Just in case you find a classic WWII carbine, any of the makers of the era will be acceptable, although the days of using a $1,000 collectible to plink cans on Sunday are now over.
For the new makers, avoid the 1960's clone, it was a parts gun and not well done. The new makers are doing a much better job. The .30 US Carbine cartridge is about equal to a .357 Magnum at the business end, nothing to sneeze at. Don't believe any of the myths about how it wouldn't penetrate ChiCom clothing in Korea.
I'm partial to the wood and steel, myself, being theconservativegunowner that I am, the M1 carbine would be a very good choice for home defense and plinking. Another choice is the Ruger Mini-14 in blued or stainless steel. The cartridge is the 5.56mm, or .223 Remington, good choice.
An inexpensive carbine is the SKS, these have a fixed 10-round magazine and are well-made and reliable. Avoid the detachable mags, they really don't function too well. The cartridge is the 7.62x39 Russian, very good ballistics.
Whatever you choose, do stock up on magazines, stick with genuine GI US or ROK make, or Ruger factory mags, at least for a little while.
As an aside, any of the wood/steel carbines noted above can be turned into a 'tacticool' mall ninja special in about 15 minutes. The receiver and barrel are the moving parts and they remain exactly the same, the function is unchanged, only the appearance is different.
If you do a lot of plinking, the .30 Carbine round can cost you a bit of change, do look at a reloading setup if you're shooting more than a few hundred rounds a year, you'll save money over time.
All of the above are light for hunting anything larger than a coyote. For deer or larger game, look at a good used bolt rifle, you can find a lot of choices at local pawnshops or gun stores for well under $500, often in the $350 range.
You can get classic semi-auto rifles in hunting calibers, like the FN49 or similar, but you'll spend $1,000 and will not have a good choice for home defense, if that's limited to the front hallway. You could try a Browning BARII for a very nice semi-auto.
Do consider a shotgun for home defense, and a revolver or pistol for concealed carry and home defense. The times, they are a-changin'.
Welcome to Washington state! Nobody doesn't like it here, as they say.
For the new makers, avoid the 1960's clone, it was a parts gun and not well done. The new makers are doing a much better job. The .30 US Carbine cartridge is about equal to a .357 Magnum at the business end, nothing to sneeze at. Don't believe any of the myths about how it wouldn't penetrate ChiCom clothing in Korea.
I'm partial to the wood and steel, myself, being theconservativegunowner that I am, the M1 carbine would be a very good choice for home defense and plinking. Another choice is the Ruger Mini-14 in blued or stainless steel. The cartridge is the 5.56mm, or .223 Remington, good choice.
An inexpensive carbine is the SKS, these have a fixed 10-round magazine and are well-made and reliable. Avoid the detachable mags, they really don't function too well. The cartridge is the 7.62x39 Russian, very good ballistics.
Whatever you choose, do stock up on magazines, stick with genuine GI US or ROK make, or Ruger factory mags, at least for a little while.
As an aside, any of the wood/steel carbines noted above can be turned into a 'tacticool' mall ninja special in about 15 minutes. The receiver and barrel are the moving parts and they remain exactly the same, the function is unchanged, only the appearance is different.
If you do a lot of plinking, the .30 Carbine round can cost you a bit of change, do look at a reloading setup if you're shooting more than a few hundred rounds a year, you'll save money over time.
All of the above are light for hunting anything larger than a coyote. For deer or larger game, look at a good used bolt rifle, you can find a lot of choices at local pawnshops or gun stores for well under $500, often in the $350 range.
You can get classic semi-auto rifles in hunting calibers, like the FN49 or similar, but you'll spend $1,000 and will not have a good choice for home defense, if that's limited to the front hallway. You could try a Browning BARII for a very nice semi-auto.
Do consider a shotgun for home defense, and a revolver or pistol for concealed carry and home defense. The times, they are a-changin'.
Welcome to Washington state! Nobody doesn't like it here, as they say.
With the largest selection of current and obsolete parts, Numrich has a wide variety of M1 Carbine magazines for you to choose from. Place your order today. Sort by: Description: Ascending Description: Descending Product#: Ascending Product#: Descending Availability: Ascending Availability: Descending Newest Products.