Early Quality with a interesting story

My buddy Ed asked me if I wanted to go up to Kirksville 3 weeks ago to the local gun auction. I had to pass as I was getting set for deer season. He called me on my cell and said there was a beautiful M1 carbine with the flip sight. I said if you can get it for less than 400 buy it. He paid $375 and brought the rifle over to get my opinion. What he purchased was a beautiful early Quality Hardware in a homemade stock and handguard.

According to the owner, his Granddad brought the rifle back from Germany in his duffel bag after WWII and had the stock made by a local gunsmith. Here are the pictures.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../11/St14-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../11/st24-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../11/st32-1.jpg

I contacted PI and he came up with a QH reworked stock, recoil plate, handguard and buttplate and now Ed has about 595 invested in the carbine. Guys, it is beautiful and gauges 1 with nearly all correct QH parts for this early rifle. Cool story? :DRegards, Rick. Here are the restored pics....


https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...1/11/ed1-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...1/11/ed2-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...1/11/ed3-1.jpg

That is nice.

Rick,

That is a great story, but a sad ending.

I’m not being critical, I realize it’s his carbine and he can do with it as he pleases. I think he took a very unique piece of history that was distinct and made it look ordinary. It was in a class of its own and now it’s not.

John

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Hercules Powder

Rick,

That is a great story, but a sad ending.

I’m not being critical, I realize it’s his carbine and he can do with it as he pleases. I think he took a very unique piece of history that was distinct and made it look ordinary. It was in a class of its own and now it’s not.

John

---

Not true! He has the original stock and has a rifle he can shoot. We tried shooting it in the handmade configuration and the handguard kept slipping off. I think Ed has the best of both worlds......a unique piece of Americana and a functional carbine. Regards, Rick.

Thanks Rick. It's good to know he realizes he has something special. He got a really nice carbine at a very reasonable price.

That's a very early QHMC. Mine is pretty close and has a 2-43 Rock barrel with many early parts. Curious if yours also has the early script GE Q flip sight. Thanks for sharing.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...standard-6.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...standard-7.jpg

Want to sell that one Dave???

Tempting, but guess I better hang on to it for now. :p Saw that you bid on GB for one. Any luck?

It would also be interesting to know if the OP's QHMC has the early Q- LT hammer vs. LT-Q and the Q-DA slide vs. DA-Q which is not mentioned in WB.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...standard-8.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...standard-9.jpg

No It wasn't quite right so I stopped at what I thought it was worth as parts. That one does have the early markings on the parts. Very nice. I have a soft spot for the Illinois made guns. Must have been a great state back then with all the war material made here. Now the state is running gun and ammo makers out and complaining we have no jobs.
Off my soapbox now!! Very nice QHMC.

Along the same lines, a local who was a WWII veteran of the Pacific theater sent a box of stuff back home. After he returned from the Pacific and was in California he told his wife to be on the lookout for a box he was sending home. His wife suspected he was sending something he shouldn't, so when the box arrived by bus she hid it until he returned home. He sent back 3 M1 Carbines, a Model 1911 and a Model 1911A1, and several combat knives. He had a local gunsmith make sporter stocks complete with cheekpiece for the Carbines, and had the Model 1911 nickeled and fitted with MOP grips.
He said he figured that since he made it through the war, sending a few things back home didn't worry him. He boxed everything up in a wooden box, and got a buddy to drive him to a town about 85 miles away to ship his plunder. He also sent back a couple of Japanese swords, but shipped them from the base.

Guess I can state the obvious for everyone...

That receiver is only 5124 into QHMC's first serial block. If I am reading the picture correctly, the Rockola barrel is stamped Feb 43???

The story of the stock is interesting, but your friend has a wonderful piece of history. I am with Dbarn, I am curious as to other marking and parts to the carbine. Your friend may have something special to go along with that homemade stock.

Many thanks for starting an early QHC thread. Here's my contribution. Just a few parts from a mixed up, re-finished Carbine I found. Not a complete original QHC by any means but there may be something for us to learn here. Mike.

The serial numbers are not to far away from one another, But one is in the blue and the other looks to me as parkerized

One of the great things that makes our hobby so fascinating is the variation that can be encountered. The early QHMC carbines are a neat period of history. Some of them had their flip sights staked in place using a round punch. This example was was struck with a round punch on either side of the flip sight, down to the dovetail. Also the early QHMC acceptance stamp had the largest CC used.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...standard-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...standard-2.jpg

Yes, the barrel is a 2-43 Rock. All the parts and sights are correct for the rifle and confirmed by PI.....except of course for the stock, recoil plate and buttplate. The barrel gauged 0 not 1 as previously noted. I don't remember all the particulars of the trigger parts only that the hammer, sear and housing were all correct and looked matched to the overall condition of the rifle. Ed is well aware that he found a gem.

I do not approve of stealing US property but it happened during WWII. Navy personnel and Army Air Corps pilots were especially guilty of M1911 theft. If you got caught with war trophies from Vietnam it was a court martial offense. A friend of mine sent a Grease gun back piece by piece over a period of several months and was not caught. I assume he still has the rifle that he had purchased on the black market for 25 bucks! Regards, Rick.

Ok since no one else will step up to the plate, I will play the part of the immature, spoiled brat...

More pictures PLEEEAAASSSEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tired Retired

Ok since no one else will step up to the plate, I will play the part of the immature, spoiled brat...

More pictures PLEEEAAASSSEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!

---

It's not my rifle. I'll take some more pictures if another photo op presents itself but don't hold your breath! Regards, Rick.

Tease! ;)