Inland m1 ?

[sapper911]

Hello, I need some perspective from an expert. I have a Inland m1 carbine. I am curios if it is authentic and what it is worth. On here's the specs.
Serial is 504*** six digit serial, barrel is stamped 7-43 inland div general motors, stock has IO in the sling well, P under the pistol grip, crossed canons on the rt side of the stock, no other markings on the stock. All mounting screws are pristine like no one has ever removed them, stock is pristine hi wood, push button safety, bluing is 90% bore is like a miror with like new rifling. Only thing that does not ad up is the fact that it has an adjustable rear sight. Would this m1 have come with this rear sight? I am 99% certain that it has not been rebuilt.

[huntingsocal]

I think the experts will need pictures

[sapper911]

Working on pics BTW.

[TRICKSTER]

There is an entire industry built on fake carbine parts. You would need to post close up photos of all the internal parts and markings for someone to even attempt to see if it's original.

And that serial number would have come with a flip site.

[sapper911]

Is there a high likleyhood of it being a fake? The barrel is 7-43 does the serial number correspond with that date? The reason I ask, is that the bolts are untouched and I am hesitant to take it apart unless I was very shire its fake. Also would it ruin the value if I put flip up sights?

[TRICKSTER]

Is there a high likleyhood of it being a fake? The barrel is 7-43 does the serial number correspond with that date? The reason I ask, is that the bolts are untouched and I am hesitant to take it apart unless I was very shire its fake. Also would it ruin the value if I put flip up sights?

Finding a correct barreled receiver is the easy part, it's all the internals would also need to be checked. Each part is marked with a manufactures code and would need to be correct for that serial number run for it to be original. If you want to know it's true value, and sell it as a correct carbine, you would need to document all the parts. As far as replacing the site, if you could find one, it would probably run you around $175 or more and unless you really know what your looking for, you may end up with a fake.
As far as the likelihood of it being faked, what is the history? Has it been in the family for years or was it recently purchased from someone that you don't know. As I stated before, there is a entire industry built on faking original carbines.

[SimpleCountryActuary]

After WWII, the Army went and "fixed" the carbines they had and older ones ended up with newer parts, such as the rear sight. They also added bayonet lugs as the older ones didn't have them. There's some neat books out there if you care about the details. I like to shoot them. P.S. they are also easy to field strip.

Best!

[TMB 1]

Is there a high likleyhood of it being a fake? The barrel is 7-43 does the serial number correspond with that date? The reason I ask, is that the bolts are untouched and I am hesitant to take it apart unless I was very shire its fake. Also would it ruin the value if I put flip up sights?

If it was mine. I wouldn't be afraid to take it a part, like SCA said it's easy. Also I wouldn't change a thing on it.

[jthai]

Oh man that stock....

[BigStiCK]

Heres a great site to get info on everything M1 Carbine....

http://www.bavarianm1carbines.com

An excerpt from the site:

Not one of the people involved in the manufacture of the .30 Caliber Carbines was thinking of the collectors 60 years later who would be very interested in owning a carbine constructed of all "the right" parts with all "the right" markings. Their focus was on keeping up with the production demands of completing an average of a 800-1000+ carbines a day, at each of the 10 prime contractor facilities. Documented evidence has been found showing all 10 prime contractors exchanged parts. In an operation this massive, production lines would run short or have surplus of one or more parts at any given time. These companies were not in competition with one another, they all served one master, U.S. Army Ordnance. Ordnance arranged for the transfer of parts from one facility to another in order to keep production moving. Many of these transfers were documented and have been extracted from archived U.S. Army Ordnance records. Not all records were saved after the war. According to several sources close to the inside workings of the day to day operations, not all of these transfers were documented.

Don't make the mistake of forgetting the history of these carbines and all they've been through. If a carbine looks like new, someone has probably reconstructed it into something it isn't, which is a hobby for some people and a profession for others. Stories of where the carbine was used should be substantiated by documentation, without which it would be wise not to accept the stories at face value. One of the most common stories is "this carbine went up the beaches on D-Day and with my wife's grandpa (or other relative), who snuck it home in his duffel bag at the end of WWII, and kept in the closet since then". A few did come back this way, but far less than some people would want you to believe.

"Correct" carbines are like pink unicorns, they really don't exist & never did. Unlike Garands, which originally tended to be built whole by only a few manufacturers, the carbines were a mixmasters from the factory, and a bunch of different companies made them & shared parts....

Not saying you don't have a rare collectible, but chances are you don't. If I recall correctly, Inland made more carbines & parts than any other contractor.

Do some research &/or find an expert to inspect it.

[sapper911]

Thanks for all the replys. This is one of 4 guns that I got when my gramps died. He was a Marine raider in ww2 and he went career. He saw action in ww2, Korea and Vietnam then went on to be a drill instructor. Anyway he left me a sweet remington 03a3, 2 carbines and a colt 1911. My dad says that he had the 03a3, the 1911 and one of the carbines since he was a kid. The other carbine is a knockoff from the 70s. So they have been in the family for at least 58years.

[sapper911]

Thank you all! I would never think of selling it since its an heir loom. But I guess I will have to take it to someone to check it out. I want to know what I have. I wish there was a way to track down where these old rifles have been.

[Enfield47]

You should take it apart, clean, inspect, and properly lube it, then take it to the range. You aren't going to hurt it by shooting it - it's what it was made for.

[TRICKSTER]

Heres a great site to get info on everything M1 Carbine....

http://www.bavarianm1carbines.com

An excerpt from the site:



"Correct" carbines are like pink unicorns, they really don't exist & never did. Unlike Garands, which originally tended to be built whole by only a few manufacturers, the carbines were a mixmasters from the factory, and a bunch of different companies made them & shared parts....

Not saying you don't have a rare collectible, but chances are you don't. If I recall correctly, Inland made more carbines & parts than any other contractor.

Do some research &/or find an expert to inspect it.

Not exactly. Different companies made parts for each manufacturer and for the most part, each part is specifically marked for that specific manufacturer.
I have a NPM Carbine that is correct as issued from the manufacturer. All of the parts are properly marked as being made specifically for NPM with the exception of one which was made for Underwood and there are records showing that specific Underwood part was supplied to NPM during that time period.

[sapper911]

Update, took it apart last night and according to an online parts resource, all internal parts are inland, every part on it is inland. The only part that is not it's the stamped adjustable rear sight. I'm stoked! Now the only question is do I replace the rear sight with an inland flip sight.