Any M1 Carbine experts???

[CharlieHotel]

I recently bought a early MFG Inland M1 Carbine Serial # 55xxx which puts it mfg date 1942-1943
There are some irregularities about it, and I'm trying to find out if it was re-arsenaled or not.

Stock is marked correctly with the cross cannon cartouche and HI in the sling cutout but it has a 4 rivet handguard which I believe means it was mfg'd post 44. The stock is a pot-belly low wood stock and has no circle P or re-arsenal stamps. It is in quite good condition.

The barrel is like new and guages 1.0, it is marked inland manufacturing and 8-44 which would match the stock but not the reciever.

The other odd things are that it has the milled, improved rear sight and barrel band with bayonet lug. There are also no import stamps.

I bought it to shoot and probably overpayed for it, but i'm just curious if it could have been manufactured this way or if it is a Franken-Gun.

Any info would be appreciated...

CH

[douglas34474]

Sounds like a standard mix-master rebuild. The receiver date and the barrel date are the most telling.

Is the breech still 'in the white.'

[Kosciusko]

concur  w/ douglas34474, most carbines have been thru  at least 1 rebuild

back in WW II, some of the manufacturers didn't even make all the parts they used in house

A carbine production board existed to allocate parts among   manufacturers on an as-needed basis in order to meet  production quotas.

If it wasn't a mixmaster when it was shipped, it could have been thru multiple rebuild programs that lasted into the 60's, not to mention field /depot repairs



try gunboards.com

membership is free, many knowledgeable folks over there, including people who helped write the definitive reference books on the M1 carbine

[CharlieHotel]

Sounds like a standard mix-master rebuild. The receiver date and the barrel date are the most telling.

Is the breech still 'in the white.'

I have not had the throat erosion gauged yet... Going to take it to Orion7 this week.

CH