M1 Carbine for my Grandson…..With wood refinish

September 11, 2025, 02:53 PM

I purchased this gun locally along with several hundred rounds of ammo. My grandson will be 13 next month and is like a beanpole. Tall and lean, but still struggles to hold up a AR15. He does well with my 1943 Inland, but he is not getting that one anytime soon…..I hope…lol.

This one is an Auto Ordnance remake. I ran it yesterday using 2 types of factory ammo and my reloads with zero issues, so she was ready for a makeover. I didn’t want to do anything to it before knowing if it would have to go back to the factory for work.

The gun came to me very blond and shiny. The original owner said it was tung oil, but I’m pretty sure it was some type of polyurethane.
I sanded it down using 60, 80 and 150 grit paper and stained with a black cherry stain. She now looks like proper M1 Carbine.

I also ordered a Ultimak rail and red dot to make it a little more modern and shootable for him. You can still use the iron sight with that set-up.

Her she is before and after refinish. I’ll get more pics when the rail arrives.

She came out very nice and only took about 2.5 hours of work.

September 11, 2025, 03:14 PM

CPD SIG

Not a half bad plinker! Especially for the Grandson! I’m sure he’s going to love it.

Great job on refinishing the wood.

I really like shooting mine. Light recoil, accurate, and just fun to shoot. I don’t think he’s going to have any problems handling it.

______________________________________________________________________
"When its time to shoot, shoot. Dont talk!"

“What the government is good at is collecting taxes, taking away your freedoms and killing people. It’s not good at much else.” —Author Tom Clancy

September 11, 2025, 03:16 PM

RogueJSK

The prior owner probably either put poly or varnish over top of tung oil, or else used a "tung oil finish" from the hardware store (Minwax/Watco/etc.) which is a bit of oil mixed with various petrochemicals.

Either way, nothing like the original pure oil finish used on USGI rifles.

While your stain refinish also isn't historically accurate, it at least looks closer to the appearance of aged oiled walnut, and is a marked improvement over how you received it. Good enough for a reproduction rifle.

September 11, 2025, 04:10 PM

nukeandpave

Good work! That will be a lot of fun with a red dot. He's gonna LOVE it.

September 11, 2025, 08:53 PM

shoevb

Nice job! They are such fun guns.

September 11, 2025, 10:00 PM

808

All I can say is wow ,wow. It looks incredible.

Great job.

September 13, 2025, 12:15 AM

357fuzz

Nice!!!!

September 13, 2025, 09:19 AM

cigardad

Looks nice Ken!

September 13, 2025, 10:31 AM

Lt CHEG

Looks nice. In fairness I thought it looked really good prior to the refinish as well though. Even if it wasn’t the period correct finish.

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

September 15, 2025, 07:11 PM

patw

That would make an awesome gift I am sure he will treasure.

September 15, 2025, 07:18 PM

Blue Dog

Looks nice. I bet your grandson is a happy man

September 15, 2025, 07:46 PM

92fstech

That's nice work...I much prefer your refinish to the way you received it. I'm glad to hear it shoots well...I've considered picking one of those Auto Ordinance clones up, but haven't come across one cheap and I've heard mixed reviews.