WWII/Vietnam Era

[Nevada Bob]

I have an opportunity to obtain a Winchester M-1 Carbine SN 57xxxxx Feb-Nov 1944 .
According to the owner the weapon was:
1. Lend Leased to China
2. In possession of the Viet Cong
3. Recovered by an Austrailian CWO Special Forces Soldier 1965
4. Any idea of value?
Is there any way to prove these reported facts?
Nevada Bob

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.

[Bill Hollinger]

Bob, first off please allow me to welcome you to milsurps.com. We are very pleased to see you here as a new member of this wonderful family of folks. Now, is there any provenance with the carbine? Without it, it is just another Winchester M1 carbine. What modifications does it have? If it is in WWII garb then of course it will be worth more. If it is a post war rebuild with bayonet lug and type II or III rear sight maybe less. If it is a late Winchester that changes it also. If you see what it is that I've done, there are so many variables that will assign value. Something we here have often said, buy the gun, not the story. This of course unless there is documented provenance. Makes all the difference in the world of value.

[Bruce McAskill]

The odds are your carbine did not come from China but was recovered or stolen by the VC during the Viet Nam war. Carbines were prized by both the RVN and the VC. The US sent close to 200,000 carbines to the Viet Nam government over the years as well as to the French before that when they were tangled in Viet Nam in the 50's and they lost a lot of them to the VC. A Winchester in the 5.7 million range would date to about June 1944. It would not have a type 3 barrel band with the lug on it as those were not in use till about November 1944 or later. If yours does have the lug then it would most likely not have come from China as it would have been added during rebuilding in the late 40's and 50's.

[JimF4M1s (Deceased)]

Bob,

Welcome, always glad to see new members come to our forum.

Can you post a few pictures of your carbine? Full length right side, barrel marking, rear sight, right rear of stock, top of receiver. If you take it down, internals too. That would make any assessment easier. Besides, we all like pictures.

Above in the Sticky section there is a thread on posting pictures.

How do I show pics from Photobucket, Flickr, ImageShack etc. on milsurps.com?

[firstflabn]

According to the US War Department's official Lend Lease summary published in 1946, exactly one - count 'em, one - carbine was provided to the Nationalist Chinese in WWII (LL ended in August 1945). It's actually a bit more complicated than that as stats were only gathered for shipments direct from U.S. (meaning theater commanders could also deliver LL items from their own stocks under extreme circumstances), but just about impossible the seller's story is true.

Might as well further enhance the story and claim space aliens were also involved - that wouldn't change the odds very much.

[Nevada Bob]

Thank you to those that are trying to help, You Know, I'm asking for help and it dosen't do any good to make fun of someone that is asking questions.
I was in Vietnam for three years and 7-65 thru 10-67 and 1-69 thru 10 -70. My friend received this carbine from and Austrailian CWO in Special Forces. It's not from space aliens. I don't know how to authenticate it. but I know he was there and I know he received the Carbine. That is why I was asking for help. My friend is dying and he wants me to have it and he wanted me to try to document the story.

[Nevada Bob]

I tried but was unable too. Not to good at this sorry.

[Nevada Bob]

Thank you for the info

[Bill Hollinger]

Bob, unfortunately there really isn't any way to authenticate such a story. Once again, not trying to be sarcastic but buy the gun, not the story. If the buddy of yours says it came from Vietnam then for you and him that is all that needs to be said. For the sake of resale, it's another animal all together. Enjoy what you have and being that it is from your friend, savor it even more.

[Nevada Bob]

Thank You, I appreciate you help