Type 1 safeties

[ChipS]

'pronounced bevel' on Inland and Rock-ola, only a 'slight chamfer' on Winchester. Very good side by side photo on P. 91 (5th Ed.). I know everybody has a copy! FWIW

Information

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[Bill Hollinger]

Good call ChipS. Thanks! I forget about that book sometimes Yes, good side by side photo.

[Bill Hollinger]

All my barrel has is the "W" and WP in an oval. I am no convinced this is the correct barrel for this early serial number.

[frankderrico]

Hi Bill, I beleive the dated barrels were very early. Mine is like David's with flaming bomb, W.R.A. 12-42, both under 15k into production. Mine has the WP in the oval 6 1/4" from the muzzle, no W like yours. It has an A stamp on the the bottom in front of the gas piston. and an O stamp in front of the index mark. It has a P stamped in the bottom of the receiver by the front lug of the TH. Mine also has the thumb print front sight like yours, so there must have been some mix of parts going on. Yours is early but over 60,000 later. I'm not sure when they stopped dating barrels but I think your barrel is the original barrel.

Regards.....Frank

[Bruce McAskill]

Winchester stopped dating their barrels after Feb. 1943.

[Bill Hollinger]

Bruce, this would indicate this is not the correct barrel for this serial number???

[painter777]

Bill,
Before you questioned your barrel date, you should have started this out as a new post. Just to keep from getting it mired down in the safety threads. Might draw more interest also.

Question might be-
Did WRA start out it's production in Sep of 1942 with NO DATE BARRELS?
They delivered 9,960 carbines in 1942 per Ruth. Starting with their first block at 1,000,000 would bring them to 1,010,000 by 12-31-43.
But using Ruths Approx Serial Number table 1.10 WRA ended Dec of 1943 with serial # 1,016,407, meaning they turned in 16,407 carbines. Not real sure here, but by rounding some edges it would appear Bills 1,075,xxx would safely be between Mid March-Mid April of 1943. Well past the point WRA quit dating their barrels. I'd feel pretty comfortable with his barrel being correct vintage.

Very Early No Date WRA Barrels-
The WRA barrels before Oct of 42 look to have had no date, but usually had a W proof below the Frt Sight and then the Ordnance Bomb. Could also be found with the W stamped on the flat or side of the gas cylinder. I'm not sure about the WP marking. I'd expect there to be one.

10/11-42/12-42 WRA Dated Barrels-
Found like the ones pictured here with the Ordnance Bomb, WRA and Date Below.
W proof and WP stamp. Seen some with a small Ordnance bomb on the flat near the piston or on the side of the gas cylinder.

After Approx 1,025,xxx + or - ( But Thinking after 1,03 Mil)-
No Date WRA Barrels-
WRA Barrels now found with No Date, W stamp nearest Frt Sight. Ovaled WP stamp stamped farther down the barrel. Seems like the WP traveled to just ahead of the front edge of the hand guard...... then when the type III bands came in use (currently made) the WP stamp was pushed up the barrel to be visible with the bayo band on.

Best I can remember. Had a lot of this in hand notes lost when I mis-placed my first copy of War Baby. If I get some extra time in the next few evenings I'll look over the CC newsletters I have.
Now here is a great topic for BQ, Newscotlander, Roger-Bubba and some of the other early WRA nuts.

Be Gentle I'm Trying To Wing It Here
Charlie-painter777

Some Forum Links,

Need help valuing an early Winchester..
Who made this barrel?

[Bill Hollinger]

Thank you Charlie, and good advice. I kind of hyjacked this thread. Sorry guys.

[Hercules Powder]

Bill, I don't take it that you or anyone else high jacked this thread. It's all great info and I appreciate the answers and pictures to my original question. Everything else is a bonus.

One thought provokes another….. It happens to me almost every time I get out one carbine to check out something and before long there or several more on the table apart along with the first one. And I’m looking at things I wasn’t even thinking about when I started.

Thanks for everyone’s input. John

[Bill Hollinger]

John, carbines are a strange animal for sure. There seems to have been a great deal of inbreeding, even within the same manufacturer, over the years to produce some very interesting specimens, some genuine, some not so genuine. Depending on the time, day, month and year of manufacture what was on hand will determine the configuration.

I can just see the builder with a bin of safeties, magazine catches, triggers, sears, hammers, etc. pulling from the bin whatever part the fingers were able to brag and that part went into the carbine. A carbine may be one number off in the serial number and have a different marked hammer, trigger of type I safety or type II safety. What is really interesting is you may have a carbine that is a month newer with a type I safety where than the month older has a type II. The same goes for barrels, stocks, rear sights, barrel bands, etc. This is where FILO-LIFO comes into play.

Then there was the procedure of different manufacturers supplying parts when parts ran low so having an Inland part on whatever other maker was possible. It goes on and on!