Surefire for M1 Carbine?

Chrontius

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 11, 2007
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Thinking about what to do in case of the zombie apocalypse, and it occurred to me - zombies always are a bigger threat in the dark.

We know how to fix that! :D

So, what I'm thinking is a Surefire Classic Universal weaponlight mounted to an M1 carbine, as recommended by the experts. Are there bayonet-lug mounts for that? The M1 doesn't have any rails, as it dates to WW2. So that's the ScoutLight, foregrip lights, and the Millenium Universal series.

Do we have a better forum than "general lights" for this sort of discussion?
 
I've been pondering this myself. I'm currently working on a rail section that will slide onto the bayonet mount, and possibly clamp around the barrel behind it. You can find replacement handguards that have a rail on top of them, but those are fairly useless for a light, as whatever you mount is in the way of the sights.

My biggest concern with a mount system is that it has to be completely reversible. Once it's installed, and then later removed, there should be no holes, grooves, etc on the rifle. If you're dealing with an actual GI carbine, any such marks will significantly decrease the value.
 
These are such small, lite, and handy carbines I wouldn't pick anything very heavy.
A 1 cell would be it for me. Coming up with a mount to attach it to the bayonet lug would be the best option if you want to reverse it.
Got a chunk of aluminum to cut? If not get the proper bayonet for it and adapt it's mount for your light.

In zombie times I'd just wrap a bunch of ducttape around the 2 and run for it. Not pretty but the zombie would not notice your lack of tacticool.
 
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Ah, but that's why I'm planning ahead! :D

I'm willing to go for up to two cells, as finding a one-cell weaponlight of acceptable oomph is so far impossible.
 
Not to hijack your thread, but I've always disagreed with Max Brook's recommendation on firearms for the Zombie apocalypse.

.30 carbine is overkill for zombies, difficult to locate, difficult to silence, and you have very limited weapons that fire it, especially in short arms.

I think the much hated 9mm round would be far superior as it is:

1) Easy to find. The stuff practically comes out of vending machines these days.

2) Easier to silence.

3) Plenty of modern pistols and carbines will run it. You really don't want to be in a situation where you have to have feed two different calibers so why not use one caliber for both?

4) Very low recoil (especially in a carbine) for quick follow up shot when you miss that vital head shot with the first couple of rounds.

Even better, .22 LR would be the best zombie apocalypse round.

You could stock easily stock pile tens of thousands of rounds for what, like $12?

And you could easily hump 2,000 rounds in your ruck sack without being too encumbered. You can't do that with any other caliber that I can think of. And when it comes down to it, it's a logistics war.

With a fire team of, say, 10 people, each with a Ruger 10/22 and 2,000 - 5,000 rounds or more (one person could just carry ammo) there's no need to flee. Just climb up on a building and plink off the 20,000 zombies. The only issue with .22 LR is that rimfire isn't the most reliable round but heck, at least you'll always have enough.

It's also very quiet and you could easily train other survivors that you pick up to fire it accurately as the recoil/report is pleasant to most.
 
Besides my own posts :nana:, this is the best post I've seen all week.
Not to hijack your thread, but I've always disagreed with Max Brook's recommendation on firearms for the Zombie apocalypse.

.30 carbine is overkill for zombies, difficult to locate, difficult to silence, and you have very limited weapons that fire it, especially in short arms.
...
Even better, .22 LR would be the best zombie apocalypse round.
You could stock easily stock pile tens of thousands of rounds for what, like $12?
:laughing:
...It's a logistics war.
:laughing:
With a fire team of, say, 10 people, each with a Ruger 10/22 and 2,000 - 5,000 rounds or more (one person could just carry ammo) there's no need to flee. Just climb up on a building and plink off the 20,000 zombies. The only issue with .22 LR is that rimfire isn't the most reliable round but heck, at least you'll always have enough.

It's also very quiet and you could easily train other survivors that you pick up to fire it accurately as the recoil/report is pleasant to most.
All very good points except that 22LR would require triple and quadruple-taps to down some zombies if you don't have the right load & bullet combo. I like the 30 Carbine option if you have the ammo stockpiled, or you are in Israel where we apparantly sold a billion rounds of it after WW2. The IDF even tried to develop new guns just to use it up! Turned out the M1 was the best most reliable design.

I think the 9mm option is a very good one. Like you said, they're like candy and effective even at some range if you find long barreled carbines/SMG's to fire it.

As backup for when/if the ammo runs out, you need a long bladed weapon to keep the Bod Cnt moving & them at more than arm's length like a good old fashioned (really old fashioned) spear. Jab, next, jab, next, jab, next... all day. A Roman style phalanx with your 10-man squad will quietly take out many Z's while protecting themselves. They just have to be trained in the overlapping phalanx, but by the time it comes down to spears, even civvies will be over the shock of having to drop many uglies.
 
I think it was Lighthound that had the cheap screw-on barrel clamps a couple of years ago. A thumb nut clamps a FL body to a barrel with two W-shaped plastic coated metal plates. I picked one up just for such a NOTLD emergency.
I'd pick a two cell light (or 18650) - one as light-weight as possible with good run time 'cuz you don't want to run out in the middle of an engagement. I'm thinking KX2 on 18650 for 3+ hrs, possibly a KX1 (is it really 5hrs?) or a Cree L1 (low should be OK for indoors with crazy long runtime). I'd keep my mild diffuser modded F04 in my pocket if all I was doing was indoors work.
I'd wear a headlight for spill and leave the weaponlight on throw if I had the option.

nice thread
 
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What are you talking about? This isn't theoretical. We are preparing for real zombies!

Last I heard, they took Austin, TX :naughty: However, they were the Nazi variant.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlEi6w2qYV4

I'm surprised people overlook a shotgun...?

I know they would be a PITA to reload quick, but, a mag extender giving 7-10 shots would surely be great in close quarters for those "oh poop" moments giving one a chance to run...
 
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I know this is theoretical but what about a Keltec carbine using 33rd Glock mags?

Great idea, but they're scarcer than tritium lately, even in Florida (politics). That said, the M1 is a great gun for an intermediate rifle (with modern ammo) and offers the ability to use the Hezi SM-1 bullpup conversion stock.

Bullfrog, shotguns would be fine if they came in box-magazine versions (at least, came to the civilian market). A shotgun would be a fine panic button to buy you an instant to run, but spending a good minute to reload seems like a bad idea. There's also recoil and followup shots to consider, plus the lousy sights on most shotguns unless you're hunting birds in broad daylight.

Besides, my local FFL dealer has an M1 and it's cheaper than a shotgun.
 
Saiga makes a magazine fed shotgun, or at least did. Looks like an AK-47 on steroids with similar UI. Seems tailor-made for clearing the room of zombies.

Then there is the original Streetsweeper. A zombie killer if there ever was one. Hard to find and I can tell you from personal experience that they are a PITA to reload quickly in a high stress environment.:D
 
Yeah, good point, but I'm pretty sure .22LR out of a 10/22 barrel will be enough most of the time as it is cooking along at a good enough velocity to at least penetrate most people's skulls. I guess the same can be said of larger calibers as people have survived taking 7.62x51's to the head too.

I think Max Brook's World War Z actually poked holes in most defense ideas: and that is you can never have enough. Period.

You have to figure that if a zombie outbreak happened and you had, say, half the population of the planet infected, you could never stock pile enough ammo or food to survive it.



Besides my own posts :nana:, this is the best post I've seen all week.
:laughing: :laughing:All very good points except that 22LR would require triple and quadruple-taps to down some zombies if you don't have the right load & bullet combo. I like the 30 Carbine option if you have the ammo stockpiled, or you are in Israel where we apparantly sold a billion rounds of it after WW2. The IDF even tried to develop new guns just to use it up! Turned out the M1 was the best most reliable design.

I think the 9mm option is a very good one. Like you said, they're like candy and effective even at some range if you find long barreled carbines/SMG's to fire it.

As backup for when/if the ammo runs out, you need a long bladed weapon to keep the Bod Cnt moving & them at more than arm's length like a good old fashioned (really old fashioned) spear. Jab, next, jab, next, jab, next... all day. A Roman style phalanx with your 10-man squad will quietly take out many Z's while protecting themselves. They just have to be trained in the overlapping phalanx, but by the time it comes down to spears, even civvies will be over the shock of having to drop many uglies.
 
I knew that the Zombies had infested AR15.com but I did not know they had come over here.:) They sure get around.

I have a 1944 M1 Carbine. They are GREAT small rifles! I would not trade it for anything.
 
I think .22LR would work out of a 10/22 most of the time too. And I have a 10/22 so I have nothing against them... It's just that ONE time you have only one shot to drop the guy before he gets you that may finish you.
Yeah, good point, but I'm pretty sure .22LR out of a 10/22 barrel will be enough most of the time as it is cooking along at a good enough velocity to at least penetrate most people's skulls. I guess the same can be said of larger calibers as people have survived taking 7.62x51's to the head too.
People have fallen out of planes and survived, but it's still a reliable way to die. We need a decent balance between portability (quantity), power (heavier per cartridge), and availability for restock. The (off topic) question is which is the best balance. 22LR & 9mm are both attractive there. Maybe the inexperienced take the 10/22's and the more experienced take the 9mm carbines. There are a few: Hi-Point, Calico 960 (I like this one - comes with 50/100rd magazines - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calico_960), Marlin, Bushmaster Carbon 15 9mm, plus long barrel semi-auto AR-Ban versions of many subs like the popular HK.

I think Max Brook's World War Z actually poked holes in most defense ideas: and that is you can never have enough. Period.
You have to figure that if a zombie outbreak happened and you had, say, half the population of the planet infected, you could never stock pile enough ammo or food to survive it.
Back to the Phalanx of spears (and swords & axes) idea then. As backup to "bang-bang" of course...

The goal is not to kill & run like in movies, but to hide & fortify, then take care of them as they (hopefully slowly, a few at a time) find you.

But that line of discussion takes this way off topic for this forum. Suppose we only have to survive a few nights (maybe a week) before the Zom's die out. AND that they only come out at night.

I still say my headlight (I would prefer the Saint) and E-series combo is good. I actually think wiring 2CR123's on parallel to a KX1 will give you a good all-night run time with decent throw. It could run 10 hours (all night) in regulation.
 
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