Stunt M1 Carbine from HBO's 'The Pacific'

[DTC]

About a month ago I picked up a rubber stunt prop of an M1 Carbine used in the filming of HBO's 'The Pacific'. I don't actually have HBO, so I haven't seen any eps. other than the first one they showed for free.

Anyway, I thought y'all might want to see a couple of photos.

It doesn't have a real carbine sling on it, but the one they used looks it has some age to it. This thing will fool you from a couple of feet away, although the rubber barrel warps a little to the right. Can't quite make out the serial number of the one they copied, it's under the rear sight.

I was going to slap a cartridge pouch onto the stock but it won't fit because the magazine is permanently molded into the rifle!

-Mike

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[browningautorifle]

If I was still collecting US military weapons that would be one I would have to have too!

[phil441]

What a find! It looks good to me. A real "wall hanger" if ever I saw one.
Mind if I ask what the price was?

[Mikey51]

I've heard about these rubber guns, anyone know who makes them? The guy who made the latest King Kong movie, a couple of years ago, has some rubber Thompsons which everyone thinks are real, until you pick them up.

[frankderrico]

Mike that is a nice looking prop. Thanks for sharing. I have two rubber AK47. They came from the Army back in the late 60's and were used as trainers. They are Chi Com and have Chinese script on them. My boy's used to play with them, I'll get some pics of them up later.....Frank

[DTC]

What a find! It looks good to me. A real "wall hanger" if ever I saw one.
Mind if I ask what the price was?

I got it from the Prop Store of London. Apparently, they have an office in L.A., too.

http://www.propstore.com/

They are still for sale there, since they have multiple copies of each. The M1 Carbine with the sling cost me about $154, and the ones without the sling were cheaper (but I'm not seeing them listed anymore)

They also have stunt props for the M1 Garand, the Thompson SMG, the Japanese Ariska rifle

It came with a little hologram/signed C.O.A. saying it was used in the filming of the miniseries.

The link was too long to paste- so I just gave you the link to their main page. There's a banner halfway down the page that will take you to 'The Pacific' props and uniforms.

I have my grandfather's uniforms and photo albums from Hawaii in WWII, so I thought that this would be a cheap way to get a copy of his weapon until I buy myself a real 1943 era Carbine.

This is the only photo I have of my grandfather with his rifle, it doesn't seem detailed enough for me to pick out any specific features other than it doesn't have the bayonet front band.



Hope that helps,
-Mike

[frankderrico]

Mike, I nice looking pic of your grandad. 1943 in Hawaii. Could it be from somewere else and possibly a different time? The carbine has a type two or three rear sight. I think that would have been much later. I'm not sure but it might be a Winchester hand guard. Lets see what others have to add. Thanks again......Frank

[DTC]

Mike, I nice looking pic of your grandad. 1943 in Hawaii. Could it be from somewere else and possibly a different time? The carbine has a type two or three rear sight. I think that would have been much later. I'm not sure but it might be a Winchester hand guard. Lets see what others have to add. Thanks again......Frank

Hi Frank- thanks for the info. Based on the other photos in his (5) photo albums (he had a photo finishers license and made pics on the side as a hobby)- I think it's in Hawaii. (I could certainly be wrong, though.)

From his papers, here are some of the places he might have been:

Inducted El Paso, TX 24 Jun. '43 (Marksman Rifle 5 Aug. '43)

Line Maintenance School NATTC - Memphis, TN (auto mech.)

AMM TBF school - Norman, OK (aircraft mech.)

Sent to 'Pacific Area' from 23 Mar. '45 through 23 May '46

Separated 5 Jun. '46 at MCB San Diego, CA.

I assume he was issued the M1 Carbine because he was a 'non-combatant', even though he was a Marine in the Pacific.

I'll be posting more photos later, not sure where they should go- since they don't have rifles in them.

-Mike

[browningautorifle]

In the Canadian Army we also used rubber guns as procured from the U.S. system, I beleive. There were AKs, RPGs, early and later M16s, and later we started producing our own rubber C7. By the way for you guys looking at rubber guns in film, the Devils Brigade with William Holden was on recently. Check out the scene where they patrol down the stream with all patrol members carrying Thompsons. If you frame forward on it you will see that all but the members who actually fire during that part have rubber guns. Lots of them.

[frankderrico]

Mike, I think the Pacific '45 to '46 would probably be the time frame for the carbine pic. with the t-2 or t-3 rear sight. Also looks like pretty tough living conditions out there. I have three uncles and my father in law that were there about the same time. We all have to be very proud of that generation for their service and sacrifice. We also need to preserve all we can of their history, as you are doing. Thanks again for sharing.....Frank