Early Winchester 1071xxx

[TJHartley00]

Hey all!

New guy to forum, not new to collecting.

I jumped on a deal for what I knew to be an early Winchester, but I didn't know what I was getting myself into!

It's a early spring tube Winchester, receiver and barrel seem to match, early type I barrel band, flip rear sight, milled front sight. Some pitting on the LH side of the receiver but nothing terrible other than the LH side of the sight which has obliterated the square "S" if it was there. Early push button checkered safety. A few dark spots in the barrel. Never been reparked, finish is about 60% remaining on the barrel and receiver.

Now for the bad:

M2 stock (though it is a postwar Springfield USGI w inspector cartouches)
Type 4 National Postal Meter trigger group housing that has that plum hue to it somewhat common for Bavarian carbines from the high nickel content/inpromper bluing temp.
Late Underwood hammer
Post-war Underwood round bolt
The spring tube was the later non-tabbed type but that was easily fixed as I had a Quality Hardware that had an earlier correct tabbed spring tube so I round robin-ed those.

I'd like to get this War Baby back to its "service accurate" build. Type 2 housing, dogleg hammer, correct mag release, high-wood I cut stock (or even a "cut down" field repair that retains the I-cut), Du-lite bolt.

The only stock I've been able to find is on eBay for almost $1k and it's in MUCH better shape than the rifle. I'm looking for something a little more worn and beaten to match the rifle itself to be honest.

The only trigger housings I've been able to find are either a single type I or type IIIs.

Any ideas outside eBay or scrubbing gunbroker every few days?

Thanks all!

I look forward to sharing and contributing where I can!

[TJHartley00]

I wanted to edit, it appears to be a TYPE II NPM trigger housing. I can't imagine Winchester getting parts from NPM so early in their run but it's strange that it's the right type but wrong maker?

In any case, here are some pics!

Early Winchester Carbine 12/26/23 - Album on Imgur

[painter777]

Serial number was applied on 4-15-43.

Seems I've seen that stamp you have on the rear tang, below the serial number before. I want to say on one of the Austrian Gendarmerie regions.

Anyone recognize it?

[TJHartley00]

Here is another picture of it. I didn't pay much attention to it before, at first glance I thought it was a sideways "W"!

Maybe an "E"? This came from the Ethiopian re-imports by IO, Inc/ Royal Tiger so maybe, like the Austrians/Bavarians marked their receivers, the Ethiopians marked them like this?

[painter777]

Can you spell out the Importers stamp, exactly as it's stamped. A picture of it may help also. Add its exact location.
I may be on to something about the rear circled marking, but want to be sure first.

BTW, Welcome to Milsurps

[TJHartley00]

Can you spell out the Importers stamp, exactly as it's stamped. A picture of it may help also. Add its exact location.
I may be on to something about the rear circled marking, but want to be sure first.

BTW, Welcome to Milsurps

Hello again! Importer stamp reads: "IOINC MELBOURNE, FL"

Located under the barrel just rear of the front sight.

Update: I pulled another RTI/IO, Inc Ethiopian return carbine, this time a 1944 Standard Products, and it has a slightly different import stamp, and no mark on the heel like the Winchester. The impost stamp on the Standard Products reads:
LINE 1 Under barrel behind front sight: "IOINC MELB FL"
LINE 2 Under barrel behind front sight: " M1 CARBINE .30 CAL. USA"

[painter777]

Thx,
Need to ask you to look and take a couple more pictures of your WRA.
Pics needed are on the front of the receiver ring.
We're looking for a possible added letter stamp or something that appears as such, maybe a partial stamp out of the normal.

Take a couple pictures to the left side and right side of the below stamp:
*
U.S. CARBINE
CAL. .30 M1

Note the * is the area we've found some of these letter/partial letter stamps on Carbines with Circled 3's. But look over both areas. Wouldn't hurt to look over the whole receiver. Not a fools errand, there's a reason behind this.

[TJHartley00]

@painter777 I don't see anything in the receiver ring itself but here are your pictures. There are some hyroglyphics below the wood line and on the bottom of the receiver and I tried to get those but I don't think they are what you're looking for...?

I'm still cleaning out the nooks and cranies on the receiver so pardon the gunk. It looks like someone fired it while it was full of cosmoline. I can assure you it wasn't me. I rather like my face without shrapnel in it!

[painter777]

TJ,
Here's a link to the Carbine Collectors Club Forum that has a post that has been researching these 'Circled 3' stamps. You'll see on the last page #3 that I asked about the style of yours. Which I believe is the less commonly seen block style 3, like a reverse E.

Many thoughts and theories so far as to why it's there.

I'll also post this link over there.

3 in Circle IP Receiver Marking ? - The Carbine Collector's Club - Page 1

[painter777]

The only stock I've been able to find is on eBay for almost $1k and it's in MUCH better shape than the rifle.

If your talking about the one listed by tagmil it's been ruined by the sanding. And a LOT better picture of the Acceptance stamp is needed to verify it is real.
Those Stamps are often Faked.
In current condition it's a $75.00 shooter stock IMO.