M1 carbine
- Thread starter jd3020
- Start date
Almost all the M1 carbines were rebuilt and updated after WWII so it's not uncommon to find one with mis-matched parts because they didn't take the time to put the original parts back in a gun. Even early manufacture guns will have late-manufacture features.
You should talk to your grandmother and state your case. Say that you really like the gun and you're worried that if it goes to your uncle it'll get sold and a piece of family history will be lost.
You should talk to your grandmother and state your case. Say that you really like the gun and you're worried that if it goes to your uncle it'll get sold and a piece of family history will be lost.
Almost all the M1 carbines were rebuilt and updated after WWII so it's not uncommon to find one with mis-matched parts because they didn't take the time to put the original parts back in a gun. Even early manufacture guns will have late-manufacture features.
Thank you both for your input. However, I would like the original poster to respond. It would be refreshing to hear that it is truly all original. There are some out there, I know of one that was brought back after the war.
It was on a ship and never saw land. That and a .45 cal. was issued to my neighbor. He was a young Lt. in the infantry waiting to invade Japan. As we know, the invasion never took place. After being discharged, he became an FBI agent and still had possession of both the M1 carbine and .45.
I've seen both of them and offered to purchase them. He said that he was going to pass them down to his son. After being my neighbor here in NY for many years, he relocated to MO. We stayed in touch briefly for a couple of years and he passed away. Since then, I have not had contact with any of his family. I can only presume that his son now has the carbine and .45? Can't say for sure.
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Mine, 6-44 production, is one of the few war-issue M1s I've seen with original fit bayo lug. It also has the ramp adjustable sight as original equipment...both of which features were mid 1944 Ordnance department orders for all carbines to be so fit or refit, but few of the bayo barrel bands especially made it into action (or few post order new ones even ever "heard the order"). The few that did were likely only in the PTO late in the war--Okinawa and such. I know my Inland is a non-messed-with "all original" as my father found it NIB in a junkyard on Guam looking for engine parts (and getting pot shot at!) and brought it back behind his seat in his B-29.
Top is the original '44 Inland. Note as odd earlier style high wood, combined with *matching* grain but four-hole (rivet) handguard usually asociated with later then M2s--confirming what one poster said--they used what parts were on hand. It is *all Inland* however, and has the later round bolt. Note the nice walnut figuring on the top '44 Inland. The bottom is a '43 Inland that's been post/Korean war refit all around. Bolt, low wood, sights, rotary safety. Very good example, in fact, of a complete refit. It is a relatively rare nice re-import (you couldn't tell except for nearly illegible tiny marking on the under side of the barrel). Also rare, through the refitting it retained original or via happenstance 95% Inland parts. Bottom: rare image of a war-issue--but not a refit--bayo lug band.
Top is the original '44 Inland. Note as odd earlier style high wood, combined with *matching* grain but four-hole (rivet) handguard usually asociated with later then M2s--confirming what one poster said--they used what parts were on hand. It is *all Inland* however, and has the later round bolt. Note the nice walnut figuring on the top '44 Inland. The bottom is a '43 Inland that's been post/Korean war refit all around. Bolt, low wood, sights, rotary safety. Very good example, in fact, of a complete refit. It is a relatively rare nice re-import (you couldn't tell except for nearly illegible tiny marking on the under side of the barrel). Also rare, through the refitting it retained original or via happenstance 95% Inland parts. Bottom: rare image of a war-issue--but not a refit--bayo lug band.
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yes i say original because to me it looks all original. the rear peep sight has a knob for windage adj but you have to push the elevation by hand and there are different numbers on the ramp. the front sight is just like that in the picture and it has the bayo lug on it. i know its a late model obviously beacuse the barrel is stamped with underwood 3-44. it has a round rotating bolt on it which the earlier ones were flat on top. right behind the trigger guard there is a p ingraved in the stock and then down on the butt stock there is a ra-p engraved. over on the side of the butt stock there is a j engraved where the sling goes through the stock.on the front of the reciever its stamped u.s. carbine .30 cal m1. on the rear of the reciever under the sight there is something stamped that i can see because the rear sight is in the way and then under that is the serial number 3824472. on the front sling mount k1 is stamped on the piece that wraps around the forarm and barrel. it has a front ramp sight and the ramp slopes down away from you not towards you. it has the original mag pouch with 2 9 round mags. m1 is stamped on the mag relase and it has a round saftey. on the right side of the rear sight i.r. co. 7160060 is stamped. This is what stands out to me on the gun. i will try to get some pictues on here of it all this evening. The bad part about this whole deal is my grandpa had demencia when we had to take these guns away from him. If i would of known about them sooner i would been all over him to find out the history. I will def. ask my grandma if she knows any history behind it. But i was always told from my dad that this was the gun grandpa carried with him in corea. I never saw grandpa take it out of the cabnit in my 24 years of being alive and to this day i have never heard grandpa talk about the war the he was in. i just saw the side affects of the demencia.
another thing i found was mine on the bayo mount it is a band like the last picture that gak sent. but my gun looks like the bottom gun in the top picture gak sent. as you can see where you grab ahold of the slide and pull it back there is a thicker piece of steel there where the top one dosent have that. mine has that thicker piece of steel on it. also on the bottom of the barrel about half way between the forarm and the sight there is a P stamped in the barrel
M1 Carbines come all different ways so configuration is more a case of 'next part out of the bin.' For instance, I have a '43 National Postal Meter that went through a Rock River Arsenal rebuilt (RRA stamped on the stock and the box I got it in 39 years ago for $80) but it's still got a high wood stock, 2 rivet handguard, and doesn't have a bayonet stud. I don't know how that got by inspection but since I got it from RRA stock in their box, I guess some did.
I pulled the carbine out of the box all those years ago and it looked new so I thought it must have been repark'd, however, the Marlin barrel (correct for NPM) gauged at less than 1 at the muzzle (unfired) indicating it possibly was issued but didn't see any use before it was updated. I found out that they just pumped out the rebuilds with whatever parts they had at the time, hence the lack of a bayo lug but all the other updates (Type II sight, lever safety, etc).
I pulled the carbine out of the box all those years ago and it looked new so I thought it must have been repark'd, however, the Marlin barrel (correct for NPM) gauged at less than 1 at the muzzle (unfired) indicating it possibly was issued but didn't see any use before it was updated. I found out that they just pumped out the rebuilds with whatever parts they had at the time, hence the lack of a bayo lug but all the other updates (Type II sight, lever safety, etc).
Steve, yours appears to be a rare one by itself--a refit that made it through without the bayo lug addition. Don't know if I've ever seen one. It is known some guns were actually refit with certain updates/upgrades at arsenals or maybe even some in field during the war (WWII), so my '43 (bottom gun in the top photo) may have been one, but I doubt; probably a post-war refit like most. In the photo the '43 (re-import) Inland has an Underwood stock. It's since been traded out to a friend "desperate" to complete his otherwise all-Underwood...for an interim refit potbelly M2 stock (Korea or Vietnam era GI contractor but not walnut) as place holder...which will soon get a nice walnut GI Inland stock I lucked into at a gun show to make it once again 99% Inland. A small part remains of different (Underwood, Win or such) origin that'll eventually get changed out too "just because." All this making it "100%" is only important to me as an exercise 'cause I can, and it's so close to begin with. Almost all manufacturers' carbines were designed to accept all other contractors' parts as if it were their own. So, as has been stated, mixmasters are more common than not and most are, in reality, the same great guns with amazing histories the "100%" guns are. It's just fun (or for collectors, valuable if original fit) to have one (or two!) that are all together!
You might be right about mine but I been thinking for years that when I got it way back then, it came with the sling & oiler and mag pouch shown on it above as well as the items shown in the picture below; a leather handle bayonet, five of the seven 15rd mags, the cleaning kit, gas plug wrench, and canvas cover for the muzzle; in short, everything one needed to go to war except ammo. (And remember, I got it all for $80.)
Anyway, I'd like to be able to mount the bayo on it as intended so I decided to look for a type 3 barrel band with the bayo lug to replace the one I have so I can display my carbine the way it was suppose to be rebuilt. It's in such good condition I've only shot it about 100rds and the muzzle still mics at a 1 so it's almost new.
I've seen National Postal Meter M1 Carbines in nowhere near as pristine shape as mine and with low wood for $1,200 and up recently so I've decided to save it as a display piece only and pass it down to my son (who's been drooling over it as a collector item for years).
After looking for a decent GI carbine shooter and finding that they too beat up, too worn out, with barrels almost shot out, and at least as expensive, yesterday morning I ordered a NIB Auto Ordnance M1 Carbine for $650 from Bud's Guns to use as a dedicated shooter (btw, I got it for $651). Now we can finally shoot a copy of this great little carbine without fear of damaging a part of history.
Anyway, I'd like to be able to mount the bayo on it as intended so I decided to look for a type 3 barrel band with the bayo lug to replace the one I have so I can display my carbine the way it was suppose to be rebuilt. It's in such good condition I've only shot it about 100rds and the muzzle still mics at a 1 so it's almost new.
I've seen National Postal Meter M1 Carbines in nowhere near as pristine shape as mine and with low wood for $1,200 and up recently so I've decided to save it as a display piece only and pass it down to my son (who's been drooling over it as a collector item for years).
After looking for a decent GI carbine shooter and finding that they too beat up, too worn out, with barrels almost shot out, and at least as expensive, yesterday morning I ordered a NIB Auto Ordnance M1 Carbine for $650 from Bud's Guns to use as a dedicated shooter (btw, I got it for $651). Now we can finally shoot a copy of this great little carbine without fear of damaging a part of history.
Fine looking Carbine, I would like an overall pic, if you can get one, I know its hard to do, but just the bits and pieces, lead me to believe, that its in awesome condition.
OOPs, you had one Picture 53 Had it, Man thats a nice looking M1 Carbine, Its in awesome good shape. If I were you, Id be heading to the range.
OOPs, you had one Picture 53 Had it, Man thats a nice looking M1 Carbine, Its in awesome good shape. If I were you, Id be heading to the range.