One of my brother firefighters and best friends is a Marine and was wounded in Afghanistan a few months ago. After talking to him and finding out that his grandfather was a Marine, he served as a mortar crew member in WW2, he said his grandfather carried a M1 Carbine.

Anyway to make a long story short he wants an M1 Carbine, and I felt compelled to get him one. He said if he could ever get one he would like a Saginaw or Inland and have it reparked with and a new stock. And that's my goal to give him exactly what he wants after all its the least I can do, My question is would it be cheaper to build one or buy one?