M1A1 Carbine

Recently ran into this M1A1 Carbine while in the search for another type of firearm. I was headed home after looking in several gun stores looking for an 870 Police Magnum and coming up empty. On my way home, I passed by a LGS I hadn't been to before. I stopped by and saw both the 870 Police Magnum and this M1A1 Carbine on the rack. The Police Magnum wasn't for sale. The carbine was, I picked it up instead. I knew right away it wasn't a USGI stock because of the Beech wood, but it has the cast marks in butt plate as well as a correct leather cheek piece and rivets. The carbine is an Inland.

I figured the carbine was rebuilt in a MAP program in a foreign country due to the beech wood stock. So far I haven't turned up anything as to the origin of the stock. I was wondering if somebody on the form could help.

What a nice catch, you guys in the USA can get such neat stuff we no longer see here.

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Originally Posted by Snowman1510

I figured the carbine was rebuilt in a MAP program in a foreign country due to the beech wood stock. So far I haven't turned up anything as to the origin of the stock.

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Handguard is Walnut, USGI made by SE Overton for Inland.
Stock wood is known as Northern European Beech (sometimes called Eastern European Beech). You can tell by looking at the light colored specs or 'Rays' of grain some called Maggots.
I've heard the Danish used this Beech for M1 Garands. FN FAL in Belgium, I think only used Walnut for M1 Carbines... including the M1A1's.

No books here, but I don't see that Carbine as being rebuilt. It appears to be a later Inland in what... the 5 million range? Barrel 3-44 to 5-44?
I can see where the type II band set when getting the original park.
Front sight doesn't look like it has been removed.
Parts look correct per this range... Transitional range.

I think you have a replacement German/Austrian made Beech stock. On a otherwise mostly original carbine that made it back home before import stamps were required.
But has a funky sling ;-)

About 3/4 down this link look at the grain fleck on this Beech hand guard: U.S. Carbines in Germany and Austria

FAL FN hand made M1A1 stock pictures. I believe they only used Walnut for Carbines, but will check when I get home in a week-

Redeployed: FN M1 Garands and Carbines | An Official Journal Of The NRA

IMO, VERY Nice grab :cheers:

PS: I'll BUY that 'Rebuild' if your not happy with it.

Right on the money with the S/N it is 5155157. I guessed it was rebuilt just from seeing the rear sight and the absence of a walnut folding stock. I can share more photos if you'd like just tell me what you'd like and I'll send 'em.

Edit: I've seen the photo of the handguard and it does match to the wood. I knew the upper handguard was walnut, I just didn't know what the lower stock portion was. Somebody on another form guessed Danish beech wood, but they stated that is a guess based off of Dane Garands.

And thank you, saw it on the rack for about 1,950. I had enough in the rainy day fund and grabbed it. Feels good to finally have ended the hunt for this one. On to the next, but it sure is super fun to fold the stock and just see how compact and handy it is! The funky sling is a repop that came with it. It also came with a repop jump scabbard. The carbine was absolute LOADED with cosmoline as well.

I am finally starting to be able to tackle the interesting pieces for my collection. Again let me know what photos you'd like and I will photograph them.

I may have put this up before ???
Here's a few pic's of my M1A1, it's an Inland #695709 I found the correct two hole hand guard for it, it had a four hole one when I got it, I have always wanted one of these. it shoots great but not near as comfortable as my M1 Quality Hardware.

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Originally Posted by painter777

I've heard the Danish used this Beech for M1 Garands.

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Yes they did, we've seen dozens of them here.

Are you sure its beech and not walnut sap wood which is a much lighter color? They did use some of that for M1A1 stocks. Never mind. After looking closer at the pictures, I can tell it isn't walnut sapwood....

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Originally Posted by jimb16

Are you sure its beech and not walnut sap wood

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The second and sixth pics are looking like Beech to me, I have a rifle with Walnut sapwood and it's lighter but not like this figure.

I am fairly certain it is beech, haven't seen walnut like it. But I haven't seen walnut sapwood either.

Definitely beech, typical fish scaling....

I just did received a FOIA request for the weapon from the U.S. Govt to see if they head any records on the weapon to which the carbine had a short list of results:

The following Information was found in the DoD Small Arms/Light Weapons Registry for a M1 Carbine, .30mm Caliber Rifle, NSN: 1005-00-670-7672, Serial Number 5155157. The records for this weapon are listed below in chronological order:
1. 11 August 2008 - HQ Army Tank, Automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM), Anniston, Alabama received the rifle.
2. 15 December 2008 - HQ Army Tank, Automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM), Anniston, Alabama shipped the rifle outside the Department of Defense (DoD).

Interesting, considering on other rifles I have FOIAed, the serials usually have a date of entry into the system and arsenal or holding area they were at when they were entered. This example lacks that as well as what military unit shipped the carbine to TACOM before the 11th of August 2008. The Disposition does show it leaving the DoD, but I have seen in the past (though a sample size of three personally) that it usually lists who it was shipped too when going out of the DoD.

I have also tried conducting queries on the CMP auction sight using their past auction search tool. The earliest auction for M1A1s I have found were in 2014. If it was ever auctioned there which I would imagine it would be because of weapon still being in Govt. possession as late as 2008 then a search did not reveal those records.

Well, at least you got a bit of information on it. Although I'm very surprised that an M1A1 was still in the military's stores until 2008. I would have thought they would have sold those all off years ago.

I am curious, was your FOIA request an email sent to someplace like redarmy something or other?

Snowman,
Maybe this will help.
I just tried a google search- M1 Carbine 5155157.... And came up with this:

Upcoming Auction Items 11/23/2009 - CMP Forums

I spoke with a gentleman who documented the CMP auction site before the roll out of the 3rd generation software. He did document the carbine as selling in December 2009 as a Service Grade for $1,950 to an unknown buyer. Greek return in Greek wood. Of course I would need to send CMP a serial number search request to confirm this but I feel that it would be a strong indication.

I think that an awful lot of out of date junk stays on the TOE much longer than we imagine. In VN in 1966 there were things like grease gun M3s and Thompsons kicking around and they were not privately held weapons. They had been in some conex box somewhere and came out for use by curious soldiers. Our boxes contained weapons, pineapple grenades, 1911s, lots of stuff. The supply books still carried Colt 32/380 pistols for issue to General officers. I tried to eat C rations from 1944 (same year I was born), I found boxes of WW2 vintage fatigue hats. We were shooting 1944 vintage 105 shells. Having weapons show up doesn't surprise me at all.

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Originally Posted by DaveHH

We were shooting 1944 vintage 105 shells. Having weapons show up doesn't surprise me at all.

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Dave,
During operation just cause in Dec. 1989 thru Jan. 1990 we were using 40mm ammo. stamped 1945 on the AC-130 Specter gunships while chasing pineapple face [Noriega] around in downtown Panama. I brought one back as a suv. I use it to hold the long matches to start the fire in the fire place, not one miss fire, old ammo. is like a fine wine, 1945 was a good year. ;)

About halfway through my shift 66-67, they ran out of the nice brass 105 stuff and started using the wrapped steel stuff from the Korean war. We would find notes in the cases "Kill a Jap for me" etc. It is a wonder that there weren't more short rounds etc. Today they claim that 30 year old ammunition is no good but I'm shooting stuff that is 40-50 years old and it works fine. I once shot a 45 round dated 1918 and it still worked fine.

If you've never had a chance to watch a Vietnam 105 battery operate, it was without a doubt the most well trained discipline in the Army. One gun shoots and the other two mimic every move, the charges are laid out to show what was inside the case, when the one gun starts to hit, the other two just go to town and it usually doesn't take a lot of rounds to kill the bad guys. Some of the fire bases operating for the maneuver battalions would shoot hundreds/thousands of rounds. Cubic work....

During Desert Storm, we got to watch arty from Egypt and Saudi and it was like a bad joke. Keystone Kops with guns. Guys running around bumping into each other looking for a rag to keep from burning their precious little hands on the hot cases. Funny but not really funny. Wonder how the Taliban will do with their thousands of guns and all that ammo?

Interesting read Dave, it is always nifty to read those stories, what other notes would you find in those shells?