M1 Carbine Part Interchangeability WOW!

[Greg O]

Has got to be beyond unbelievably cool!
While having a wee bit of time to waste, I interchanged internals around with different trigger housings, slides and bolts, then putting the whole assembly together in the stocks.
IMPRESSIVE as everything was/is 100% compatible, and manual mechanical operation only there were no glitches at all.
(disclaimer here on actual firing due to inability to check headspace)

Another positive plug for what WE as a nation could do under pressures of war. I'm mighty proud of that generation.

God Bless Us All, God Bless America!

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[Bubba-7]

Sir,
The M1 Carbine was the first military weapon built to tight tolerances not for function but for interchangeability and so not requiring an armorer to hand fit critical parts groupings like Trigger, Sear, Hammer or Slide, Bolt, Receiver for function.

[Bruce McAskill]

That is why there were interchangeability tests conducted on all of the different makes of carbines during the war to be sure parts did interchange as a drop in fit between them. The main reason was to be able to keep production going. If parts from one maker were low they could use another makers parts and production was not halted. For just about all of it's production the carbine was classified as priority and at one point critical.

[INLAND44]

Just keep in mind that the bolt must still be gauged for headspace when changing bolts or barrels, or when you get a carbine that is new to you.

[0311Shooter]

I probably had an odd one but recently I looked at my Quality Hdw and my parts and had a nearly new trigger in my parts box. When I took the Trigger Housing down and swapped it out, the trigger would not release the hammer.

Looked and greased and looked and oiled, still no release. Took it all down again. Comparing the two triggers there was a slight, ever so slightly, difference in the way the rear stop was made on one. Finally, figured it out.

The stop was not allowing the trigger to release the sear fully. Took a file and removed probably a 32nd of an inch, presto, worked fine.

So, interchangeability works 99.99% of the time.

[Greg O]

Bubba:
My name is Greg
The only "sir" in my family was my dad and he's long gone.

PLEASURE TO MAKE YOUR ACQUAINTANCE!

Greg

Sir,
The M1 Carbine was the first military weapon built to tight tolerances not for function but for interchangeability and so not requiring an armorer to hand fit critical parts groupings like Trigger, Sear, Hammer or Slide, Bolt, Receiver for function.