Finally got it out.

[jimb16]

A couple months ago, I got a partially mixed early Inland that had the original barrel, band and slide. Most of the other parts were replaced. Yesterday, I finally got to the range with it. I replaced the adjustable rear sight with a repro flipper just so it looked better. There are no stake marks of any kind on the sight slot, so when I find a good original sight it will look right. Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that at 25 yards it shot right on point of aim. Not only was it perfect on elevation, but I had actually hit dead center on r/l too! I was even more surpised when I discovered that out of 15 rounds fired, 15 were in the 10 ring and five of them were in the X ring! Considering that it is an original 2-42 barrel, I'm very happy! This weekend, I'll be heading out to an Ohio Gun Collector's show and I hope to find more early parts to restore this carbine. Wish me luck...

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[painter777]

Jim,
We had a Family issue that has me running behind on most everything.
I have that 'Something' for your Inland I'm hoping to have to you by the end of the month.
I'm heading to Virginia at the end of this week for about 10 days or so.
I'll get your info when I get back.
Do me a favor and don't mention it to Bruce !

Charlie-Painter777

[USGI]

Hey Jim, some of us are still waiting to see pictures of that Inland! I shot my newest Inland for the first time in January when we were having some really nice weather. It's a 6.9M and looks like the only changes that have been made to the action are the addition of a flip safety and a 30 rd. mag catch. On it, the windage was right on, but it hit way low. Had to put the rear sight on the 200 yd. setting to make it hit where it should. Have any of you guys ever seen a carbine that was manufactured with an adjustable rear sight, be that far off on elevation? It doesn't appear the front sight has ever been changed. Is it possible that some late Inlands could've been accepted without having been targeted properly? I think the barrel date is January or February of '45. - Bob

[Patrick Chadwick]

...On it, the windage was right on, but it hit way low. Had to put the rear sight on the 200 yd. setting to make it hit where it should. Have any of you guys ever seen a carbine that was manufactured with an adjustable rear sight, be that far off on elevation? It doesn't appear the front sight has ever been changed. Is it possible that some late Inlands could've been accepted without having been targeted properly? ... Bob

In my experience, military rifles usually shoot high. Foresight blades wear down, not up. The only time I have had military rifles shoot low is when they have had a new foresight blade fitted. Foresight blades were (presumably) manufactured with a bit of excess height, or at least a plus tolerance so that they could be filed down - if necessary - to achieve the correct POI with service ammo.

So, unless the barrel is bent (does it have a bayonet lug?), I would suggest a microscopic examination to determine whether either the foresight or backsight has been changed.

---------- Post added at 10:13 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:10 AM ----------

Is it possible that some late Inlands could've been accepted without having been targeted properly?

Apart from human sloppiness, I see no reason for that. They were not being manufactured in "last-ditch" circumstances.

[browningautorifle]

It doesn't appear the front sight has ever been changed.

I would have to agree that at some point one of the sights were changed, or the barrel. I don't think they let them go without zeroing and then the military would have shot them too. It would have been dealt with.

[Bruce McAskill]

When a carbine was first sighted in the front sight was filled down till it was in line with the rear flip. When it was replaced during a rebuild the front sights were not changed but reused and all of them were set for the flip sight. A reproduction flip sight would be very close to an original in performance so the carbine would be right on target.

[jimb16]

Even though the carbine was made when they were using adjustable rear sights, it may have originally had a flip sight. When they ran out of adjustables, they would put flip sights on just to keep the line moving. Its possible that you have one of those carbines. The adjustable could have been put on later by a unit armorer.

---------- Post added at 09:12 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:10 PM ----------

Painter, I still haven't dug out that compass. Its around here somewhere, but I have to look for it. I also have a German cigarette lighter from the period. I'll dig that out too.

[USGI]

Jim, I know it's not real common that late, but have heard that flip sights were sometimes used under those circumstances. Sorry about hi-jacking your thread! In a few days, I'm going to get out that Inland and try getting good pictures of both sights. Will start a new thread and see what you guys think of it. I did get out the Underwood today that gave me so much trouble with jamming when I tried it back in January - then, about every 3-5 rounds it would jam, the hand guard would fly off, or both! I told someone about it, might have been Charlie, but not sure. I put in a longer than standard trigger pin, and today it ran 45 rounds through 3 different magazines without a hiccup - so I'm slowly making some progress! - Bob

[Bruce McAskill]

Flip sights were used by Inland as late as April 1945 for the entire month as they ran out of adjustable rear sights.

[jimb16]

I don't get upset by someone "hijacking" a thread of mine. My train of thought often gets derailed anyway! *LOL* I've been so busy lately that a lot of things haven't gotten done like finding some things for Painter and getting photos of the carbine. Add that to some minor health problems and I've gotten distracted anyway. Hope I can find some replacement "correct" parts at the collector show this weekend.