Really Clean Inland early model - need advice
I just obtained an Inland 7-43 from a family member. Serial # 530122, marked Inland Mfg Div General Motors 7-43 on the barrel near the front sight.
There is a circle with a P in it on the bottom of the wood behind the right hand grip. the crossed cannons and circle are on the side of the stock. there are other markings on the wood stock, all over the place.
It does not have a bayonet mount. It has a little pushbutton safety. It has the original flip up rear sight, with no windage adjustment device. It is missing the strap.
I am wanting to find out if this thing is in original condition and has not been tinkered with. Would posting photos help? My goal is to find out the value so that I can make a donation to a charity equal to the value, in the name of the recently deceased family member from who I received it. It is really a beauty.
I will also want to find legitimate, original parts to complete what is missing. The strap, the fleeced canvas bag and more original magazines. Does anyone want to recommend a reputable source for originals that would align with this Inland unit and it's date?
Thanks
A little history on the Carbine
My daughteris married to a man whose sister recently lost her husband. The late husband received this carbine from his father who served in the Pacific theater during WW2. HE brought this back with him. He gave it to his son before he died. His son and I shared a strong common interest in a love of WW2 era weapons. Now that my friend/family member is gone, his widow wants me to have it because she believes that I would appreciate it more than her daughter would, who is not her late husband's offspring. She has offered it to me for chump change, and I feel a moral obligation to make sure she realizes the value of the piece, and even if she insists on me paying only a small amount, I want to honor her late husband and his Dad in some way. Honestly, money is not something that I have a problem with.
My dad was in WW2 in the Marshall and Gilbert Islands and he instilled in me a respect and appreciation for weapons. HE left me many classics that he had collected, and his M1 Carbine was stolen from me over 15 years ago. So, this carbine would be like a return of that carbine.
I will ask my sister in law to tell me the oral history behind the weapon. What branch of service, what campaigns, how he got it back here, and so forth. I will post it here once I get it.
Thanks to all.