Special Forces, Vietnam 1963 and Original Issue M1 Carbines

[painter777]

Seen this posted by fellow member milprileb on another forum.
Spotted a number of Carbines, at least 1 having early features @11:20 in.
Proof ? That not all carbines were Rebuilt?

Thx to milprileb...

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.

[USGI]

Yes, lots of Carbines shown without bayonet lugs. Used to watch "The Big Picture" a lot on TV in the mid to late 50's. I believe it was on CBS on Saturdays. For a long time CBS (KOIN - Portland) was the only channel our area could receive. - Bob

[painter777]

GIBOBUS,
Did you see the Carbine with Flip rear sight and narrow barrel band at about 11:20 in ?

---------- Post added at 04:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:26 PM ----------

I don't know how to grab and post a screen shot showing the US instructor handling the carbine with early features (Flip, T1 band) @ 11:20

[USGI]

Yep, saw the same one I think at 4:11 or 5:25. I'll post a picture of it for you - believe it had a 30 round mag, too.

[painter777]

USBOBGI,
Thanks a lot, You'll have to PM me and explain how you pulled that picture !!
To much shadow to see if it has a push safety, flat bolt and type Op slide.
Any way to tweek the shadows ?

So there were as issued (not rebuilt) carbines this late (1963) still in US Armories ?
Or might this have been a carbine pieced together by the small Armories in Vietnam

Makes me think about this picture from the thread 1,5 million carbines left in Vietnam....
Where the US instructor teaching bayonet use has a Type 3 Bayo lug, but also a rear Flip Sight:

[Bruce McAskill]

You know it's possible that those carbines were left that way for use in Viet Nam. Very simple for a draftee who is uneducated to use a flip sight instead of an adjustable rear sight. Four carbines, 2 Garands and a BAR. I wonder if those men in the back ground that are smiling are really VC infiltrators? Seems about right.

[DaveHH]

A lot of the carbines in use in VN were captured from the Americans in 1950 when the 1st Cav and 2ID ran the gauntlet out of N Korea when the Chinese army came across the Yalu. There were thousands of weapons and artillery, trucks, ammunition etc left behind. These weapons were sent down to the Viet Mihn in N VN. To use against the French. In 63 it would be very easy for a weapon picked up on the battlefield to be back in the hands of the good guys.

The VC were everywhere in the south. It was not uncommon to have units switch sides to avoid destruction. The best Viet fighting units were not the Viet Army, they were the hired indigenous soldiers. Mike forces etc.

[JimF4M1s (Deceased)]

We inserted and extracted a lot of teams. I think the best I ever saw were the ROK. Small on talk, big on action.

[Bruce McAskill]

Ah yes the Korean Tiger Division. The VC feared them as the NVA later learned to. Top notch fighters for sure. Asked no quarter and gave none.

[DaveHH]

We had a large force of ROK soldiers in our camp for about 5 months. Each morning there would be a few hundred soldiers in Judo suits doing warm ups. They were from the Tiger, white horse and capital divisions. They were the best troops Korea had. We paid them the same as GIs and had special rations to accommodate ROK troops. They used all US WW2 vintage weapons. They were ruthless and killed a lot of Viets out of hand. Their method was to move into a problem area and simply shoot everyone until the trouble stopped. They finally sent them home during 66. I spent a great deal of time with the Koreans. They loved Americans and loved to arm wrestle and do manly things. They were all around 5'7" large for Asian troops. The best thing was that their generals were all enlisted men at one time. They would drink us under the table and these officers had no problem drinking with PFCs and Spec 4s. They were monumentally great drinkers.