M1A1 value

[rice 123]

I friend wants to sell me back a M1A1 I sold him years ago and I do not know what would be a fair price to offer him. It is a early high wood. The top of the leather cheek piece is rotted away and there are 3 burn marks on the side of the stock. The gun is a all original 43 underwood. It looked like years ago someone took a all original underwood and stuck a M1A1 stock on it. I do not think it ever went through a rebuild. The 3 burn marks on the stock looked like someone was smoking and sitting burning cigarettes on it. I originally got it out of the paper the seller said that it came from his uncle's estate and that he was a paratrooper in WW11. I asked if he knew where or when his uncle got it. He said no but when he was a kid back in the 50s he would visit his uncle and he would let him shoot it. I do not think that they were selling carbines back in the 50s. I have no proof but it sure did seem like the stock was changed out in the field and the gun came home in a duffel bag. anyway if it was all original inland I would know what to offer him any ideas of what a original underwood in a high wood M1A1 stock should be worth

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[frankderrico]

rice, pictures would realy help. Seems like so many variables here. Your buying an expensive piece of wood. Also if the rifle is original it would be worth a premium. Do you want to keep them together or find the .U. stock and '43 Inland to make them what they once were? That would be a collection right there.....Frank
Not saying the uncle couldn't have brought it home, but I think there were carbines being sold and imported soon after the Korean War.

[Badger]

Here's a similar thread that may help ...

M1A1 Carbine Value?

Regards,
Doug

[rayg]

Quote: Not saying the uncle couldn't have brought it home, but I think there were carbines being sold and imported soon after the Korean War.

If I recall, no carbines were for sale until about the end of 1950-early 60's when they were being sold through the marksman DCM program.
I know because when I was 15 in 1955, I bought an M1 carbine through the Shotgun News that had been built up using a Winchester receiver that was purchased/surplus from Winchester. The receiver came with a bill of sale from Winchester because almost all the carbines around at that time had been "borrowed" from the government.
Still remember picking it up at the post office. The clerk brought it to the counter looked at the box and asked me if I had a birthday coming. I said yes I'll be 16 in a week. He then said, well looks like someone sent you a 22 rifle for your birthday to which I replied, wow! LOL,
Every time I went to the range with the gun, crowds would gather to watch. Ray