RED'S PAGES

The M1 Carbine Project

Sometimes an opportunity comes your way and you just can’t say no.  It’s almost like it was meant to be.  When it comes to rifles, I always tell myself that.  Anyway, this little M1 Carbine waltzed into my life and I decided to adopt the little varmint and give it a once over.

She was tired and a bit beat up on the outside but her bore was still fresh and her rifling sharp.  There was nothing about her that couldn’t be cured. 

After getting her back to my laboratory and taking her completely apart, each metal piece was cleaned and sanded. 

Any metal that needed a bit of TLC was addressed in preparation for the Dura-Coat finish process. 

Next, the stock was stripped and sanded through various grits until a smooth surface was attained.  The stock was then inserted into a vacuum bag, Danish oil was added and then all the air was sucked out.  The stock was set in a warm place for a week to suck up the oil.

Then, jigs were set up to spray the Dura-Coat on all of the metal parts, using an air-brush.  After spraying, I let everything cure for a full week.  Dura-Coat does not need to be baked. 

Finally, everything went back together and my little adopted orphan looks better than new.  Dura-Coat is amazing stuff and so easy to work with. 

Purists, don’t fret.  This is a Plainfield Machinery M1 clone, not GI issue.  The Plainfield is noted to be the best of the non-issue M1 Carbines available.

This rifle is a reasonably accurate, fun little shooter.  Great for home defense or just as a truck gun.