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Royal Tiger Imports has a stash of M1 Carbines that were given to Ethiopia in 1945!


Cal30M1
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https://www.royaltigerimports.com/product-p/m1car001.htm

 

$899.99 to $1299.99

 

These do look a bit scruffy but there are early features on some like ORIGINAL flip sights and type 1 and 2 bands, high wood stocks and I cuts! God knows there's enough fake flip up sights in the world now. Some better than others like the barrel bands. These are guaranteed real deal non humped stuff!

 

They are import stamped on the bottom of the barrel. Hopefully lightly done and not like the Blue Sky Arsenal gorilla smash stamps of decades gone by! (Remember those?)

 

I know the price will put some off but there will be a LOT of early rare parts on these I'm sure!

 

Maybe some REAL EARLY serial numbered weapons too!

 

If everyone that buys one will fill out a data sheet on the weapon as received there may be some good info to glean from this crop.

 

More than likely most of these carbines are in the exact same configuration they were when delivered to the Ethiopians 75 years ago!

 

I bet after a good cleaning there will be some dayum nice carbines in this bunch!

 

Wish I could buy more than one!

 

 

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There are some interesting things on their site

besides the carbines. Their policy of as is, no refunds

or exchanges kinda raise a red flag for me. Anyone

here have any experience with them.

 

Help,

Owen

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I've bought several things from them from blemished AK kits to at least 2 M16A1 kits over the years they've been around.

 

They ship FFL items pretty quick. Way less than 2 weeks IIRCC for a blem AK kit with receiver several years ago. (Under promised on the description in that case and over delivered.)

 

The M16A1 kits were under promised and a little over delivered or exactly as promised. Those kits were a crap shoot no matter where you got them. Just like everyone else the kit I bought several years ago was nicer then the more recent (2 years or maybe 3 ago) batch.

 

I was confident enough to whip my wallet out so fast I sprained my wrist! :D

 

According to http://www.armsbid.com/nra-conditions-standards.cfm NRA Standards say;

VERY GOOD: In perfect working condition, no appreciable wear on working surfaces, no corrosion or pitting, only minor surface dents or scratches.

GOOD: In safe working condition, minor wear on working surfaces, no broken parts, no corrosion or pitting that will interfere with proper functioning.

 

I don't expect dead nut mint but I expect I will get something NRA good. At least. (I've owned worse trust me)

 

I WILL have an ORIGINAL M1 Carbine that probably is in the same configuration as it was 75 years ago when it was transferred to the Ethiopian "government" (Watch the video with the fuggin goats climbing all over a pallet of rifles! Third World Feces Hole storage conditions!)

 

It may or may not have much finish left on the metal. It may or may not have an ugly set of furniture on it. It may or may not have a mismatched trigger group and stock group.

 

It will be filthy nasty dirty greasy grimy mess that will have to be completely disassembled and cleaned.

 

It will be an Original "as issued" (by Uncle) WWII Carbine with real flip sights and WWII wood with no inlet for M2 parts and no pot bellied chew wood! Hopefully it retains it's type 1 barrel band since I don't have a Carbine with a type 1. (I have a decent repro flip sight and band on a pitted Winchester barreled receiver I bought many years ago.)

 

I don't think I will be disappointed even if I get the low end of good. (Yeah I know it's a lot of money for "an import" but I had many Blue Skys that shot perfect and 2 that shot around corners)

 

It will sit right next to my Winchester rebuilt, My CMP NPM Carbine and Inland and my locally acquired "InWood" M1. (Inland receiver and Underwood barrel with type 2 barrel band)

 

I read on the CMP forum someone said the import stamp was going to be a dot matrix kind of deal under the barrel. Probably just forward of the stock.

 

I too am happy to see them coming home again. I wish more US weapons could be repatriated.

 

 

 

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Interesting that they are not getting a premium for certain makers. I love these carbines. I would think most would happily pay more for a Rock Ola for instance. Good to see them back here in any event.

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I was wrong!

 

Someone on CMP forum got theirs and it's a WWII mixmaster but dayum beautiful and the import mark is very nicely done in a dot matrix under the barrel between stock and front sight.

 

He ordered a Rocky and paid the 3 hundo. They sent him a "early features" instead which also cost 3 hundo. He called and got no love but like I said he got an early one.

 

He got a Standard Products with flip sights and early band, an Underwood stock with a beautiful cartouche, Inland handguard and trigger housing and the barrel is Underwood looks like 12-43.

 

It'll take me awhile to get it completely stripped, cleaned and reassembled. (I'll do the data sheet as I go) but I'll try to get a few snaps and break down of major parts up by the weekend.

 

EDIT

 

Link to the thread on CMP for pictures. http://forums.thecmp.org/showthread.php?t=260895&page=2&highlight=Royal+Tiger

 

 

 

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Reading a lot of bad reviews on gunboats and carbine forums. Postwar rebuilds with makers markings removed. Looks like a lot of unhappy misled buyers

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Dirt Detective

So..are people buying these sight unseen? I order a early production carbine with all early parts...I get what they send me , no pics first? If so keep your fingers crossed the stake marks are good on the rear sight..

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I got a nice one.

SAGINAW S'G' with

Buffalo Arms 8-43 barrel,

S'G' trigger housing,

pushbutton safety,

IP-W mag release but not sure which revision but no M2 prong so type 1 or 2(?),

S'G' hammer,

SW-S'G' sear,

circled B on top of the chamber,

tooling hole left rear of the receiver,

B-S'G' flip sight,

R.-S.G. handguard,

W marked later type oprod

IO bolt. I think there was another character on it but I didn't take a picture.

Finish is 85% plus on the receiver and 80%ish on the barrel and it's a nice smooth dark charcoal. Bore is a little dark and has a freckle or two thank to the diligent PM's the Ethiopian troops performed over the last several decades. /s (I had an inland non import that had worse freckles and shot great.)

 

Import stamp is not super noticeable. It's straight and evenly done with the bottom edge of the script a bit proud.

 

Without the benefit of my books, that I haven't dug out of moving hell, I think I have a mostly matching weapon. Except for the later oprod and Inland bolt.

 

Here's the ONE pisser. There is a small crack behind the recoil plate.

 

Looks like SGR marked stock with no I cut, crossed cannons or P on the pistol grip but has a boxed S.A. over L.

 

Very nice with only a few "character features" mostly minor but there must have been a fight in the crate and one of the other carbines nipped this one in a few places. One spot looks like the usual oprod mark from another carbine and it's not bad at all but there are a few small but pretty deep gouges on the right side of the butt that look sorta like a flip rear sight. They're old war wounds though. Not recent.

 

The entire stock was covered in some waxy stuff like a light spray on coat of cosmoline but not cosmoline. Under the coating was the character features and the crack and you can see where someone sanded on the crack with the bottom of a dirty sandal. :rolleyes: (Just kidding......Maybe) :huh:

 

I will polish it out and it will look much better. I had on old beater BlueSky back in the day that had a worse crack in about the same place and I shot the crap out of it like that.

 

This one will probably wear someone else's clothes when I do take her out to shoot but she will put her clothes back on when she gets home.

 

I ordered the "early features" upgrade and am quite satisfied although if it wasn't this nice I would question the freckles in the bore.

 

Pretty funny that RTI finally figured out there are makers that are more rare than others! That's another reason I pulled the trigger on this.

 

I'll try to post some pics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Dirt Detective

Looks decent..I like the color. Stock looks to be a 44 dated IBM Hard to beat the looks of a Carbine with early features..congrats.

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Looks decent..I like the color. Stock looks to be a 44 dated IBM Hard to beat the looks of a Carbine with early features..congrats.

 

 

I'm pretty happy with it!

 

Already smoothed the rough spot out and as soon as I find my BLO will give it a good rub and it should be good to go.

 

I think this one will be a shooter since it has freckles.

 

I think I'll try the steam iron out on some of the shallower dings too.

 

Peace yall.

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Dirt Detective

 

 

I'm pretty happy with it!

 

Already smoothed the rough spot out and as soon as I find my BLO will give it a good rub and it should be good to go.

 

I think this one will be a shooter since it has freckles.

 

I think I'll try the steam iron out on some of the shallower dings too.

 

Peace yall.

 

Can you post a pic of the import mark?

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  • 2 weeks later...
Shot the snot out of her this morning. Literally.


What ever freckles she had in the barrel shot right out and now after a good cleaning she is back on the wall with a super shiny barrel!


Shot for function and not accuracy so no comments on if she's a tack driver.


She chewed through 8-15 rounders and never missed a beat. Not enough recoil to ever widen the wrist crack either.


I am super happy with mine and as soon as I find time I will do the data sheet.



ETA the import stamp is the "dot matrix" variety like the "C.A.I" imports. See here http://www.uscarbinecal30.com/imports.html about 2/3 down the page.
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For what it's worth, I got lucky. I ordered one of the $899 carbines. They stated they were all Inlands. While mine showed up and turned out to be an Un-Quality produced version. So as I understand it I got more than I paid for :) I've seen one other guy post that he got an Un-Quality too with the early flip sight and no bayonet lug etc. He'd paid for more though. Mine has the Type III rear sight and the bayonet lug as well as the later version safety. It apparently went through the Springfield Armory refurb in 1946 or so with the SA-SHM stamp in the stock, barely readable. Underwood barrel dated 11-43.

 

I was looking for a 'project' carbine as I have an original parts Inland that is in great shape. But based on the rarity of the maker of this one, I feel like I have two great carbines now :)

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So..are people buying these sight unseen? I order a early production carbine with all early parts...I get what they send me , no pics first? If so keep your fingers crossed the stake marks are good on the rear sight..

 

I went with the least expensive just for 'fun' to see what might show up for a 'project'. As mentioned it turned out to be an UN-QUALITY" produced M-1 so I got lucky with the draw :)

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