Inland Carbine Stock

[johhnyreb]

I just picked up my first M1 carbine, been wanting one since I fired one in El Salvador 33 years ago. Just started pulling it apart to give her a good cleaning and I can't find a single marking on the wood anywhere. No proof markings,serial numbers nothing, Nada. There appears to be a 2 on the upper wood underside but that's it. Wood is in great shape and is old so what gives.
Is it normal for there to be no markings on stocks?

Will add pictures later

Information

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[imarangemaster]

M1 carbine? El Salvador? 1976? Interesting time period in Central America. I bet there is an interesting story behind that! I had a possible job offer as a trainer/armorer while on a disability hiatus from LE down there in 1990. Paychecks would be signed by "Southern Air". Good money, but not optimum for a family man like myself....

[painter777]

These pictures will be interesting !!
The stock;
Show under the butt plate.
The slingwell.
Oiler slot.
Show the area around the escutcheon nut.
Bottom of the stocks forearm all the way from magwell to underside of frt nose.
The milling on top of and in front of the wood bridge inside the stock...where the op slide rides. (just forward of the upper magwell)

On the handguard,
Show the top sighting groove.
Also show the bottom, especially where the milling cut is for the step. You know, where you can see the slide arm from outside it-just the bottom near that step.

Hope I made sense.......tired

Regards
Charlie-painter777

[johhnyreb]

M1 carbine? El Salvador? 1976? Interesting time period in Central America. I bet there is an interesting story behind that! I had a possible job offer as a trainer/armorer while on a disability hiatus from LE down there in 1990. Paychecks would be signed by "Southern Air". Good money, but not optimum for a family man like myself....

Love to say it was an interesting story, but I can't..I was 11 years old and spent the summer with friends of my neighbors in Montreal. Did some interesting things though, motocross , riding around downtown San Salvador in an original German WW2 jeep ( VW later sold it as the thing). My friends family was wealthy and his grandfather was a Colonel in the Salvadorian Army. He brought the carbine home from The war El Salvador had with Honduras. He also had a rare German WW1 artillery Luger and and even rarer Mercedes 300sl from the fifties.

[imarangemaster]

See, that is an interesting story! More fun than a "been there, done that" one. My brother lives in Costa Rica, just outside San Jose. Living in Central America is really different! Been there several times to visit him.

Welcome to the forum! How about pics of the stock so the real experts (not me) can figure it out for you.

[johhnyreb]

Okay there appears to be a 10 in the slingwell and what i previously thought looked like a 2 on the underside of the forearm also appears to be a 10.

http://i694.photobucket.com/albums/v...IMG_0552-1.jpg

http://i694.photobucket.com/albums/v...IMG_0543-1.jpg

http://i694.photobucket.com/albums/v...IMG_0550-1.jpg

http://i694.photobucket.com/albums/v...IMG_0548-1.jpg

http://i694.photobucket.com/albums/v...IMG_0547-1.jpg

http://i694.photobucket.com/albums/v...IMG_0546-1.jpg

http://i694.photobucket.com/albums/v...IMG_0540-1.jpg

http://i694.photobucket.com/albums/v...IMG_0542-1.jpg

These pictures will be interesting !!
The stock;
Show under the butt plate.
The slingwell.
Oiler slot.
Show the area around the escutcheon nut.
Bottom of the stocks forearm all the way from magwell to underside of frt nose.
The milling on top of and in front of the wood bridge inside the stock...where the op slide rides. (just forward of the upper magwell)

On the handguard,
Show the top sighting groove.
Also show the bottom, especially where the milling cut is for the step. You know, where you can see the slide arm from outside it-just the bottom near that step.

Hope I made sense.......tired

Regards
Charlie-painter777

[JimF4M1s (Deceased)]

It's not a 10 (ten) it is OI

S. E. Overton Co. made for Inland, I think they were in South Haven, Mich.

[painter777]

A Overton made stock marked with the OI, so it was made for Inland and it's a Type II oval cut oiler slot with a Hi-wood right wood rail.
Beautiful grain and figured walnut.
But no Ordnance crossed cannons stamp.........either it's been sanded, which doesn't appear so. Or it was never stamped.
Maybe never used or issued to Inland?
Or a replacement stock in waiting.

Questions we just can't answer.

Maybe part of Ollie's leftovers?

[johhnyreb]

So it's not a pot belly? What exactly is a pot belly anyways? what's the difference?

So it's possible it wasn't issued to the military. Think it could be one of these things


M1 Carbine Overton stock Unissued

A Overton made stock marked with the OI, so it was made for Inland and it's a Type II oval cut oiler slot with a Hi-wood right wood rail.
Beautiful grain and figured walnut.
But no Ordnance crossed cannons stamp.........either it's been sanded, which doesn't appear so. Or it was never stamped.
Maybe never used or issued to Inland?
Or a replacement stock in waiting.

Questions we just can't answer.

Maybe part of Ollie's leftovers?

[painter777]

johhnyreb,
Your OI stock is for a M1 carbine. Your picture # 0548 shows the wood bridge in front of the magwell opening. If this was cut away it would be a converted stock for the M2 configuration, to accept the M2 parts.


Your stock is called a Type II Hi-wood. Meaning the oiler slot is oval shaped and the raised portion of the wood on the right outer rail is back near the magwell opening...
See your picture # 0547
On a Type III (often called Low-wood) that raised portion would be farther forward like on the potbelly stocks shown below.

Also noticed you have a somewhat odd style buttplate. I'm sure it's GI, but the top row of dots, I'm not familiar with....
Your picture # 0540

The stocks in the link you added are M2 stocks. Notice that the wood bridge is missing and they have a 'LONG' barrel channel on the nose that will measure about 4 1/4"....just about 1" longer than found on Type I, II or type III stocks...
M1 Carbine Overton stock Unissued

Here is a picture of a couple of Potbelly stocks. Notice the big profile on the bottom....And no wood bridge...Also have the 'Long' barrel channel...



It's very possible that your stock was issued during WWII and had just a very light Inland stamped Crossed Cannons. Could have worn off. Stock could have been lightly refinished also. They've been thru many hands over the years. It is a very nice looking stock though.

Tell us what sets in that wood.

Cheers
Charlie-painter777