Can anyone recommend a gunsmith in the SE Michigan area who is experienced with the M1 carbine? Extraction and chambering is erratic. Took it apart and cleaned and the only thing that looks odd is the gas cylinder on the underside of the barrel has a odd shaped hole on it's outside. Advice please.

They all have holes angled into the gas piston housing; that is how and where. the barrel gas port is drilled.
Is your piston free? What ammo are you using?

There is/was (it's been a couple years) a gunsmith on Dixie Hwy, N of I-75 in the Clarkson area, that's good.
Be warned that the last time I was in there he was working 16-18 hours a day, and had 2 1/2 years worth of work on the racks.
Easy to spot his place, old west looking building front with a couple of military vehicles out front

dpcd, Shooting 2 Aquila 110gr FMJ's. Both bought at Perry from CMP. Also some 110gr 110 FMJ reloads using Lil'gun. All fail regularly. I will take the gun apart and look at the hole again.

How can I tell if the piston is moving?

Tailgunner, I will check him out.

Thanks all.

That ammo should work. You can tell if your piston is moving, by removing the piston retainer with a tool made for that, and removing it and cleaning it. which is routine maintenance for a carbine. Usually that is the problem. If it fails to eject, then I suspect a stuck piston or bad ammo.
If I were you I would get a tool and do maintenance on the piston before I paid a gunsmith $50 to do the same thing.
That hole you see is not important; it is closed off by the piston retainer.

dpcd, Thanks, I will do so.

If you don't get any further, you might try asking over on the CMP forum. Lot of knowledgeable guys over there as well as a few of the other kind.

quote:

Originally posted by gzig5:
If you don't get any further, you might try asking over on the CMP forum. Lot of knowledgeable guys over there as well as a few of the other kind.

Some of them may as much as dpcd.

Thanks; I appreciate that; I have worked on a few dozen carbines in my life.
One more thing; after you remove your piston, of course you will want to check the gas port (which is what the little hole on the outside of the gas block was for); it should be .070 and they can get gummed up. Per TM 9-1276

just what dpcd says - i almost always found the gas piston freedom caused 99% of the problems. although i did have this one with a egg shaped chamber and another one that the barrel sort of just fell out of the action

Thanks guys. Ordered the tool yesterday. Will update results as soon as it gets warm enough to go out to the range :-)

Got the tool today (finally) and it appears to be the wrong one. The gun's barrel nut has 2 opposing slots while the tool has 3 lugs. Wrong tool, wrong gun, or FUBAR? Improvise my own? Suggestions please,

i haven't played with carbines for quite a while,but i don't remember ever seeing a gas piston nut with 2 slots

You have the correct wrench, and have a Howa piston nut.
What is the maker of your carbine? You will have to make a two slot wrench. It ain't hard, but the nuts are or should be, staked in place.
If you have a Howa carbine, they are quite rare.

Receiver has "US Carbine Cal 30 MI" and stock has 2 markings: inside stock sling cutout: "LW".
On the side of the stock is a rectangle with what looks like "JPI". Other than that I have no clue who manufacturer is/was. The box it came in is labeled: "Palmetto State Armory.

Look under the rear sight, That is where the manufacturer is marked. And the marks on the receiver ring indicate a US made carbine. In any case, you have a replacement barrel or at least the piston nut, and will still need to remove the piston nut and clean the piston. I could have had it done in less time than it took to cover all this.

dpcd, Yes indeed. Where are you?

iowa

That is what UPS is for. They come here every day.

quote:

That is what UPS is for.

Cheaper than gas and mileage.

Seems USPS has made it both to dpcd and ramrod340's place for me.

dpcd, Please send me your address or e-mail to mrmichals@comcast.net. Should I send the whole rifle or just the barrel?

UPS has always given me a problem even shipping back to a manufacturer.

I have one of the Thai M1 Carbines. They were used by the Border Police and other para-military units. Some have reported they were also used by Thai military but I have not confirmed that.

As dpcd pointed out, they were made by Howa in Japan and are a mix of USGI and Japanese parts, though the really important ones are USGI interchangeable.

If yours is a Thai M1 then the receiver ring should have something like these stamped on it. Mine has the stamping shown on the left.



This is a photo of the marking:


And for fun:

"Border Patrol Police: Queen Sirikit firing an M1 Carbine at PARU HQ, Hua Hin."





Here's the King and his family touring a northern border outpost. Note the Thai M1 Carbine!

Grenadier, Alas, mine has only "US CARBINE CAL 30 M1" on top of the receiver ring. I really think it's a commercial rebuild from parts. Thanks for the input.

dcpd, Leaving on vacation tomorrow so if I don't get this gun shipped this morning it will have to wait our return. Not a problem though. Firearms are my hobby and have no deadlines as work USED to.