Newbie's First post - What Is This Rifle?

[Curt]

I correctly identified the WTF??? Item and Carlie beat me to it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Some day i will contribute something to this forum!

[painter777]

Carlie....
Doesn't have anything he can do until his boo boo gets better.

[6-42_Inland]

6-42,
Here's a Inland barrel.
I think yours was cut right near the line above the Inland name, where the barrel narrows for the frt sight assembly.
Note the markings on the underside flat.

M1 Carbine, Inland Undated barrel. WWII M2 : Barrels at GunBroker.com


Charlie-painter777

I saw that one too. Is that what is referred to as a "short skirt" barrel? It looks like the skirt goes from the 11 O'clock position to the 8 O'clock position.
My barrel has what I believe to be the long skirt with the skirt running from 11-4 o'clock. See the photo "Breech of Barrel" at http://www.lhfc-1934.com/carbinephotos/

Curt,
The simple fact that you tried and responded means you are contributing to the forum.

Thanks to all so far, and those yet to respond for the lessons and education gained. It is very much appreciated.

[Bill Hollinger]

I correctly identified the WTF??? Item and Carlie beat me to it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Some day i will contribute something to this forum!

LMAO!!!!!

[Curt]

Ooh sorry Charlie my H key either doesn't work or makes 52 Hhhhhhhhh's.Just like that. I spilled a mountain dew on the keyboard a whhhhhhhhhile back. I took it apart and washed it out a week ago.Im gonna try washhing again tomorrow.

[Curt]

Is this a Canadian carbine? As in it came from there or lives there now?

[6-42_Inland]

It may have come from there, but was purchased during the 60's in NJ, and lives there now.

As was mentioned before, some think the rear sight dovetail may have been milled down somewhat. If anyone has a measurement, I will mic the dovetail depth and width between the the top ears and post results for comparison.

[Harlan (Deceased)]

Hi 6-42_Inland,

First of all, I’d like to send you a belated welcome to the Milsurps.com M1 carbine forum. I just read your interesting thread twice!

I’m a bit biased, but I honestly believe the group of carbine collectors who frequent this forum are the most knowledgeable and helpful gentlemen of any forum in existence - (Carbine or otherwise)

Many of the members here are extremely advanced collectors with a wealth of knowledge not found anywhere and will share their knowledge openly.
Even if you had every expensive carbine book in publication you wouldn’t have more of a collective resource of correct information. Sometimes there will be differences of opinion, but after discussion the ‘most correct’ known answer is most often decided upon without injury to anyone living or dead.

Even though Curt won't cough up a few dollars to buy a new keyboard he's a great contributor, by the wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy

I’m Bill Hollinger’s back-up for the carbine forum. Bill’s really a great guy (for a cop!) but he occasionally has a few too many Rum & Cokes and falls asleep at his keyboard.
Bill often heads out on patrol in the morning with the impression of a keyboard on his forehead.

He’s also prone to disappearing for days at a time on his Harley without giving notice to anyone, so they made me a back-up.
He usually tells his wife he’s only going for a short ride to the corner store, but something gets in his head and he just keeps on going!
(I make fun of his ‘cop’ status because I was a police officer in a former life too, as are several members here)

Back to your friend’s carbine –
You provided the best set of detailed and clear photos I’ve ever seen!
This helps so much in identifying this carbine and it's value - (Well, somewhat in this case)
Besides, we love photos!

From the info you provided it seems as if someone ‘sporterized’ this carbine before your friend acquired it long ago. It looks as if it’s a correct and rare early correct Inland that would be worth a great deal of money today if it had been left as it was, but back in those days many people ‘improved’ the appearance of all types of milsurps because they were inexpensive and just 'old military rifles'.

It looks like the external finish has been polished and blued which ruins it as a collectible in the usual term, but the original configuration and the original very early parts make it very interesting. The barrel is further ruined, even as a collectible part, because it was cut off. Maybe it was cut because of muzzle damage when the flash hider was ‘blown off’ and the aftermarket front sight then installed.
Did the flash hider incident occur when you friend had this carbine, or did it happen before he owned it?

I also noticed the dovetail in your detailed photos and wondered if it had been milled slightly to make the aftermarket sight fit. Then I wondered if it only looked odd because it had been polished. Maybe it’s a bit of both. (?)
I hope you get a measurement just to have a definitive answer. If it has been milled, I don’t think it make much difference as far as the value of the receiver. The receiver has been polished and blued, so it really doesn’t have a great deal of value in the traditional collector term.

The external finish could be restored to an extent, but it would never look completely correct even with the best work because it was polished. Besides, the finish won’t ever be original again regardless what you spent, so I don’t think I’d bother with it. All you could do would be to replace the barrel with a non-original barrel and try to refinish the receiver to look something like it would have before it was buffed and blued. I think any attempt to etch or try to get a rougher looking surface on the receiver before re-parking it would further degrade the markings that are still visible.

As Charlie said, the internal parts are worth quite a bit independently because of their rarity and they still have the original finish. The stock was probably varnished or ‘True Oiled’ or something, but the finish can be removed and the stock restored with an original finish. The stock and original condition parts are worth quite a bit if sold or auctioned, but it would be a shame to me if this carbine were cannibalized for the value of the parts that have been together from the beginning.

I wouldn’t know what to do with it, but I’d want it!
If you can buy it for a decent price I’d jump on it and decide what to do with it later. As it is it’s one of the most interesting carbines I’ve seen in a long while. As with arsenal rebuilds, it has it’s ‘Own History’ and I wouldn't do anything to try to make it look as it would have when it was new. The value wouldn't improve and possibly become worse. This one is unique.

Regardless, after you do buy it, please fill out a data sheet. This carbine is valuable for information.
If you need help with parts ID Charlie will give you a hand. He's not doing much lately but laying in bed being lazy for no apparent reason other than a small 'boo-boo'

– Just my uninformed opinion.
(Charlie taught me everything I know about carbines, so you have to take my opinion with a grain of salt!)

You have a "Boo - Boo" Charlie???
If you were run through your chest with a 2X4 you'd say you had a splinter!

~ Harlan

[Bill Hollinger]

Oh, you are a regular card! Harlan, no R&C since Christamas day.

Harlan you are right with your post. Now, to keep yopu under the bus where you belong, I will let the air out of all the tires and pin you under there!

6-42_Inland, you will not run into, or over, a better bunch of fellas than right here. Carlie is our premier carbine stock guru and really knows his stuff. He does wonders with old, beat up, cracked and what any other one of us would call a junk stock and brings them back to their former glory. Welcome aboard, have fun and remember that which ever carbine you first buy will always be your first!

[Mike Haas]

Ooh sorry Charlie my H key either doesn't work or makes 52 Hhhhhhhhh's.Just like that. I spilled a mountain dew on the keyboard a whhhhhhhhhile back. I took it apart and washed it out a week ago.Im gonna try washhing again tomorrow.

Curt - Put your "Mountain Dew" in a glass instead of drinking directly from the quart Mason Jar.