When were the skirts on the barrel shortened?

[skohler]

I know there are long and short barrel skirts. In looking at my carbines, looks like I have examples of both. I have a bit of a confusion on an Inland with an undated barrel.

The S/N is 312118 which would mean the barrel should have a date and long skirt. Here is what I've pieced together:
1. my Inland barrel is undated, which would likely mean it was replaced later with another Inland barrel maybe sometime in 1944.
2. I would expect the barrel skirt to be short given the likely 1944 date.

From my limited searching on this and other boards, an undated inland barrel with my serial number only means one thing- replaced barrel.

Now the problem- the skirt on my Inland is the long type and chamber and face (correct term??) are both in the white. The Inland is also in every other way correct and very likely original (early rear sight, barrel band and pristine highwood inland stock). I would think this is likely an original barrel where the date stamp was missed. Is there any other way to tell? Also, there are funny rings in the chamber that I didn't notice until I took an upclose picture, not sure if those are from the reaming of the chamber?? The gas piston itself is stamped PI, not sure if that was done throughout the production of the barrels, none of my other carbines have stamped pistons.

Any Inland guru's out there that can shed some light?

http://i483.photobucket.com/albums/r...d/DSC00329.jpg

I know I've asked a lot of questions on this carbine recently, just trying to learn as much as I can!

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.

[BrianQ]

An undated Inland barrel is not out of place in any of Inland's serial number blocks. However, there seems to be a preponderance of undated or partially dated barrels in the late summer of 1944. There are other ways to determine if the barrel is the original one but it would take a hands on examination or at the very least some very detailed pictures of various areas.

The type barrel skirt isn’t of too much concern because barrels with long skirts often had the skirt shortened because of damage before the short skirt became the standard. There were even barrels from manufacturers that didn’t make the switch that have short skirts because of this.

Those “funny rings” in the chamber are the machining marks left when the chamber was cut.

[skohler]

Thanks Brian! I did read somewhere about some of the long skirts being cut to the shorter, but my concern was a longer skirt on a undated barrel. I guess I thought the undated Inland barrels from 1944 would all likely be short. That is assuming the undated ones came out after the switch from the long skirt to the shorter version.

If there are still machine marks in the chamber from when it was cut, I would assume it had not been fired that much? Would round count eventually smooth these cuts out?

Lastly, would I look for marks around the base of the barrel from where it was screwed on?

Thanks

[rpw7351]

I recently purchased 3 Underwood barrels from old Norweigan surplus. 3,4, and 5 of 1944. T1 and T2 barrel bands. ALL had long skirts!

[Chuck Russell]

I have an Inland carbine, SN 399,386, that has an undated Inland barrel with a long skirt. Other than having a milled, adjustable rear sight that is unstaked, the rest of the carbine appears to be original to the period of manufacture in mid 1943.

[Curt]

ah short skirts make me think spring is here.

[skohler]

Chuck- sounds like it very well should be original. When you get a chance, list the other parts that are on your inland. I would enjoy comparing it to what parts are one mine.

Steve

-another vote for short skirts in the spring!

[Chuck Russell]

Steve,
STOCK- high wood, oval oiler slot, IO stamped in sling cut, block letter P in circle stamped on bottom of the pistol grip; large, crossed-nozzle, circular cartouche on right side
HANDGUARD-2-rivet, shallow sighting groove, IO marked on inside edge
RECOIL PLATE- D.I. (stamped inside, tang slot); early shape; recoil plate screw- long, threaded area
BOLT-blued, flat, IO 3 on left lug; blued firing pin, Carbine Club Data sheet type 1 face; ejector tip, Carbine Club type 1; rounded right lug shape (sorry, didn't disassemble bolt for other markings)
SLIDE-early cam shape; 3/16" arm joint; rear slide box-flat; V-top internal cut; block letter P, outside bottom. Underlined PI, inside bottom; early slide stop; flat op spring guide tip
TRIGGER HOUSING-M1, milled; rear bevel, no front bevel; INLAND inside rectangular shield, horizontally stamped, right side of housing; solid housing retaining pin; hammer spring recess-present; 22 coil hammer spring; hammer plunger-blue (or dark, black-blue parkerized); mag catch-smooth, unmarked face (Carbine Club type 3), EI marked; Hammer-earliest type "dog leg" (dark, blue-black parkerized) IH marked on left side; Sear-M1, no hole, marked RI; Trigger (didn't disassemble housing to check markings); Safety-push button
BARREL BAND- type 1, upside down U on right side of band; IU on swivel, 5/16" window width
FRONT SIGHT-milled with N marked on ridge
REAR SIGHT-milled adjustable, no stake marks on receiver (war-time replacement)
BARREL-standard Inland markings, NO DATE; P, 1/16" high, marked on top of barrel approx 5 3/8" from rear edge of front sight; perfect alignment between barrel and receiver index mark; LONG chamber skirt; PI marked gas cylinder; no front sight key retention mark; typical Inland hieroglyphics stamped on barrel flat
RECEIVER-standard machine stamped letters and serial number; rectangular trigger housing lug; integral op spring housing, no rear hole; narrow rear tang; round mill cut; both notches in op slide groove; long handguard lip; left rear detail-no ear, 1/4"
I might have missed something. Let me know if you have any questions. I bought this carbine at a small town gas station/gun store in northeastern South Dakota. I've always thought it was "correct", not restored, etc. The rear sight was probably replaced in the field late in 1944 or early 1945. I think the order went out in late summer 1944 to switch to adj rear sights. I suppose all the flips sights were pitched into the junk pile. Too bad. Chuck

[Bill Ricca]

Here is a Technical Bulletin explaining it.