Rock-ola WTK??

[Bullwinkle]

New to this forum/gunboard and was sent here for info via 1919.com. Collect milsurps since the late 1970's in all flavors but have always focused on forgein stuff. So I'm an absolute noob to M1 carbines...and I need ya'lls help! (Hopefully I can return the favor and contribute to this board with my knowledge of beltfeds and other small arms of the world militaries)


I just bought a Rock-ola off a friend from work. He owned/worked a Gunshop in the 1970's and bought the gun from someone about 1974-1976ish. He shot is some, got board with it and it's sat for years in the back of a safe. I wanted to buy it back in 1983 and he wouldn't sell it. Hard times hit and he needed $400 so I bought it. It's nicer than any I've seen in all my years of gunshows and collecting. I assumed it was BlueSky import but there's no stamp/marks I can find on it.

I do NOT want to sell it, I just want to know more about it. Date of manufacture and how "correct" the parts are for this gun. A value for ins. would be appreciated and any other suggestions would be appreciated. I can provide more photos if needed, just tell me what you'd like to see.

You can click on the pictures and straight to the album and see all the photos I took if these are not enough.





Serial number 6090###. Rock-ola marked receiver, bolt and barrel marked in TWO places, one below the front sight and the other on the side of the gas block. I did not see a date on the barrel but I didn't look real hard...where would it be if there is one? Flaming bomb ordnance proof on left side barrel above rail. The chrome piston/cup is marked RI





Stock has two cartouches on right side, MR above sling slot on left and VERY faint letters inside the sling slot *****LE TN (I assume a city name in TN??). There is also a F stamped on the left side of the stock facing up where the barrel and receiver meet. The upper wood has four rivet holes, no marks that I can find.





Bayonet lug marked EM-Q and barrel band marked MMQ.

Trigger group marked N over 9.

Op-rod inside marked large C with a W or M in it.


yes, the gun was dirty! I don't think it had ever been FULLY cleaned. Lands and grooves are sharp and crisp, bore is shiney. Muzzle shows signs of cleaning rod wear on the lands...other than that this thing is absolutely beautiful.

Conservative guess is finish is 85%. The ONLY wear on the park is on the bolt rails. The stock has one scratch below the cartouches.

It came with 3 30rd mags and a sling/oiler. The ONLY marks I can find on them is a upside down M2. No markings on the sling I can find.

Hope this helps. Thanks and again I'm looking forward to interacting on this forum!

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Bruce McAskill]

What you have is pretty much a standard carbine after a rebuild. The MR on the stock indicates Mt Rainer Ordnance Depot as to where it may have been rebuilt and it's TRIMBLE stamped in the sling well. The The gas piston was made for Inland the trigger housing and the stock are National Postal Meter. The slide was made by Winchester and the barrel band is a late was replacement. The barrel,bolt and receiver are of course Rock-Ola with the barrel most likely original to the receiver. A very nice carbine. hth

[Mike in NC]

It is a late Rockola, I would guess spring of 1944. Probably the only original parts are the receiver and barrel. The Rockola bolt should be a round Rockola bolt, not a flat bolt. The bolt is parkerized and the not the original finish. Stock is a National Postal Meter, slide a late Winchester. That is what is easy to see from the photos. You did good to buy it for $400. For insurance value I would put it between $700 and $800.

[JimF4M1s (Deceased)]

I don't

[JimF4M1s (Deceased)]

I think Blue Sky marked guns were coming in during the mid to late 80's. If he has had it since the mid 70's it probably would not be import marked.