steel. I received the rifle with about 400, 450 rounds of wolf and a bandolier of old GI brass cased that I haven’t touched. I’ll double check the cardboard boxes, but could be Korean vintage. 210 rounds I think?

Only other thing I’ve shot out of it is about 20 rounds of Herters brass cased. Not enough to see how accurate that is and I really need better sights (either GOOD irons or mint a scope properly).

The wolf seemed to be shooting around 2 inch groups at 50yds with a 4x scope that was super hard to use. With a 3MOA red dot I am getting about the same or closer to 1.5” groups at 50yds.

10 shot groups BTW. 3 shot groups are probably averaging closer to an inch and a quarter taking the best 3 out of 4 groups.

I still need to get some other brass cased stuff. PPU or Magtech sounds like where it’s at for .30 carbine. Seems to be loaded to original spec for velocity where as most of the other stuff seems to really be closer to 1880-1920FPS.

Optic for M1 carbine

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