It's tough to find one for cheap because if you're talking about an M1 Carbine, the collector market is pretty big. The cheapest one I've come across was at the door of a gun show for $415. There were 10 manufactuers with Inland division of General Motors being the cheapest because they produced the most. Expect to spend much more for a Winchester or Rockola. I'd say you're finding a great deal at around $550 for any manufacturer. Other interesting manufacturers were IBM, National Postal Meter, and Quality Hardware. - Coach