Newbie Needs Advice on M1 Carbine Rear Sight

[AnnieO]

Hello. My husband, a VietNam combat vet, has a Winchester M1 carbine that is missing its rear sight. He doesn't remember where he obtained the carbine, but thinks it may have been while he was working for the U.S. Government in Central America. In any case, I have the serial number of the carbine, it's in the 1137XXX series. Can anyone tell me the age of this carbine? I found an M1 Garand with our serial number that was manufactured in 1942, but I'm not clear on the Garand vs. Winchester branding.

My main reason for writing is to get advice on what rear sight to put on this carbine. Hubby's housebound due to lung disease, but I shot the carbine (without a rear sight!) and did OK. Just a slightly bruised cheek, and I knew something wasn't right with the gun!

I'm kind of an OEM-type girl, so ideally, I would want a sight that would have been originally on this carbine. Can one of you experts give me some advice on what I should mount as a rear sight on this carbine, and where I might find one? At the same time, I'm not a gun collector, and don't want to spend a fortune, so I welcome comments on what I should install.

Thanks a lot. AnnieO

Information

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[INLAND44]

There is no relation between the M1 Carbine serial number and that of the M1 Rifle. In order to know which sight, we would have to see some pretty good pictures to tell if it underwent a government rebuild, which it most likely did. In this case it would have the adjustable sight and a bayonet lug extension on the barrel band. I don't have the date information, but all carbines were made during WWII. Most all of them were revised/upgraded over the years after the war, and they were in service for many years. Here is a link to a typical Type III sight that would have been installed on rebuilds as well as some later originals.
http://cgi.ebay.com/M1-Carbine-rear-...item19c78bf249

[firstflabn]

From factory records your receiver had its serial number stamped on in late June 1943, so a reasonable guess is that the carbine was completed in July. As has been pointed out, a photo of the rear sight base will tell alot. A photo of the safety from the right side, the front barrel band, barrel marking just behind front sight, and stock markings, particularly in the sling well (near the butt on the left side), will also help. If all of those turn out to point toward a gun in original configuration, then a complete listing of parts markings would then need to be compiled.

If it turns out that you have a rebuild, replacing just the rear sight, safety, front band, and stock to restore the gun to original configuration could easily cost you $400 - and is fraught with peril, especially to a newbie, as repro parts abound. And that could be just the start - many small parts would still need to be located.

[JimF4M1s (Deceased)]

AnnieO,

Build date around June 1943.

There is a big difference in price depending on which one you choose.

Guessing if it was used it Central America it has been through a rebuild.

If so it might have the arsenal updated bayonet lug type 3 band, first picture. In that case an adj sight would be OK. They are about $25-$30. Second picture. This is still a US GI part. Just used in later production and added during arsenal updated. You can ask here on the WTB listing or look on line for one. Should be pretty easy to find.

Your carbine originally had a thin type 1 front barrel band, third picture is of a repo band but is the same style. Then it would take a leaf sight with a square S on the base. They cost about $125-$175. Fourth picture is for a Rock-Ola not a Winchester but is the same style. You could put a WTB listing here, but this will take some hunting. It is also highly sought after by collectors.

But even if it has a type 1 band nothing says you can't put on an adj sight and not spend the money for a leaf sight. I am guessing you just want to put on a rear sight and not try and put it back into original configuration. That would cost bigger dollars.

Good luck.


Type 3 barrel band and adj rear sight



Repo type 1 barrel band and leaf rear sight

[AnnieO]

Thanks, y'all. I'm having problems putting my pix onto the site. Using my Nikon JPEG format, and msg says file too big. Based on JimF4M1's comments, it sounds like this carbine was rebuilt. It does indeed have the bayonet mount. Hubby says the rear sight he remembers it having is the leaf (or flip?) type, but since he lost it somewhere along the line, and it seems the carbine was rebuilt for use in Central America, might as well go with the adjustable rear site in the 30-40$ range. We're not collectors. I just like to target shoot with my Jeep friends. I didn't do too bad with no rear sight at all, but she kept kicking me in the cheek :-)

[INLAND44]

I'm afraid 'kicking you in the cheek' has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not the carbine has a rear sight. I don't know what it has to do with since I've never heard of it before, but you are doing something wrong. A possibility is the carbine is loose in the stock which can magnify the recoil impulse. See if the screw at the back of the receiver is snug and the recoil plate under the screw is not loose.

[emmagee1917]

I would guess that without a rear sight to look through she is keeping her head up to look down the top of the gun and this is causing her to hold her head too high to get a proper cheek weld which allows the stock to get a running start which wacks her in the face . If so , installing the rear sight will force her to get a cheek weld to look through it and get rid of the kicking problem automatically.
Chris

[JimF4M1s (Deceased)]

Agree

[Harlan (Deceased)]

I agree with emmagee1917 too, and I was going to say I could see how trying to shoot an unfamiliar little rifle without a sight could cause someone to position their cheek in an odd position trying to get some reference to aim with. Most of here have shot these things thousands of times and wouldn't have a problem but we're already familiar.

[AnnieO]

I'm a pistol target shooter normally, so all rifles/carbines basically are unfamiliar. Without the rear sight, I had my face way down trying to look for something to line the front sight up with. All I could find was the half-moon groove in the wooden stock. This caused me to be practically looking over the rifle butt which resulted in taking the kick in the cheek. Replacing that missing rear sight will resolve my aiming problem without a doubt. Appreciate the helpful comments as I go in search of the appropriate rear sight. Still would like to pop a leaf or flip rear sight in there as that's what Hubby says he remembers the carbine having. How do you lose the rear sight off your carbine that you never shoot?