New Carbine Book

[wwl]

In the latest edition of "Gun Digest" there is an ad for a new book, page83, titled "M1 Carbine", $59.95. I have War Baby 1 & 2 and am most interested in info relating to the M2. Is it worth me buying the new book?

 

 

 

 

 

[dalbert]

In the latest edition of "Gun Digest" there is an ad for a new book, page83, titled "M1 Carbine", $59.95. I have War Baby 1 & 2 and am most interested in info relating to the M2. Is it worth me buying the new book?

 

wwl,

 

Need more info...who is the author? I do not subscribe to Gun Digest anymore, so I don''t have a copy of the ad. Any additional information would be appreciated.

 

Thanks!

 

David Albert

dalbert@sturmgewehr.com

[wwl]

Dave--here is what I can see on ad. Author R.C. Larson, 4000 color images & 825 pages. L & S Supply, 651-773-9972. The company is here in the Mpls/St Paul area but is mail order only, so I can't see one before buying it.

[dalbert]

Dave--here is what I can see on ad. Author R.C. Larson, 4000 color images & 825 pages. L & S Supply, 651-773-9972. The company is here in the Mpls/St Paul area but is mail order only, so I can't see one before buying it.

 

wwl,

 

It sounds intriguing enough to me that I'm going to order one. I called just now, and received an after hours message, so I'll have to try to call tomorrow during regular business hours. It is a place that specializes in M1 Carbine parts. I'll let you know...

 

Thanks!

 

David Albert

dalbert@sturmgewehr.com

[dalbert]

wwl,

 

A woman named Julia took my order at L&S Supply today for one of the new M1 Carbine books. They have apparently sold out of the first batch, and will have another in a few weeks. The total was $69.45 with shippng, and they are not going to charge my card until the new books arrive, and are shipped. So, we'll see what the book turns out like. From the description, I'm very hopeful that it will be a good one. I'll update you and everyone here on my initial thoughts when I receive it, hopefully next month.

 

Thanks!

 

David Albert

dalbert@sturmgewehr.com

[dalbert]

wwl,

 

I received my new "Comprehensive M1 Carbine Guide" today, by R.C. Larson. I have to say, this is a unique book, and I'm impressed. It's a handy guide, written especially for the collector. In my opinion, it will likely replace the Ruth books from a collector notes perspective, but it does not cover the history like the Ruth books do, and is not intended to do so. It is intended as an exhaustive guide to the nuances of M1 Carbine collecting, covering all the different parts by different manufacturers in a tabbed, easily referenced format. Each manufacturer has an index tab, and the book also has parts group tabs, a sniperscope tab, and an accessories tab. It is 829 pages long, and is bound in a plasticized hardcover. All the pictures are in color, and extremely well photographed. My oldest daughter noticed I had a new book, and commented, "Wow, that book has really, really good pictures!" She asked if I liked it, and I replied in the affirmative. You won't have another book quite like it on your bookshelf, however if you have Gordon Herigstad's "Colt Thompson Serial Numbers," it's set up sort of like that, in a smaller format, and in color. Each tab is a plastic sheet, on which each side is printed a black and white WWII photo featuring the M1 Carbine in action.

 

I've only looked through this book for 30 minutes. M1 Carbine collecting is a difficult field, and I'm going to assume the author's work is authoritative, based on the level of detail observed so far. The only issue I've noted is that there is not a manual section, which I always look for in firearm books, and the only manual I see referenced in a photo has the wrong technical manual designation listed. (The book indicates it's TM 9-1216, but it should be TM 9-1276) I will send this correction to the author.

 

You should get this one if you have any collector interest in M1 Carbines. A Winchester M1 Carbine was the first firearm I ever purchased, and I still have it, as well as an Inland my brother once gave me for Christmas. I'm a Carbine Club member, and want to learn more about this historic firearm. This book will help in that effort. So far, I'm glad I bought it.

 

David Albert

dalbert@sturmgewehr.com

[RoscoeTurner]

It is also available from Riverbank Armory - http://riverbankarmory.com/bookshelf.html

[wwl]

wwl,

 

I received my new "Comprehensive M1 Carbine Guide" today, by R.C. Larson. I have to say, this is a unique book, and I'm impressed. It's a handy guide, written especially for the collector. In my opinion, it will likely replace the Ruth books from a collector notes perspective, but it does not cover the history like the Ruth books do, and is not intended to do so. It is intended as an exhaustive guide to the nuances of M1 Carbine collecting, covering alll the different parts by different manufacturers in a tabbed, easily referenced format. Each manufacturer has an index tab, and the book also has parts group tabs, a sniperscope tab, and an accessories tab. It is 829 pages long, and is bound in a plasticized hardcover. All the pictures are in color, and extremely well photographed. My oldest daughter noticed I had a new book, and commented, "Wow, that book has reallly, really good pictures!" She asked if I liked it, and I replied in the affirmative. You won't have another book quite like it on your bookshelf, however if you have Gordon Herigstad's "Colt Thompson Serial Numbers," it's set up sort of like that, in a smaller format, and in color. Each tab is a plastic sheet, on which each side is printed a black and white WWII photo featuring the M1 Carbine in action.

 

I've only looked through this book for 30 minutes. M1 Carbine collecting is a difficult field, and I'm going to assume the author's work is authoritative, based on the level of detail observed so far. The only issue I've noted is that there is not a manual section, which I always look for in firearm books, and the only manual I see referenced in a photo has the wrong technical manual designation listed. (The book indicates it's TM 9-1216, but it should be TM 9-1276) I will send this correction to the author.

 

You should get this one if you have any collector interest in M1 Carbines. A Winchester M1 Carbine was the first firearm I ever purchased, and I still have it, as well as an Inland my brother once gave me for Christmas. I'm a Carbine Club member, and want to learn more about this historic firearm. This book will help in that effort. So far, I'm glad I bought it.

 

David Albert

dalbert@sturmgewehr.com

Dave Albert---thanks for your review of this book. I have a Inland original M2 so will now order the book. Thanks again for your efforts.

[dalbert]

Dave Albert---thanks for your review of this book. I have a Inland original M2 so will now order the book. Thanks again for your efforts.

 

wwl,

 

Thank you for posting about this book on the board in the first place. I have not seen this book in person at gun shows yet, and I hadn't seen the ads, so I'm glad you let me know about it. It's a good one!

 

David Albert

dalbert@sturmgewehr.com

 

 

[RoscoeTurner]

Problems with the new book have come out on the CMP Carbine forum - fake parts in photos.

 

http://forums.thecmp.org/showthread.php?t=31341

[dalbert]

RoscoeTurner,

Thanks for posting the link to discussion of the Larson book on the CMP Forum.

All,

I am cautious to jump to negative conclusions about this book based on comments made by someone I don’t know on the internet. I remain quite happy that I bought this book, and it seems like an excellent resource to me. I commented on one inaccuracy in the book in my initial review. I am not afraid to be critical of firearm books, as can be seen on this website, and in reviews I’ve made on Amazon.com, but at the same time, I know that putting a book together is no small effort, and that critics are a dime a dozen. Based on the error that I observed in the book, I wrote the author a letter. Within a week, I received a very nice reply letter that thanked me for pointing out the inaccuracy of the identification of TM 9-1276 within the book. He stated that it would be corrected as soon as another printing occurs, which may be soon.

I stated previously that M1 Carbine collecting is a complicated subject, and one that it is fraught with reproduction issues. I referenced this fact in my presentation on reproduction Thompson items. There are many opinions about what is right and wrong regarding parts on M1 Carbines. I am of the opinion that many Carbines that may not seem to be correct, are actually correct, because almost all of them were rebuilt, and parts were mixed together by the U.S. Military. Reproduction items can be very convincingly made, and some items that are fake will inevitably be perceived as original. This is a problem when reproduction items become so ingrained with the originals. All this being said, I don’t think the author intended to include fake parts in the book. I don’t know Carbine parts (besides manuals) well enough to determine myself whether they are fake, or original.

So what I suggest is this…We know, based on my communication with the author, that he wants to improve the book, and correct any errors. If anyone has specific corrections, I suggest they write to the author at the address listed in the book, just like I did. I’d even be willing to forward any corrections to the author myself, since I’ve already developed a dialogue, if anyone wants to send me their specific issues.

I sense on the CMP forum that some may want to discredit the book altogether, and won’t provide specifics, because they are wary of having an accurate guide that reproductionists may use to make better fakes. I understand this concern, but I think having the information available for collectors is a better defense in the long run, and the right thing to do. Some of the comments from the CMP critics are weak, in my opinion, such as the comment made about the quality of the pictures, and the generalizations about types of parts on specific pages that contain literally scores of photos of different parts. I’m not sure which parts are supposed to be fakes, based on the limited commentary of the most specific critic. He mentions pages, and types of parts, but based on the depth of coverage of this book, his commentary is inconclusive.

So, I still highly recommend buying this book. It is an extensive resource on the subject, and should not be ignored. If errors exist that should be corrected, then let's work to help the author do so.

Any thoughts? Has anyone else purchased the book? If so, what do you think?

David Albert
dalbert@sturmgewehr.com

[shadycon]

Dave; From what little I know of carbines, you hit the nail on the head! All books contain mistakes, most are unintentional. I have a couple of carbines and books and new books are worth checking out. I haven't seen this new book yet, but will get one in the furture. I agree 100% with you that if you are 100% sure that he has wrong info, send him a note so he can research it more. Collecting carbines is fun but, it takes a lot of research to keep from making mistakes and buying fake parts. .02