Few American firearms have collected as many tall tales as the M1 Carbine. After 23 years buying and selling them, we sort the eight most persistent M1 Carbine myths — Chosin-era cold-weather stories, ammo confusion, accuracy claims, and what to check before buying one.

Spend enough time in firearms and outdoor catalogs and they all start to blur together. Shomer-Tec is what shows up when somebody actually goes looking for the unusual stuff: covert handcuff keys hidden in boot laces, fire-starting buttons sewn into shirt cuffs, stash compartments built into disposable coffee cups. Here's the Bellingham, WA ...