M1 Carbine

[yoopercollector]

I picked up my first M1 Carbine last weekend. Was wondering if I can get help identifying parts? Under the buttplate was a GR. The stock has a star FAT 63 (Italian), can't read the other stamps. The front sight has a G, not sure if a mark is missing. Don't see any import marks. Thanks in advanced.

Information

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[JOHN42768]

Hi, Welcome, The carbine is a rebuild very common to have mixed parts. Your front sight I believe is QJ or QN both would be for Quality Hardware. You are correct the FAT is the Italian Arsenal mark. The type 3 band is Quality Hardware. Receiver is Underwood. Refer to the next listing about your safety. Rear sight Inland/Saginaw. Trigger Housing is Quality Hardware. Magazine is Misc. Hammer type 3 Inland. Sear is Rock Island Arsenal. Trigger is Inland.Bolt is Quality Hardware, Slide is Inland. P on barrel is proof mark. Get yourself to get started an inexpensive (around $20) book like " US M1 Carbines, Wartime Production" 7th edition by Craig Riesch. If you are going to get deeper then you would want "War Baby" by Larry Ruth and also join the Carbine Club. John

[USGI]

I'm still wondering about those overstamped rotary safeties. Yours appears to have the Eaton Pond logo (EI) on top of the "Double S" William Steinen Mfg. marking. The operating slide appears to be Underwood. The OI on the handguard is Overton for Inland and the J.M. marking on the bayonet lug is believed to be J. Mueller Furnace Co. The trigger marking (R.I.) is Reece Button Hole for Inland. The RIA sear is the later M2 style. The PI on the Type 2 rear sight means Packard for Inland. I have a 15 round magazine like yours, and my reference shows it as manufactured by Seymour Products. I like your new Carbine! - Bob

[yoopercollector]

Thanks for all the info. Never had one before or took one apart. A few things I didn't expect when it came to removing the trigger. Glad I got it back together. I guess that is the best way to learn. Any idea about the GR on the inside of the buttplate, on the metal not on the stock? The stock has marks I can't make out, even with a magnifying glass.

[USGI]

At first I thought you meant on the wood under the buttplate. I've got a couple of pot belly SA stocks that have some "squiggle" marks on the wood there. Look for an SA marking along the top of the left rail toward the front, and next to the barrel channel. Might not be an SA stock though - maybe somebody will recognize that marking in the sling well and give us a clue. I don't know about the buttplate marking. - Bob

[ChipS]

Welcome to the Forum.

If you tell us the serial number range (like 1,234,XXX) and the barrel date (MM-YY below "UNDERWOOD" on top behind the front sight) then we will be able to tell you the receiver manufacturer, if the barrel is probably original to the receiver and if any of the other parts might be original to the carbine.

You have a carbine that was sold/given to Italy and issued to the Italian military sometime after WWII and (probably) recently imported back into USA through the private Civilian Marksmanship Program. As the CMP is a U.S. Government sanctioned program there will be no import stamp reqiuired on or applied to the carbine . It has gone through probably more than one re-build after WWII, including Italian maintenance, in which worn parts were replaced with absolutely no concern for replacement part manufacture. This reduces value to the collector purists but to me it says this carbine almost certainly saw active overseas service during WWII. If only they could talk. Congrats.

[painter777]

Chip,
Yooper's serial # is 1,438,203.
1st Underwood block.
UEF barrel: Dated 5-43

BTW, Yooper is the often used name for one from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan... FWIW.

Cheers,
Charlie-Painter777

[yoopercollector]

I am in the UP.

[butlersrangers]

......and "trolls" live below the Bridge (Lower Peninsula of Michigan).

[gsimmons]

Huh, never knew I was a troll, every day a school day.