CARBINE CLUB PO Box 998 BOWIE, MD 20718

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CARBINE CLUB
NEWSLETTER # 383
P.O. Box 998
July 1,2015
BOWIE, MD 20718-0998
© Copyright 2015 Carbine Club
The Carbine Club exists for the purpose o f gathering, analyzing, and storing information about the M l Carbine
and related accessories, for the private use o f its members. The data and information contained in its newsletters
are not for commercial exploitation, and may not be copied, in whole or in part, without the permission of the
Carbine Club.
M A G A Z IN E “ B E L T P O U C H ” M A R K E D A L D O N 44
B rian S a ie r has purchased a “belt pouch” in m int condition m arked A L D O N 44. A lthough A L D O N 4 5
m arkings h a v e b een reported, this is th e first report o f one from 1944. See N L s 261 and 262 for Jim
F lavin’s com prehensive listing and description o f reported m ag pouches.
This p o u c h is also unusual, in th at it lacks the tw o steel grom m ets a t the bottom . The g rom m ets w e re
used to a tta ch a first-aid k it or other item to the bottom o f the p o u c h using th e standard “belt h a n g e rs .”
M ost, b u t n o t all “belt pouches” observed and reported have the grom m ets.
In the early days o f carbine collecting, m in t unissued m ag pouches w ere plentiful at gun sh o w s an d
easily available through m ail-order m ilitary surplus dealers, w ith p rices o f $5 or less apiece. I t w as q u ite
easy to accum ulate a large collection on a m odest budget. H ow ever, in the last 25 years, th e y h a v e
becom e quite difficult to find in m int condition, w ith prices clim bing above $20 apiece. U n fo rtu n a te ly
for collectors, reproductions w ith fake m arkings have since filled th e void in the m arket for in e x p e n s iv e
mag pouches. B y the way, the official m ilitary nom enclature w as “po ck et” not “pouch.”
3 8 3 -2
M l G A R A N D R I F L E R A C K M O D IF IE D T O A C C O M M O D A T E C A R B IN E S - 1 9 5 1
T o m B atha discovered these tw o photos w hile conducting research at the N ational A rchives. They are
d a te d 11 January 1951 and show a rifle ra c k th at w as m odified b y the Ordnance Shop o f Cam p Chaffee,
A rk an sas to “accom m odate th e carbine in th e sam e rack w ith th e M - l.” Unfortunately, there w as no
attached docum entation to ex plain the details o f the m odification. Only the photos and the captions
w ere located.
A s can be seen, w hat appears to be a stainless steel barrel rest h a s been added to the rack, to
accom m odate th e shorter length o f th e carbine. A hinged lever, show n partially open here, locks the
barrels to the rack. (The tray n e a r the bottom o f the rack holds 20 M l 911 pistols, inserted m uzzle first.)
3 8 3 -3
T he below p h o to show s the opposite side o f the m odified rifle rack. C lose electronic exam ination o f the
carbines sh o w s that all appear to b e M is w ith bayonet lugs and adjustable rear sights. The fourth from
th e left has a late-cam slide and ro u n d bolt. There is a m ix o f different type handguards. A ll the rifles
appear to h a v e a light coat o f oil o n the w ood. F o r G arand enthusiasts, all 5 o f the M is show n here have
the late s ty le gas cylinder lock screw s, and as expected, the “lock b ar” rear sights. This rack, with the
pistol tray in stalled , w as designated as th e M 3. It w as a m ainstay o f the 1940s and 1950s, until replaced
by the M l 1 rack for the M 14 rifle. T hanks to B illy Pyle for assistance w ith this report.
3 8 3 -4
T H E T R A N S IT IO N F R O M T H E P U S H S A F E T Y T O T H E R O T A R Y SA FE T Y
A s discussed in N L 109-3, M odification W ork O rder (M W O) O R D B 28-W 6 directed the replacem ent o f
th e p u sh safety w ith the rotary safety. A lthough the rotary safety had been approved on 15 March 1945,
a n d used b y W inchester and Inland a t th e end o f their production (see N L 355-7), the M W O to upgrade
carb in es w as n o t issued until alm ost th ree years later, o n 10 D ecem ber 1947.
T h e introduction o f the ro tary safety w as to be done o n a phased schedule: first priority w ere “M2
C arbines in th e field, and all M l, M l A l , and M 2 C arbines being rebuilt. A t a later date, when
additional safeties C 7 162080 are available, a change w ill be issued authorizing m odification o f carbines,
cal. .30 M l and M l A l in the field.” T his change w as n o t published until alm ost tw o years later, o n 16
S ep 1949. A lack o f post-w ar funding w ith no sense o f urgency or possible problem s w ith m anpow er or
supply/availability o f the n e w safeties delayed a tim ely retrofit o f all carbines.
D u rin g early 1947, the proposed draft o f this M W O w as distributed to various com m ands w ithin th e
O rdnance D epartm ent to solicit com m ents and suggestions before the official publication date. C o lo n el
W illiam L. M cC ulla, the C h ie f o f th e Industrial D ivision o f the Sm all A rm s B ranch, suggested in h is
endorsem ent letter o f 11 A ugust 1947, th at - although the “early type” safeties (up through revision 5 o f
1-20-43) be disposed o f - those “interm ediate ty p e” safeties (revision 6 and later) “be returned to stores
fo r issue i f th e lim ited supply o f th e rotary safety should becom e exhausted.” Col. M cC ulla ap p aren tly
h a d som e concern th at the supply o f ro tary safeties w asn ’t enough to equip all th e carbines in the
m ilita ry ’s inventory at that tim e.
E xplaining h is reasoning fo r recom m ending th at the “early type” push safeties b e disposed of, w h ile
retaining die “interm ediate types” as contingency spare parts, C olonel M cC ulla w rote “The d e sig n o f the
detents in the Safety o f early m anufacture caused som e difficulty in production. The m achine o p e ra tio n s
by w hich the detents had to be pro d u ced w ere n o t conducive to sm ooth functioning, and in o rd er to
assure satisfactory operation, hand w ork had to be done on the Safeties as w ell as on the very sm a ll
S afety Plungers. Such hand w ork, o f course, affects interchangeability som ew hat because special
attention m ust be given to see th at w h en random parts are assem bled, the com bination is not s tic k y , y e t
h a s sufficient retentive effect. In order to im prove the above condition, the draw ing o f the S afety,
B -200980, u n d e r revision 6 dated 26 M arch 1943, w as changed to perm it the cutting o f th e d e te n ts b y a
different m ethod, w hich afforded precise control, thereby elim inating the difficulty. E xcept a s it w a s
im proved, interchangeability w as n o t affected and for th at reason the draw ing num ber w as not c h a n g e d .”
T op left is the “early ty p e” safety (type 1 and 2 o n th e
C arbine Club d a ta sheet), show ing the circular d e te n ts ,
w hich tend to batter the ends o f the rela tiv e ly -so ft spring
plungers.
B ottom left is the “interm ediate type” safety ( ty p e 3 o n
the data sheet), w ith the im proved ridge detent, w h ic h
allow ed for sm oother operation and less d a m a g e to th e
plungers. A lthough approved o n 26 M arch 1 9 4 3 , th e se
d id n ’t appear in factory-original carbines until A u g u s tSeptem ber-O ctober 1943.
Thanks to D o n H illhouse for locating C olonel M cC ulla’s report.
M a r ty B la c k
3 8 3 -5
C H IN E S E “ C O P Y C A T ” C A R B IN E S . B R IE F L Y R E V IS IT E D F O R N E W M E M B E R S
W h en the flo o d o f “im ports” reached our shores in the m id-late
1980s, several very odd-looking C hinese copies o f carbines
w ere reported to the Club. These w ere view ed as curiosities,
b u t not collectable. T hey are a m ix o f original GI and crude
hand-m ade p arts o f unknow n m etallurgical standards, and
m em bers a re advised n o t to fire them . A fter the initial interest
in them h a d passed, these “Frankensteins” quickly slipped into
obscurity. T h ey rem ained there until recently, w hen D ave
T ennent h a d the opportunity to inspect this crude copy o f an
Inland that is ow ned b y a non-m em ber. These photos speak for
them selves, and captions aren’t necessary. For n e w m em bers
w ho have n o t seen one before, our thanks to D ave Tennent.
This particular
carbine was
reported in N L
113-5, having
been seen at an
O hio gun show in
1986. It has an
O yster Bay
Im ports stam p on
the barrel below
th e P . The form er
ow ner o f O yster
B ay Im porting
C om pany o f G reat
N eck, N Y has
acknow ledged
th at he received
one shipm ent o f
carbines som etim e
in the 1980s from
the P eoples’
R epublic o f
China, the
quantity not being
disclosed. W ithin
this shipm ent
were the
“copycats,” w hich
China claim ed
had originated in
S. K orea.
For m ore info o n these, see N L s 1 0 8 ,1 1 3 ,1 2 5 ,1 3 8 ,1 7 4 ,
and 177. For details o n the history o f Chinese “c o p y c a t”
w eapons, see WarBaby Comes Home, pp 710-711.
383-6
M 8 C A R B IN E C L E A N IN G R O D B Y STA N D A R D E N G IN E E R IN G
O u r thanks to T om D avis for his recen t rep o rt o f w hat has been an under-reported accessory for the
C arbine: the M 8 Cleaning Rod. W hile attending a gun show, T om saw a box o f 10 rods made by
Standard E ngineering & M anufacturing C om pany during WWII, and to o k photos for th e Carbine C lub.
A p relim inary article, identifying th e th ree basic types o f carbine
cleaning rods, w as published in N ew sletter # 6 in 1977, but since then,
v e ry little has been reported or learned. O n ly tw o subsequent articles
h a v e been published, in N ew sletters 186-2 a n d 274-6, discussing
packaging fo r those rods m ade in 1945 b y C& S T ools o f M inneapolis.
S tandard E ngineering o f N e w Y ork C ity h a d several contracts for different cleaning rods. Their M8
co n tract w as from m id-1944 th ru m id -1945. T he ordnance part num ber D 44045 was altered to 6544045
c irc a 1950, a n d it is usually visible o n the shipping box. That change w as m ade to com ply with a
directive to m ak e all ordnance p a rt num bers 7 digits long. The last tw o digits o f the p art num ber 45 h a s
led m any collectors to assum e th at this w as strictly a 1945 contract, b u t th at is not true.
Standard E ngineering's contract
allow ed for a steel "T" handle,
rath er than alum inum w hich
h a d been com m only used to
prev en t dam age to the crow n o f
th e barrels. A t the tim e o f
S tandard’s contract, how ever,
th e requirem ents for alum inum
fo r aviation production took
precedence o v e r cleaning rods.
T h is com pany also
m anufactured a cleaning rod tip
m ade o f brass. Several other
M 8 contractors w ere forced to
provide steel tip s, due to the
availability a n d priority o f raw
m aterials at th e tim e o f th eir
contract approval.
Standard Engineering's "T" handle does n o t have a contractor identification m ark. A sm all n u m b e r o f th e
handles are m ark ed w ith num erals, for exam ple 11 or 16. These num bers m ay indicate that th e h a n d le s
w ere produced b y a subcontractor, o r th ey m ay identify an inspection by a specific G o v ern m en t
Inspector, or th e y m ay identify certain tooling uses or m ethods.
B ill R ic c a
383-7
S L U N G M l A ls
T h is photo w a s taken on 3 M arch 1944 n e a r W elford airfield in England. It show s troops o f the 327th
G lid er Infan try Regim ent, 101st A irborne D ivision, being inspected by W inston C hurchill and G enerals
E isen h o w er an d Taylor. N ote th e unique m anner in w hich the M 1A1 C arbines are being w orn - the
slings are o v e r th e right shoulder, w ith th e carbine on the left hip w ith p isto l grip forward.
T R IV IA Q U E S T IO N - S T E E L C A S E D A M M O IN W W II
W e know that quantities o f M l Carbine (and .45 ACP am m unition) w ere m ade w ith steel c a se s in 1943,
w hen brass w as deem ed a critical m aterial. Tw o other com m on cartridges continued to use o n ly b rass,
although steel cases w ere deem ed satisfactory. W hy? (A nsw er on next page.)
383-8
A N S W E R T O S T E E L C A S E D A M M O Q U E S T IO N O N P R E V IO U S P A G E
A ll (non-carbine) .30 and .50 caliber am m unition w as produced w ith brass cases only, because the m etal
lin k s on m achinegun am m o w ould scratch th ru the rust-preventative coating on steel cases, causing
corrosion. T he steel enbloc clips fo r the M l R ifle w ould have presented the sam e problem . During
W W II, carbine and .45 ACP am m o w ere available only in cardboard boxes; no contact w ith other steel.
A lth o u g h U S ground forces did n o t have steel-linked .30 cal m achinegun am m o until late in the war
(cotton belts being u sed instead), m etal links w ere exclusively used in aircraft-m ounted m achineguns.
Louis Losi
T W O IT A L IA N M 2 -TY PE C A R B IN E S
T w o relatively-unknow n Italian M 2-type carbines are the Luigi Franchi LF58 and the Pietro B eretta
M odel 1958. B oth w ere cham bered for the U .S. carbine cartridge, and both had a very controllable
cyclic rate o f about 500 rounds p e r m inute. The Franchi m odel used the U .S. carbine m agazine(s),
w hereas the B eretta m odel utilized a 30 round m agazine o f its ow n design, b u t w hich could easily be
loaded using standard U .S. 10-round stripper clips. Although b oth w eapons could be considered
im provem ents over the M 2 C arbine, the tim ing o f th eir introduction in 1958 w as late. The 7.62m m
N A T O cartridge had been adopted in 1954, and m o st NA TO countries subsequently chose the F N FA L
assault rifle in th at caliber. Thus, b oth Italian designs were unfortunately relegated to obscurity.
Inform ation an d photographs courtesy o f the American Rifleman m agazine.
L ouis Losi
N ote th at the B eretta M l 958 b e lo w utilized tw o triggers, the forw ard one fo r sem i-auto and t h e rearw ard
one for full-auto.
383-9
IR W IN -P E D E R S E N R E L IC
Thanks to M a rc u s R ust for reporting this item and sending
th e photos. The item is a stool o f the type com m only used
at drafting tab les, or at w orkstations w here a backrest
w ould not b e suitable. It w as sold o n the eBay auction site.
B elow is p a rt o f the description given in the eBay ad:
"A ll orig in al from the O ak Seat to the height adjustm ent
key. The o n ly thing it needs is linoleum pads for the legs.
T h e w ood se at spins / swivels freely. T he stool has a 15
1/2" d iam eter w ood seat. The w ood seat and m etal fram e
have no crack s in them . The m etal footrest has an outside
diam eter o f 20 1/2". The height from the floor to the top o f
the seat is adjustable from approx 21 inches up to 27". The
stool w eig h s 22 pounds."
T he b o tto m o f the seat has an oval shaped m arking stam ped
in ink, as sh o w n below . The last line o f this m arking is
illegible. T h e o th er 4 lines, w hich are no t easy to read, are
as follow s:
D E T R O IT O R D N A N C E D ISTR IC T
C O N T W .374 O R D .
1548
W A R D EPT.
Irwin-Pedersen Anns Co.
The bottom o f the seat has tw o m etal tags. T h e
oval-shaped tag is m ad e o f brass. T h e o th er tag
is m ade o f alum inum .
N otice th at the contract num ber in the ink
stam ping is not the same as the one on the
rectangular m etal tag. The one stam ped in ink,
W -374-O R D -1548, is the know n Irw in-Pedersen
carbine contract num ber. The num ber on the
m etal plate, W -374-O R D -1242, has not been identified.
There is no inform ation available as to w here this stool was u sed in the I-P plant. A s show n in War
stated that Irw in-Pedersen w as to acquire and b ill the
governm ent for all the necessary jig s, dies, tools, fixtures, m achinery, equipm ent and m aterial n e e d ed to
equip the plant and m ake 100,000 carbines. Fixtures and equipm ent probably included such th in g s as
w orkbenches and stools. U pon paym ent, these item s becam e governm ent property. The p re s e n c e o f th e
ink stam p and m etal tags on the stool then served to identify the item as being governm ent p ro p erty .
Baby!, page 414, contract W -374-O R D -1548
383-10
P A R A T R O O P E R C A N V A S C A R B IN E H O L S T E R A N D C A N V A S M U Z Z L E C O V E R
C ollectors are fam iliar w ith the canvas hip holster fo r the folded M l A1 Carbine, w hich paratroopers
u se d in the various W W II “jum ps.” T he official nom enclature is “H olster A ssem bly, Parachutist’s.” It
w a s replaced b y a larger, padded/quilted rectangular case that snapped onto the paratrooper’s harness
a n d could accom m odate other w eapons besides the M l A1 Carbine. T he initial nom enclature was “ Case,
Individual W eapons, P arachutist’s.” T his w as later changed to “H olster A ssem bly, Parachutist’s R ifle,
C arbine, or Sub-m achine G un.” It is com m only called a “Griswold bag.” V ariations and “rigger”
m odifications continued in the 1950s.
N ote the part num ber 8300 - 442650 in the upper photo. The stencil indicates the 2 nd B attalion, S -4
(Supply O fficer) o f the 505th Parachute Infantry Regim ent, 82nd A irborne Division. T his p a rtic u la r case
has been m odified w ith a 6” extension (left in photo) to accom m odate a full-stock carbine. (P h o to s
courtesy o f F rank H avlicek.)
It has not been generally know n w hen this large m ulti-purpose case replaced the folded M l A1 h o lste r.
M ost have assum ed that it is a post-W W II item . L uckily, D on H illhouse stum bled upon a re fe re n c e in
the A pril 1945 issue o f the A rm y’s FieldArtillery Journal. It states: “The Scabbard, canvas, c a rb in e ,
cal. .30, M 1A 1, form erly authorized for parachutists, is being replaced by a Case, individual w e a p o n s ,
parachutists, w h ich w ill accom m odate a rifle, subm achine gun, o r carbine.” (Note the d iffe re n c e in
nom enclature fo r the M l A1 holster/scabbard. B ill R icca reports th at changes/differences a m o n g
equipm ent designations w ere not uncom m on. See pages 645-649 o f War Baby Comes Home f o r
exam ples o f the various cases used for the carbine.)
It is not know n i f any o f these larger cases (G risw old bags) w ere used w ith the carbine in W W II c o m b a t,
but it is certainly possible. The last ju m p in the Pacific theater w as the recapture o f C orregidor I s la n d in
the Philippines on 16 Feb 1945. T he last ETO ju m p w as O peration V arsity into G erm any on 2 4 M a rc h
1945. The above-referenced article m ay have been w ritten earlier than A pril, because it re p o rts o th e r
artillery organizational and equipm ent changes dated in February.
383-11
A 23 M a rc h 1945 O peration V arsity photograph h as been published show ing a 17th A irborne Division
tro o p er w ith the larger case, bu t his case has been m odified w ith a long extension to hold a Browning
A utom atic R ifle, not a carbine.
L astly, the FieldArtillery Journal article states “C over, canvas, m uzzle, rifle or carbine, is being
replaced b y a n expendable item to be included in A S F C atalog Q M -4 w ith th e nom enclature Tape,
cellulose, m u z z le .”
O u r thanks to D o n H illhouse for spotting these tw o little tidbits and reporting them to the Club.
U N U S U A L S -P M A R K E D R E A R S IG H T F O R IR W IN -P E D E R S E N
T he m ost recent Irw in-Pedersen m anufacturer’s update article was
published in N L 374. O n page 9, C hris A lbright w rote “Tw o carbines
(1777305,1782879) w ere reported w ith rear sight leafs m arked S-P. O ne
had a rea r sight base m arked B-IP ......T he source o f the S-P m arked sight
leafs is unknow n.”
M arcus R ust noticed a torch-cut dem illed S ’G ’ receiver 1818228 b ein g
auctioned on e-bay, th a t still retained the rear sight, w hich w as m arked
this w ay. The sight, rem oved from th e receiver, sold for m ore than $300.
B ob Eakins reports th at th e C lub’s data files indicate sporadic use o f th is
p art through the 1.8 m illion range and into the 3 m illio n range. The
highest S ’G ’ reported w ith th is part is 3607xxx w ith a 10-43 barrel.
D O U B L E M A R K IN G O N SN F A B R IC A T E D F R O N T S IG H T S
T hanks to D ave T ennent for pointing out an
ite m that is often overlooked. M any (perhaps
m o st or all?) SN fabricated front sights have a
double m arking on the top piece. O bviously, the
m arking w as done before the sighting blade w as
w elded on top. A lthough the possibility exists
th a t a batch o f those top pieces were
accidentally run through the m arking step a
second tim e, this double m arking could have
been intentional, and could have been applied
b y a single stam p having both m arkings. W ith
th e m arking on both sides o f the piece, the
people who assem bled the sight w ould not have
to look at the m arking to know w hich end w ent w hich way. This m akes sense from the stan d p o in t o f
production efficiency and risk o f having the m arking obscured by th e sight blade.
M em bers’ reports in the club’s data files indicate that this double m arking by Super M etal M fg C o . is
quite w idespread. The SN fabricated sight cam e into use at N ational Postal M eter in late 1943 a n d
continued to the end o f production in A pril 1944. T he double m arking has been reported fro m th e 4.1
m illion serial num ber range (Buffalo A im s barrel dates o f 9 and 10-43) through the late 4.3 m illio n
range w ith undated IBM and M arlin barrels.
Thanks to D ave Tennent, JB Pow ers and Bob Eakins for assistance w ith th is report.
383-12
C A R B IN E S O N T H E G R O U N D A N D I N T H E A IR - T H E U.S. A R M Y A IR F O R C E S IN W W II
C arbine quantities authorized in W W II Tables o f O rganization have been covered previously in NL373
a n d 374. This article addresses sm all arm s in U SA A F units. N L 384 w ill look at U.S. N av y carbines.
T h e A rm y A ir Forces in W W II consisted o f about 60 different types o f air, technical, and HQ units.
A dditional ground support units: Q M , Signal, MP, O rdnance, and Engineers, differing only slightly fro m
com parable support units fo r ground forces, w ere also organized to serve U SA A F operations.
In M arch 1945, U SA A F m anpow er w as o v er 2.2 m illion officers and m en , a b it over 25% o f U.S. A rm y
strength at th a t tim e. U S A A F strength in the ETO in m id-February 1945 - alm ost 440,000 - only
com prised a b o u t 15% o f th is theater's force. The discrepancy can be explained b y the fact that alm ost
h a lf o f the U S A A F in 1945 w as serving stateside - m any as trainers and trainees - a m u ch larger
percentage in training th a n arm y ground o r service forces. The February 1945 ETO strength report
show s about 60% o f theater U S A A F personnel w ere stationed in the U K (w hich, o f course, would h a v e
included bom ber air crew s w hose “w ork” to o k th em to the continent o n a regular basis).
C arbine %
SM G
P istols
42-0-234
276
206
75%
23
41
7-2-236
245
216
88%
23
2
12-1-589
602
533
89%
58
3
3-26-43
72
45
63%
5
22
7-0-150
157
134
85%
18
1
F ighter C ontrol SQ (O ct 44)
23-0-217
240
209
87%
21
1
B om bardm ent SQ H vy (Jul 44)
65-0-312
377
255
68%
28
126
B om bardm ent SQ M ed (A ug 44)
66-0-299
365
229
63%
30
102
68-17-275
360
240
67%
44
72
Photo T ech SQ (Sep 43)
82-1-198
281
260
93%
20
1
L iaison SQ (M ay 45)
13-0-133
146
79
54%
19
44
3-0-99
102
74
73%
4
0
pH
£
U n it Type
N ig h t Fighter SQ (Sep 44)
Service SQ A v i (Jan 44)
E ngine O verhaul SQ A vi (N ov
43)
H Q B om b G P H vy o r M ed (N ov
4 3)
A irdrom e SQ (M ay 44)
T roop C arrier SQ (O ct 44)
Q M Truck C O A vi (Jan 45)
o
R ifle, M 1903
C arbines
&
to ta l Strength
s
69
o
R ifle, M l
Several Tables o f O rganization & E quipm ent (T/O & E) have been located for U SA A F units:
24
0
Q M CO A ir Serv GP (Jan 45)
5-0-76
81
60
74%
4
0
0
17
M P CO A vi (Jan 45)
O rd Supply/M aint CO A vi (O ct
44)
4-0-97
101
0
0%
6
87
8
0
4-0-74
78
58
74%
5
0
0
15
33-0-774
807
156
19%
27
3
603
0
E ngr B N A vi (M ay 44)
[O ff = O fficers; W O = W arrant O fficers; FO = F light O fficers; EM = E nlisted M en]
T hanks to R ic h a rd D ow ns, A m erican V eterans M useum , D allas/Ft. W orth, T X for m uch o f the
T /O & E d a ta on the previous page.
382-13
N L 3 7 7 p resen ted a Septem ber 1943 sm all arm s issuance receipt for a B -17 crew. It show ed M1911
p isto ls for th e fo u r com m issioned officers on the crew, a .45 cal. SM G for one enlisted m an, and five
carbines fo r the o th er crew m en. A ccording to the July 1944 heavy bom ber squadron T /O & E , bomber
c rew s got a .45 cal. SM G fo r one enlisted m an and pistols fo r all the other crew m en (elim inating the
carbine). F o u r different revisions o f the T /O & E for a heavy bom ber squadron appeared in 1943.
U nfortunately, n o n e o f these have been located, so it is im possible to say w hether the Septem ber 1943
carbine issuance detailed in N L 377 w as a result o f existing T /O & E, a special exception fo r ferrying new
bom bers across th e A tlantic, or th e result o f a local supply shortage.
In another case, tw o consecutive editions o f a U SA A F T/O & E have been located. The M ay 1944 T /O & E
fo r a Troop C arrier Squadron calls for its 17 pairs o f glider pilots and copilots to carry 34 Garands. F ive
m o n th s la te r the T/O & E w as revised to replace these G arands w ith 17 carbines for copilots and 17
S M G s for p ilo ts (sm all arm s for the ground echelon rem ained unchanged).
D a ta has n o t b een found to establish h o w m any carbines w ere issued to the entire U SA A F in W W II. I f
th e percentages show n in the previous table are representative o f all u nit types (a big 'if), perhaps
750.000 carbines w ere in th e h ands o f U SA A F personnel overseas w h en the w ar ended. A n even big g er
unknow n - w hether sm all arm s w ere issued in accordance w ith T/O & Es for stateside units - m akes a n
estim ate fo r th at portion o f the force even trickier. I f full issuance happened in the U.S., th e n another
700.000 carbines w ent to U S A A F units. C om bining these num bers w ould m ean that m ore th an 1 in 5
carbines produced w ent to U S A A F units (w ithout accounting for losses).
W ith little opportunity to use m o st o f these carbines in com bat, h o w m any o f today's carbines had an
easy life in W W II's U SA A F? A nd how m any “bring backs” started th eir jo u rn e y hom e from a U S A A F
airfield or supply depot?
In an earlier article on U .S. A rm y W W II T/O & Es (NL373), a pattern w as noticed w here Q M service
u n its seem ed to have been authorized M l 903 s for about 25% o f unit strength. W ith nothing found th a t
established this percentage, it w as proposed that perhaps th ere w as a need for a w eapon capable o f
m ounting a bayonet for guarding airfields, supplies, vehicles, etc. and the carbine lacked that capability.
N o w the reason has been found in the June 3 0 ,1 9 4 3 , annual report o f A rm y Service Forces. Incredibly
enough, the report says, “A m ajor w eakness o f service units w as their defense against low -flying
aircraft....T he pistol, sub-m achine gun, and carbine had too short a range or too low a velocity to do
m u ch good. For this reason a policy w as adopted w hereby at least 25 percent o f the enlisted p erso n n el o f
service units w ere arm ed w ith th e caliber .30 rifle.” (A few 1942 service u n it T/O & Es found since the
previous discussion do indeed show alm ost 100% carbines w ith no ’03 s.)
T h e move m ay have been m ore about m orale than effectiveness as sim ilar U SA A F service u n its did n o t
a d o p t this '03 requirem ent (the U SA A F set the requirem ents for its o w n service troops). It is n o t k n o w n
w hether this w as because air bases w ould routinely have th eir o w n anti-aircraft units assigned - or
w hether the air force recognized the futility o f shooting at enem y aircraft w ith bolt action rifles. In e ith er
event, this use o f ’03s in ground forces service units took som e o f th e pressure o ff o f carbine p ro d u ctio n .
W ith troops in arm y service units num bering about 1.5 m illion in January 1945, som ething lik e a n o th er
350,000 carbines w ould have been needed. W ithout the M 1903A 3 production success b y R em in g to n
an d Smith Corona, how m uch longer into 1944 w ould the full range o f carbine m anufacturers h a v e
continued?
D o n H illh o u se
(For more info on Carbines aboard WWII USAAF aircraft, see NL 377 pages 12-14.)
383-14
"U N -U S U A L ” U N -Q U A L IT Y
T h e UN-QUALITY nam e on the receiv er appears to have been applied
a fte r buffing o f f an earlier m arking. N ote in th e first photo th a t the
m achining line indicated by th e rig h t hand arrow has been buffed o ff
in th e area indicated b y the left h an d arrow . A t the left arrow, the
e d g e o f the receiver has a slight curvature w here m etal was rem oved.
A lso note in th is photo that w hat appears to be a + or a num ber 4 w as
n o t com pletely buffed o f f the receiver.
In th e second photo, traces o f a bu ffed out m arking can be seen. Just
above the Q there is w hat appears to b e the rem ains o f the top p art o f the
le tte r T that w as not com pletely bu ffed off. A n d ju s t above th e second U
th e re is w hat appears to be the to p p a rt o f the letter O . The location o f
th e T and O suggests th at they co u ld b e part o f the w ord
NATIONAL on a receiver that h a d b een m arked w ith the
NATIONAL POSTAL METER nam e.
O n e possibility is th at w hen U n io n Sw itch & Signal w as
m aking receivers for b oth N P M and Q H M C , this receiver or a
b atch o f receivers got crossed u p betw een the m arking
operations and got the N P M n am e and Q H M C num ber. If this
happened, it w o uld have been sim p ler to change th e nam e than
to keep track o f the serial num bers and m anually set the
num bering m achine to reuse th e num bers. N o te th at no
buffing has been done in the area o f th e U N -Q serial num ber.
T he m ost puzzling aspect o f th is receiv er is th e rem nant o f th e m ark
n e a r the left edge o f die receiver. It does not m atch th e 4 in th e font
u sed by U S& S in num bering receiv ers for N P M and QHM C. T he
horizontal line in the m ark is lo cated too high. T he photo o f a N P M /U
receiver at the rig h t show s the shape o f the 4 u sed by U S& S o n
receivers they m ade for N PM . Perhaps that m ark is the rem ains o f the
letter P th at could have been lined out before being buffed off?
Thanks to M arcus R ust for the ph o to s and the report on this interesting
carbine. A re there any m ore like th is one?
N A T IO N A L P O S T A L M E T E R R E C E IV E R W IT H IN L A N D S E R IA L N U M B E R
Thanks to D on H illhouse for sending this photo that he found
on an internet site. N P M 5260783 has an Inland serial num ber,
and other photos o f the receiver (not show n here) prove that it
w as m anufactured by N PM , n o t Inland. The carbine has m ixed
parts, indicative o f a rebuild, and an undated M arlin barrel.
N P M used undated M arlin barrels from the latter p art o f the
1.9 m illion range (fall o f 1943) through the entire 4 m illion
range (to the end o f production in A pril 1944), so it is
im possible to tell w hen this error occurred. T here are probably
others out there! M em bers, keep looking and reporting!
(NL 381-16 featured an U nderw ood carbine w ith an IBM serial num ber.)
383-15
BUTTPLATES MARKED GR
J im M ock fo u n d th e buttplate p ictu red at
rig h t a m ong num erous surplus G I buttplates
purchased i n bulk from a U .S. source. The
e x te n t o f w e a r on the front o f th e buttplate
m ak e s identification o f the m anufacturer
im possible. H ow ever, the pattern inside the
b u ttplate is consistent w ith the late type
p a tte rn found on carbines assem bled at
W in ch ester (w hich is sim ilar to In lan d ’s).
Stam ped in sid e th e bottom (the to e) o f the
b u ttplate a re the letters GR.
R ear (inside)
D a n Pinto has reported another loose buttplate
w ith the sam e G R letters, font, size and location,
T he extent o f w ear on the front o f this buttplate
m akes identification im possible, bu t the pattern
on the inside is very sim ilar to th e W inchester
pattern above.
War Baby Comes Home, page 332 lists the A.C.
G ilbert Com pany o f N ew H aven, CT as the
subcontractor that m anufactured W inchester's
buttplates. Their parts code m arkings, i f any,
are unknown.
M em bers are asked to closely exam ine the inside o f buttplates to see if any are m arked GR. T h e
significance o f the G R m arking is unknown.
383-16
R E L I C H U N T E R S O N T H E E A S T E R N F R O N T F IN D A N M lA 1 C A R B IN E !
T h e below Y ouT ube lin k docum ents th e discovery o f a M l A1 Carbine am ong G erm an weapons and
o th e r item s on a form er E astern Front battlefield. W as this a Lend-Lease item to the Russians that had
b e e n captured b y the G erm ans, or w as it a G erm an souvenir from a W estern Front battle against the
A m erican A rm y ?
T h e video is entitled “V ery rare U S paratrooper carbine - WWII R elic H unting & M etal detecting W W 2
- E astern F ront Ep. 10”
w w w ,voutube.com /w atch?v= 6N F einR 70Q
A t 6:21 in the video, the carbine action is unearthed, follow ed by the trigger housing group, and th en the
m agazine. A t 8:13, th e folding m etal fram e w ith leather cheekpiece and buttplate is located. A t 10:53
a n d again at 11:15, the M 1A1 C arbine is laid out o n the ground. The w ood parts have disintegrated.
R E P R O R O C K -O L A A N D IN LA N D C A R B IN E S
N L 376-21 discussed the reproduction R ock-O la m arked receivers being sold by Jam es R iver A rm ory.
T h e June 2015 issue o f American Rifleman m agazine reports that these receivers are n ow being
m arketed as com plete carbines w ith reproduction barrels, fake cartouches, and late feature parts.
T h e June 2015 issue o f Guns & Ammo m agazine contains an article o n reproduction Inland m ark ed
carbines m ade b y “Inland M anufacturing” o f D ayton, OH , and m arketed by M KS Supply. T hree m odels
are offered - “ 1944” (w ith #2 barrel band), “ 1945” (w ith bayonet lug), and M l A1 (w ith #2 b arrel band).
A ll parts are o f m o d em m anufacture except the GI oiler. The receiver and barrel are m arked In la n d and
an Inland style cartouche is stam ped o n the 01 m ark ed stock. B eginning collectors: be careful!
L O R D L O V A T A N D T H E M l C A R B IN E O N D -D A Y
M ark A. K eefe, IV , E ditor in C h ie f o f the N R A ’s American Rifleman m agazine, w rote a very in te restin g
article concerning B ritish use o f the M l C arbine o n pages 38-39 o f th e M ay 2015 issue.
W W II h istorians and m ovie buffs are fam iliar w ith “T he Longest D ay,” a n d actor P eter L a w fo rd ’s
portrayal o f th e dashing Sim on Fraser, the 15th L ord Lovat. H e com m anded th e (British) F irst S p e c ia l
Service B rigade, w hich landed on Sw ord B each o n D -D ay. L ovat’s jo b w as to m sh h is unit s ix m iles
behind G erm an lines to relieve the outnum bered B ritish paratroopers w ho held key bridges to p re v e n t
th e Germ ans fro m reinforcing the b each defenses. T hey were successful in that m ission.
In the m ovie, F raser (Peter Law ford) is arm ed w ith h is personal hunting rifle, a bolt-action M a n n lic h erSchoenauer carbine. This w eapon w as chosen for th e “The Longest D ay” because p h o to g ra p h s ta k e n
during the ill-fated D ieppe raid in 1942 show Fraser w ith this rifle. H ow ever, in F raser’s a u to b io g ra p h y ,
March Past, he states th at - on D -D ay - he carried, an d engaged the enem y w ith “a light, s h o rt-b a rre le d
U .S. A rm y carbine.” Fraser w as w ounded 6 days later, ending his com bat service.
N E W S L E T T E R B A C K IS S U E S E T S AND IN D IV ID U A L B A C K IS S U E S
D ue to health problem s, Tom Spring is no longer able to serve as T he C arbine C lub’s b a c k -is s u e guy.
W e need a vo lu n teer to take over the jo b o f m aintaining and shipping back issues to m em bers. W e sell a
handful o f com plete back issue sets (384 new sletters) every year, and individual back issues o n a m ore
frequent basis. Please contact the Editor, address o n th e Ads page. Thanks!
383-17
#1 C A R B IN E O F T H E M O N T H : IW O J IM A U N D E R W O O D 1421327
O n C h ristm as D ay 1988, C olonel M artin Reinem ann, U SM C retired, w rote the follow ing affidavit fo r
h is children:
The U.S. .30 caliber Ml Carbine (serial number
1421327) was issuedto me by the 5thMarine Division
after I hadreturnedfrom two overseas campaigns at
Guadalcanal and Tarawa, where I had been with the 2nd
Marine Division. This carbine was constantlywith me
during our training inHawaiipreparatoryto landingat
Iwo Jima, during the entire month ofthe bitterfighting
on Iwo Jima, duringthe recuperationperiodback in
Hawaii after the Iwo campaign, through theperiod of
time we landedin Sasebo Harbor inJapan andreceived
the surrender ofnaval academypersonnel there, and
finally accompaniedme back to the ‘states’ where I was
discharged.
During the Iwo campaign, I was the operations officer of
the 3rdBattalion, 28thMarine Regiment, 5thMarine
Division, andit was aspecially selectedgroupofmen
from one of our companies whoput thefamousflag up
on the top ofMt. Suribachi. One wouldhave thought
that the entire war was over, basedon the noise ofship sirens, horns, andmen's shouts that responded
to the sighting ofthatflag.
Before theflag-raising, as operations officer, I was orderedto the front’ lines ofour companies near
the base ofMt. Suribachi, andmymission was to get the companies andmen movingagain to the caves
andgun emplacement trenches which harboredthe enemy. During this time myenlistedman runner
was woundedthrough the legs while we were moving towardtheforwardpositions under grenade and
riflefire attackfrom enemy entrenchments aroundus that hadbeen bypassedbyour advancingtroops.
For mysuccessful efforts here, I was awardedthe Bronze Star.M
A s m arked, this Field M anual w as
issued to Captain R einem ann w hile
he w as assigned to “M ” Com pany, 3rd B attalion, 6th M arine R egim ent, 2nd M arine D ivision, a t M a rin e
C orps Base San D iego, CA.
383-18
T he sling w e ll m arking is P - U an d the deep
groove h a n d guard is RMC. one o f 20,000
authorized to be transferred from R ock-O la to
U nderw ood in A pril 1943. The circled P
w as u sed b y U nderw ood through 1943 to
indicate proof-firing o f the assem bled
carbine.
T he boxed UEF GHD cartouche is oriented
sidew ays and w as struck at an angle, m aking
th e G H D unreadable. This appears to be
U nderw oods’s first type cartouche, w hich
lacked th e crossed-cannons stam p. T his
carbine w as assem bled during the transition
period, w hen U nderw ood began adding the
crossed-cannons stamp. See N L 325-1.
T he unm arked
sling is for the.
M 50/55 Reising
subm achine
gun, w hich was
used by the
M arine Corps
during W W II.
It is very
sim ilar to the
carbine sling, b u t has a longer distance betw een the tw o portions o f the snap fastener, and is a n o tic e a b ly
thicker m aterial. O verall length is 42 ” , 5 inches shorter than a carbine sling. N ote the D -ty p e e n d cap s,
sim ilar to those used on postw ar carbine slings. These R eising slings w ere occasionally seen a t gun
show s decades ago, and often m istaken for carbine slings. F o r m ore info, see N L s 180-3 and 2 4 0 -9 .
383-20
DATA CARBINE REV REPORTER
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383-21
#2 C A R B IN E O F T H E M O N T H : IW O J IM A R O C K -O L A 1692988
T his R o c k -O la carbine w as purchased sight-unseen from a Florida paw n
shop, v ia a n internet listing. The sto c k h a d been sanded and varnished,
an d the ru s ty buttplate painted black. T here was also a series o f scribbled
letters sc ra tch e d into the stock w ith a knife. C ertainly n o t the best
looking c a rb in e o n the m arket, but it appeared to be factory-original.
C loser e x a m in atio n show ed it to be a very interesting w ar relic.
C arved in to the left side o f the stock is: IWO (unidentified unit m arking)
4th DIV 2-19-45
IW O is o b v io u sly Iw o Jim a, and 2-19-45 is the U .S . invasion date. The 4th D ivision w as one o f three
M arine d iv isio n s in the assault force. W hat appears to be a unit m arking shows a 3 above a square th at
contains so m eth in g resem bling an interlaced V M D . The M arine C orps used a unique system o f coded
u n it m ark in g s stenciled and painted o n to backpacks, canteen covers, jack ets and other gear as a
secondary m ean s o f identification. U nfortunately, this unit m arking cannot be deciphered.
A bove in se t is the insignia (shoulder patch) o f the 4
m arkings o n the stock.
M arine D ivision, to help readers view th e
T he nam e R ICC I is carved in to the
rig h t side o f the stock, ju st fo rw a rd o f
th e R M C cartouche. B elow is R o c k O la ’s typically crude carto u ch e.
383-22
T h e rear sight is m arked w ith a ro u n d S o n th e left, BR on the right, and A-R on the leaf. C hisel staking
to th e dovetail can be seen. T h e front sight is m arked o n front w ith R P. The characteristic horizontal
p in staking is slightly angled.
The E -279 slide has a deep X below ROCK-OLA. Its
significance is unknow n.
The only unexpected
part on this carbine
is the type 1 firing
p in m ade by
U nderw ood. There
is either the result o f
a n undocum ented transfer o f p arts betw een U E F and RM C , o r it is a
field-replacem ent firing pin.
O th er interesting features o f th is carbine show n on the accom panying data sheet: T he stock is I-slo t,
assem bled a t about the tim e th a t the first oval-slot stocks started being produced by R ock-O la. T h e fro n t
b an d swivel is the narrow %” w id e type, w hich continued to be used b y R ock-O la in th eir la te r 4 m illio n
R ock-O la buttplates are generally described as “m issing a dot” at th e 3 o ’clock position o f th e c e n te r
boss. H ow ever, this buttplate an d others reported on original-appearing carbines show d iff e re n t c e n te r
boss details. Photo above right show s a sim ilar, if not identical R ock-O la buttplate w ith m is s in g d o ts at
th e sam e positions. If every m em ber w ith an original-appearing R ock-O la carbine w ill s u b m it a p h o to
o f the buttplate to the Editor, w e can provide m ore definite inform ation in a future update.
383-23
DATA CARBINE REV REPORTER
SHEET CLUB © 01-01-11
BO LT
RT, LUG SHAPE
ROUNDED
EJ
POINTED
CD ■
^
LJ V
□
MOD ■
ROCK-OLA
INSIDE
FIRING PIN
gLUE ■
WHITE™ [~~l[
I- E279A
* C
2. ( a
□ ljm U
LATE OP SPRING GUIDE TIP
&
= B *
D
o = fl»
JilMP SLfMflL £
"ioUTSIDEBOTTraj” ^
K :................................s s :top of box wall
■
MILLED
STAMPED/
BRAZED
MARKING ; RK3HT
Le ft ........ :
__ .
; ROCK-OLA
;
m m
□
JSILYiSft *
SLIDE STOP
^ rflllY E S
W
n
■
I In NO X-ZZL^YES no
OTHER
: MAGWELL
HOLE IN LEFT
SIDE BEHIND
,•WALL
MAG CATCH
fjfjg'iDg"
I NO y e s Q
iBOTTOM
NARROW .
WIDE
>W(DE LEFTM2 COLOR
REWVMU! H s B ^ iD is B S S S s iin iB S B Z iQ
Cfa
MAG
@ b
n
.Cla
CATCH 1 .1 —J la. □ 2T □ 3. U 4. Pl4a. □ 5. O Sa. □
MK.
***** h 4 P
<&
■
□
SEAR M1
M2Q D
LEFT _ K R .
j D RIGHT
FRONT'
SEAR SPRING
INO HOLE MARK
ROCK-OLA □ STRAIGHT
hole
■ TAPER END
FOR TYPE 1 BANDS SUNG WINDOW WIDTH
BAND RETAINER
LINE
___NO LINE
STO CK
I
H
M 21 I
lf 3
'RIGHT SIDE
BAND
□
= M D n
RMC
A I— I ADJUST.
R L J MILLED
FRONTSIGHTMARK3
FRONT
□
□
INSUDEWELL
□
□ □ I
ADJUST.
STAMPED
□
FRONT SIGHT KEYWAY
C =3
CHAMBER SKIRT
LEAF
OILERI
SLOT ■
RIVETS 21
GUARD
WOOD AT SLIDE
□
w h it e
FRONT
SIGHT
SHAPES
RIDGE
3
□
VALLEY
4
□
THUMBNAIL
□
6
NO SLOPE
HANDGUARP
GROOVE H DEEP
□ SHALLOW
DEEPER
CROSS
CUT3-»j
TLew
RMC
© @
STAKING
OF
KEY
D
q
iX
Q P P
(TWO)
• PUNCH
□M A R K
l
□ m
MARKPISTON
OTHER MARKS
NONE
NOTCH
MARK GASCYL.
BBL. COLOR.
□ 4
□A
□ $ )
□ w
MARKINGS
le^t 'side
IF SERIAL
NUMBER IS ALSO
STAMPED IN
FRONT OF SIGHT RT. SIDE
(S MARK-^-n
BOTTOM
TRIG.
t rSNG. LUG
□ T sT 1
□ W
*
□ F »
■ H J«
HOLE FOR
© OP. SPRING HOUSING
TUBE LUG
■ INTEGRAL
□ yes n q B
□ DETACHABLETUBE
REAR
REAR
......... tObE 'V marks "
HOLE
TANG
NARROW
■ none SIDE LUGD y e s j; sS |„id e --------□ 3/16"
El— " , [ ] no ; end
WIDE
□ FULL
LEFT REAR DETAIL
1—1W.BUSH.
e r a
(S ) M ILL
JNOTCHES
VS/ CUT
| FRONT ONLY
■ S Q .^ I
I^ L I _ u rir
I REAR ONLY
BOTH
ft HANDGUARD UP
®
® ©
LENGTH
3 /4 “
LONG
SHORT
REC. COLOR
Green
e a r L-J
R EC O IL P LA TE
B UTTFLA TE
mm
luuuii*
11
m ia i
PATTERN
g e ra
1 *nooMf
□
SQUARE
DIAG.
< g flj
□
MARKING
__ MARKING
ROCK-OLA
L J B257814
□ OTHER __
MARK LOCATION
M1A1 RIVETS
BRASS □
n 2 2 ULAR
STEEL □
□
RIVET MARK
P | sa rI _
ROUND ■—JSQUARE
SLOPE ONLY
BR
A-R
t HIGH
OTHER
4
REARSIGHTMARKS
RIGHT
M 2 POTBELLY □
LffTSIDE ; GRIP
3
■ P
HEIGHT
ROCK-OLA
HAMMER
PLUNGER
■BLUE
by^udge
1 2
RIGHf
LEFT
I I INSUNS CUT
S!
J □ STAMPED
T Q CASTING
MARKS_
DATE:.
□ 22
■ 261/2
6
MILLED
m ia i[ U
Mj
K *___
SIGHT PIN
STAKING
R P
m i
BARREL
NAME
□ NO
MARKING ROCK-OLA
LEW1
1/4* S/18*
1 . 6 . 9 . 2 . 9 . 8 . 8
CODE OR MARKING
BELOW SERIAL NUMBER
HAMMER
SPRING
COILS
TRIG GER
SIGHTS
* □
SERIAL
NUMBER
RECEIVER
HOUSING
U.S.CARBINE
RETAIN. PIN
0 CAL-_» - « 30M _1 ■
□ Q -? = t
■ B = 3 handstamfedC JJHAMMER
SPRING
RECESS
■ YES
□
MARKS:
BARREL BAND
2 02
□ t
BAND
M ; BAND
A : M -R
* :"'svW
vel
s !
H
MK
A-R
<&>uts& P
HAMMER
□ PARK.
Z T BLUED
□ NOFINISH
m
□
c d
SLIDE
COLOR
BEVELS ON MILLED HOUSING
TOP REAR
_ _ cDmrr
CORNERS_
I f f if io i
TRIG G ER HOUSING
ROCK-OLA
CHISEL
'ARM
f t j OUTSIDE BOTTOM ROC* 0LA
to
NAME ON
RECEIVER
STEP
171
INTERNAL CAM CUT
REAR ROUND\|_±J/ ROUNd V L U /______ \l_ L i/ 1 fijflS P
~ H !±- APPROX. m
-LEFT SIDE
Mj;inside
INSIDE BOTTOM
VIEW OF
SLIDE
ROCK-OLA
SIGHT KEY RETENTION
S f e s T l
w
D @ * n
3. «
MANUFACTURER
Q © 4 □
ft—
CAM EARLY
SHAPE
^ i a s s n
o o * n
TO P—
FLAT
MARKING * U *
TYPE-BOXES
CHECKED
EXAMPLE:
E279A
t RIGHT LUG
R ....................................................................... ..
GAS PORT IN BOTTOM (1/1S"HOLE) f |YES NOBB EJECTORTIP
EXTRACTOR
MARKING PLUNGER
0 © ' ■
D = o
ROUND
S L ID E
■
DATAON BACK
a I LEFT LUG
BLUE
| FLAT
□
□ ADDmONAL
M Rust
5
t ,°
’
TOP
■
FRONT C J
BOTTOM f—I
□
TANG SIDE
1—1 TANG
J BOTTOM
RECOIL PL. SCREW! Hfffi
^threadedare^
; MARK
,IM... .
|___| |
T H E C A R B IN E C L U B : W H O D O E S W H A T
DUES PAYMENTS, REQUESTS FOR MEMBERSHIP, ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES to include CHANGE OF
ADDRESS go to Faith Tennent, Carbine Club, P.O. Box 998, Bowie, MD 20718-0998 (membershiD@carbineclub.coml
CARBINE DATA SHEETS go to Robert Eakins, P.O. Box 251, Canal Fulton, OH 44614-0251 eakbob@sssnet.coml
MATERIAL FOR NEWSLETTER ARTICLES and PHOTOS go to (Editor) Marty Black, 458 Stimson Ave., Pismo
Beach, CA. 93449-2713 ( gmblackl015@gmail.coml
CLASSIFIED ADS go to Marty Black, address above, no later than September 15th for the October newsletter
PUBLISHER: Rich Van Damme, Chester, VA
PROOFREADERS: Charles Wallace, Troy, AL; Bill Dunn, Shavertown, PA; Faith Tennent, Bowie, MD
CARBINE OF THE MONTH ILLUSTRATOR: Dave Tennent, Bowie, MD
TECHNICAL EDITOR: Chris Albright, Voorheesville, NY
CHARLES W. CLAWSON: The Carbine Club has learned that Chuck Clawson, 83, of Ft. Wayne, IN passed away on
Friday, 24 April. Chuck was one of the early Carbine Club members who contributed much information to our data base.
While conducting research for his book on the M l911 .45 pistol at Springfield Armory, Chuck discovered and shared carbine
production data, subcontractor lists and parts codes.
ADMIN NOTE. CLASSIFIED ADS: Effective with this newsletter, Editor Marty Black will take over the Classified Ads
job, while Tom Spring deals with health problems. Marty’s address is above in “Who Does What.”
M E M B E R S * AD S
WANTED Metal Scope can for ART I Scope. Inland double bevel trigger housing with no hammer spring recess. Rear flip sight S with
serifs on left side of Base. Hammer for IHC 5 million range Garand. Have many parts for trade. Tom Spring, 8 Windsor Drive, Glens
Falls, NY 12801-2046
WANTED T3 Winchester housing, Winchester Mag Release, T3 Winchester Mag Release, T2 NPM Mag Release, T2 (SN)
Inland trigger, RJ or FI Thanks, Tom Godwin 360.893.7543 teodwin@centurvtel.net
FOR SALE M2 trigger housing, stripped, SA, excellent condition, $70.00. M2 slide, SG, w/drawing number on the bottom, stripped,
$65.00. INLAND round bolt, complete, $90.00; same stripped, $ 70.00. Carbine handguard, birch, new, USGI, $20.00. Carbine stock,
birch, USGI, new, w/metal, $90.00. Carbine small parts, various manufactures, call for availability and price. Carbine slide and hammer
springs, new, USGI, $10.00. Also, M l rifle and M1903A3 parts for sale. Discounts on large ($) orders. Telephone: 801 262 7321; email:
esbodilv@msn.com (UT1
WANTED Rockola parts; Sear T-l marked R on top, Trigger Housing T -l double bevel, Slide T-2 (E169) marked Rockola inside bottom,
Extractor T-2 marked SR on inside, Recoil Plate T-2 dark finish. I w ill purchase, or I have some Rockola parts to trade. Tom Linn 1921
Samuel Dr., Denver, Colorado 80221 720-999-2103 linnflvser@earthlink.net
FOR SALE Infrared Light Source and Handle (M3 Snooper Scope and M2 Sniperscope). M2 parts disconnector, selector, selector spring,
disconnector lever. R.W. Rainbow 315-458-0971
WANTED Irwin-Pedersen receiver or barreled receiver. Richard Pedersen rich@pkaiobs.com or 716-741-2300
WANTED Standard Products M l Carbine in original excellent condition. Will Wilbom, 131 Leslie Rd. Guntersville, AL 35976
(256)582-3581
FOR SALE Mv collection: Inland 32 exc, xc48 and xc49, Underwood E l32 & B code, Irwin Pederson lineout .U., Saginaw S'G' (upside
down), many originals plus M-4 bayonets, canvas scabbards, 15 rd mags and 30 rd mags, etc. 256-536-8710/256-425-5011 cell
WANTED Springfield Armory parts: Bolt, Sear, Hammer, Rear Sight, Trigger. Will buy or trade good GI parts. Tele: 951-676 6640.
E-mail: RKIRK@DSLEXTREME.COM
FOR SALE Just acquired a lot of carbine parts. Too many to list here. No slides or barrels yet. E-MAIL ricci64@comcast.net or phone
(615) 443-3124. Bob Ricci TN
WANTED original HW stock and handguard for S'G'. Darold Shirwo, DShirwo@aol,com. 310 278-2000
FOR SALE once fired Lake City 30.06 brass cases dated 63 & 66. Have several thousand available at $37 per hundred. 2 Bandoliers of
30 cal. ball M-2. Each Bandolier has 48 rounds dated 53 and includes 6 clips and 6 cardboards. 3 Bandoliers of 30 M l carbine
dated 1973. Each Bandolier has 120 rounds, stripper clips and cardboards. Also have a quantity of unopened collector 50 round boxes of
M I carbine and 30.06 ball 20 round boxes of ammunition from various Ordnance plants. Also, UNDERWOOD Type B barreled receiver
with "S" on bevel indicating receiver made United Shoe Machinery Company. SN range is in the 257xxx range with a 1-44 Underwood
barrel. Ammunition ships UPS. Prices do not include actual shipping charges nor insurance. No sales where prohibited by state law.
Contact Chuck @ cl eopard@twc.com
FOR SALE WRA trigger housing, stripped, excellent condition, $70.00. M2 slide, complete, $75.00. INLAND round bolt, complete,
$90.00. Same bolt strippped, $75.00. Handguard, birch, new, $25.00. Stock, birch, M2 w/metal, $90.00. M4 bayonet, Case, $200.00.
Various carbine small parts to include springs, call for availability and price. I have purchased many M l rifle, M14 and M l903 and
M l903A3 parts from an estate sale. Call or email your needs, telephone: 801 262 7321. Email; esbodily@msn.com (UT)
FOR SALE Carbine of the month Underwood 6,138,121 (see NL357 pages 22&23) Price $1600.WWIIC tab OD Sling EX $45. WWII CTab Khaki Sling EX- $70, Two shooter carbines all GI parts no repros L, Inland 491,133 w/IBM barrel $650. 2.. NPM 4,169,083 w/Inland
6-44 barrel $700. Both guns shoot dead on, bores fine. NPM N9 trigger housing $65. Butt plates- Have early and late Inland, QH, early
Win, early Rockola and Underwood. Win flat bolt. AI/1 flat bolt. Oilers- IN, SP, and IR Only. Type I unmarked barrel bands ex $115. Rare
spring loaded trigger housing pins, conical extractor plunger, spring tube with lug all for earliest carbines. 22 coil springs $22. S.G. Slide
Spring Guide in sealed wrap marked Saginaw Steering Gear division $7.50. SS-4 mag in translucent cellophane wrap marked Standard
Products Company $40. Other 15rd mags in WWII wraps - A.I/IA,SS, IW, QU, U B, KSG all mint/minty condition $22 to $32 each. Some
coded and uncoded parts such as springs, pins, push safeties, mag catches etc. Fred Powers,1505 Tyringham, Eustis FI 32726 (352)5895456