Got a few new items for the carbine over the past couple of days.

First, because my 30-round magazine fell apart on me at the range, I ordered a couple more of the Korean-surplus 15-round ones.

I probably mentioned this before, but it bears repeating that these were not made in Korea just randomly; the South Korean army used M1 carbines until quite recently, so this stuff is genuine surplus. I could have acquired WWII-vintage US-made magazines from the same source, but why pay twice as much for something in worse condition? Necessary for some, but not for my purposes.

Also got one of these:

This one is a reproduction, but it's a very good one.

You'll pretty much always see these in photos around the other way, with the face on the right side. I installed mine backward because I'm left-handed. They were not, in fact, designed to be put on the rifle like this in the first place; it was a thing the soldiers figured out in the field, that became popular because it was so convenient.

The pouch holds two 15-round magazines.

In the same order, I picked up a repro GI-style carrying case for the carbine.

Which is nice; a little more stylish to take to the range than the genero-case I got with my faux AKM, and fits the carbine better (and is more appropriate) than the repro bag that goes with my .22 Sturmgewehr. :)

Unsolicited plug: I got the repro ammo pouch and the case from At the Front, a company that specializes in reproduction uniforms and gear for WWII re-enactors. I can't speak to their clothes, but their gear is straight to-spec reproduction, not costume-grade. I used to have a WWII-vintage M1 rifle ammunition belt (think of Batman's utility belt in Batman: Year One and similar retro applications, and you won't be far off), and the materials it was made of felt just like these.

(I also like the sense of humor on ATF's web page. For example, the copy on the page for the carbine case says, and I quote, "If you have a longer barrel, 175 round magazine, scope, flash hider, suppressor, pistol grip or any other zombie killer tacticool attachments on your carbine, it likely won't fit.")

I should also give a shout-out to Liberty Tree Collectors, which is where I got the magazines, a bunch of the parts I used in the M1903A3 Springfield restoration, and various other bits and pieces over the last couple years (including my Remington Model 51). Their website is not as amusing as ATF's, but it is where I got the original heavily armed Russian photograph we based that pic of Sanya on.

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.