- M1 Carbine Serial Number Year
- M1 Carbine Dates Of Manufacture Serial Number
The U.S. Carbine Caliber .30
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Manufacturers |
M1 carbine manufactures, serial and production. Total carbines produced: 828,059 serial number range. 5 (t3) inland manufacturing total carbines. The new M1 Carbine from Inland Manufacturing, LLC., offers collectors and folks who want to enjoy the platform a third option. With a suggested retail price of $1,049, it's not the cheapest gun. The Inland barrel date is 11-43. The Carbine's serial number is 949261X. The X after the serial number denotes that the serial number was accidentally duplicated. The duplicated serial number was given a X at the end to denote the second serial number duplicated. M1A1 Carbines, 140,000 5.33% More info on M1A1 here (Only Inland made these) - Serial number blocks assigned by the government: - Serial number 1 - 5, October, 1941 - April, 1942 (Tool room prototypes) - Serial number 5 - 100, April, 1942 - May, 1942. M1A1 Serial Numbers. Inland Manufacturing Division of General Motors was the only manufacturer of the M1A1 and manufactured approximately 140,000 by the close of the war. The M1A1 was manufactured in two main production runs, both of approximately 70,000. The first was produced and delivered from late 1942 through until October 1943.
Overview of the Primary M1 Carbine Contractors
The information that follows on this page is a basic summary for each of the manufacturers. Should you wish more detailed information
you may wish to obtain a copy of Larry Ruth's War Baby!, Volume I.
Interesting Facts & Helpful Information- Early in 1942 an advisory and oversight committee was created, consisting of personnel from U.S. Army Ordnance and each of the prime contractors. The committee changed names several times but is commonly referred to as the Carbine Committee.
- Out of ten primary contractors that manufactured .30 Caliber Carbines, Winchester was the only one with prior experience manufacturing weapons.
- When receiving their contract(s), not even one primary contractor had all the tooling necessary to build carbines. The date of the initial contract is not the date actual production started.
- None of the ten primary contractors manufactured all of the parts that went on their carbines. The majority of parts were manufactured by hundreds of companies that served as subcontractors to each prime contractor.
- Each prime contractor had to provide spare parts in addition to the completed carbines. The amount of spare parts varied. As an example, for every 100 complete carbines NPM supplied 4 trigger housings (4% extra) and 40 firing pins (40% extra).
- For quality control purposes, all of the prime contractors and many of the subcontractors were assigned a letter code (manufacturer's mark) to place on their parts (discussed further on page regarding part markings)
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Inland Manufacturing Division
General Motors CorporationDayton, Ohio | Common Moniker
Inland | Information of Interest:- First to start production of the Ordnance approved Winchester design, as Winchester had other weapon commitments
- Manufactured 3-10x more carbines than all the other primary contractors
- Was the only manufacturer of the M1A1
- Was one of only two primary manufacturers that made the M2
| | Overview | Model | Production
June 1942 - August 1945 | | Background prior to WWII: | automotive products | M1 | 1,954,114 | | Date of 1st Contract: | November 14, 1941 | M1A1 | 140,882 | | Manufacturers Mark: | I | M2 | 537,101 | | Parts made in-house: | 9 (included receiver) | Total | 2,632,097 | Notes:- the total production above included carbines produced for U.S. Army Ordnance prior to the start of production, including 8 manufactured in January 1942 and 12 in February 1942
- M1A1's were manufactured during two separate time frames: November 1942 through October 1943,
and May 1944 through December 1944.
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Winchester Repeating Arms CompanyNew Haven, Connecticut | Common Moniker
Winchester | Information of Interest:- Winchester's production of the .30 Caliber Carbine was overshadowed by the production of many of the other companies as Winchester was unable to devote their full resources to the carbines alone. The Winchester name alone has increased the value of their carbines to be on a par with the company that made the fewest carbines, Rock-Ola.
- Was one of only two primary manufacturers that made the M2
| | Overview | Model | Production
September 1942-August 1945 | | Background prior to WWII: | small arms and
ammunition production | M1 | 810,559 | | Date of 1st Contract: | November 24, 1941 | M1A1 | 0 | | Manufacturers Mark: | W | M2 | 17,500 | | Parts made in-house: | 15 (included receiver) | Total | 828,059 | Notes:- the total production above included carbines produced for U.S. Army Ordnance prior to the start of production
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Underwood Elliott Fisher CompanyHartford, Connecticut | Common Moniker
Underwood | Information of Interest:- Manufactured more of their own parts than any other prime contractor
- Manufactured 1,706,436 carbine barrels; Enough for their own carbines, even more for other prime contractors and providing over 400,000 replacement barrel assemblies
- Received the annual Army-Navy Production Award for high achievement in the production of war material for their .30 caliber Carbine Model M1, in 1942, 1943, and 1944.
| | Overview | Model | Production
November 1942-April 1944 | | Background prior to WWII: | typewriters, adding machines, cash registers, office equipment | M1 | 545,616 | | Date of 1st Contract: | March 25, 1942 | M1A1 | 0 | | Manufacturers Mark: | ·U· | M2 | 0 | | Parts made in-house: | 35 (included receiver) | Total | 545,616 | Notes:- many of the Underwood parts were built at their Bridgeport, Connecticut facility
- opened a third facility in New Hartford, Connecticut, to help with the machining of parts
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Rock-Ola Manufacturing CorporationChicago, Illinois | Common Moniker
Rock-Ola | Information of Interest:- In August 1943 U.S. Ordnance personnel temporarily took over Rock-Ola management to reverse management problems that had resulted in unacceptable low production numbers the three months prior. As a result, management/employee relations improved significantly, resulting in increased performance that allowed Rock-Ola to continue carbine production.
- Produced the least number of carbines of any of the prime contractors, securing a higher value for their carbines in the future
- Stocks and handguards manufactured by Rock-Ola have been considered some of the best looking stocks and handguards made.
| | Overview | Model | Production
November 1942-May 1944 | | Background prior to WWII: | coin operated phonographs,
pinball games, parking meters... | M1 | 228,500 | | Date of 1st Contract: | June 22, 1942 | M1A1 | 0 | | Manufacturers Mark: | R, RMC | M2 | 0 | | Parts made in-house: | 13 (included receiver) | Total | 228,500 |
Quality Hardware and Machine CorporationChicago, Illinois | Common Monikers
QHMC, Quality Hardware | Information of Interest:- The one and only part manufactured by Quality Hardware was their receiver. All other parts were provided by subcontractors and other prime contractors.
- The production of 28,949 receivers used by Quality Hardware was subcontracted to Union Switch & Signal. The subcontractor code assigned to Union Switch & Signal was UN. In a rare play with manufacturers markings, Union Switch & Signal placed the manufacturer name UN-QUALITY on the receivers, then sent them to Quality Hardware.
| | Overview | Model | Production
February 1943-April 1944 | | Background prior to WWII: | manufacturing tools, dies,
machinery, stampings | M1 | 359,666 | | Date of 1st Contract: | May 13, 1942 | M1A1 | 0 | | Manufacturers Mark: | Q | M2 | 0 | | Parts made in-house: | receiver only | Total | 359,666 | Notes:- Manufactured 4 carbines in December 1942 but production didn't start until February 1943
- All Quality Hardware manufacturerd receivers used the detachable recoil spring tube
- Receivers manufactured by Union Switch & Signal (UN-QUALITY) used an integral recol spring housing instead of the detachable tube
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Irwin-Pedersen Arms CompanyGrand Rapids, MI | Common Monikers
Irwin-Pedersen, IP | Information of Interest:- Produced 3,542 M1 Carbines, none of which were accepted by the government. The Irwin-Pedersen contract was given to Saginaw Steering Gear, who moved into the Irwin-Pedersen facility in Grand Rapids, took possession of everything Irwin-Pedersen and their subcontractors had produced, then inspected it all and integrated these parts with parts made by or for the carbines produced by Saginaw at the Grand Rapids facility.
- Irwin-Pedersen receivers and parts are some of the most sought after by collectors due to their limited production. Dishonest individuals have been known to place IP markings on non IP parts. Any carbine made up of all IP parts was very likely reconstructed into that configuration.
| | Overview | Model | Production
January 1943-March 1943 | | Background prior to WWII: | new company specifically formed
to manufacture M1 Carbines | M1 | 3,542* | | Date of 1st Contract: | March 21, 1942 | M1A1 | 0 | | Manufacturers Mark: | IP | M2 | 0 | | Parts made in-house: | 7 (included receiver) | Total | 3,542* | Notes:- *The quantity of Irwin-Pedersen receivers assembled into M1 Carbines by Saginaw Grand Rapids is unknown.
- made no barrels
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National Postal Meter Company, Inc.Rochester, New York | Common Moniker
NPM | Information of Interest:- A week after America's entry into WWII, National Postal Meter and the Todd Corporation partnered to start the Rochester Defense Corporation. It was this company that negotiated for the contract to produce M1 Carbines. Shortly after the approval of their 2nd contract, but before production started, Rochester Defense Corporation was dissolved and its assets merged into National Postal Meter.
- At the time of their first contract, the company had no tools, no employees, and no location for building carbines.
- National Postal Meter's test fire range was built by raising the floor of the carbine manufacturing plant three feet above the buildings concrete floor and literally shooting under the feet of the production line.
| | Overview | Model | Production
February 1943-April 1944 | | Background prior to WWII: | metered mailing machines, postal scales, postal equipment | M1 | 413,017 | | Date of 1st Contract: | July 16, 1942 | M1A1 | 0 | | Manufacturers Mark: | N | M2 | 0 | | Parts made in-house: | 4 (included receiver) | Total | 413,017 | Notes:- Had some of the finest walnut. Performance testing gave them the highest rating in adverse conditions.
- made no barrels
- On April 26, 1944, National Postal Meter Company became Commercial Controls Corporation
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Commercial Controls CorporationRochester, New York | | Overview | Model | Production
July 1944 | | Background prior to WWII: | metered mailing machines, postal scales, postal equipment | M1 | 239 | | Date of 1st Contract: | NPM contract | M1A1 | 0 | | Manufacturers Mark: | ? | M2 | 0 | | Parts made in-house: | used NPM parts | Total | 239 | Notes:- National Postal Meter Company changed the name of their company to Commercial Controls Corporation on April 26, 1944. The same month they ceased carbine production. The 239 Commercial Controls M1 Carbines were assembled from leftover parts and provided to U.S. Army Ordnance in August 1945.
- The Commercial Controls M1 Carbines are the rarest of all manufacturers. Researchers have been trying to locate them to examine and document exactly what they were, leading many to form unsubstantiated conclusions as to their existence. Their rarity has led to the forgery of their markings, requiring close examination by a group of experts to verify authenticity.
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The Standard Products CompanyPort Clinton, Ohio | Common Moniker
Standard Products | Information of Interest:- One of the many challenges facing Standard Products was where to obtain the personnel necessary to manufacture their M1 Carbines. Port Clinton, Ohio was a rural area with other wartime industries competing for a workforce.
Early in WWII units were commonly made up of enlisted personnel from the same towns and counties. At the Battle of Bataan units made up of male residents of the Port Clinton area were wiped out by the Japanese. The few survivors became POW's whose next challenge was the Bataan Death March and all that followed. When Standard Products announced they needed employees to manufacture M1 Carbines, the call was answered by the wives, parents, grandparents and siblings who had lost loved ones at Bataan. Many of these workers already had jobs elsewhere. When an evening shift was started to boost carbine production, many residents stepped forward and took on the second job. | | Overview | Model | Production
April 1943-April 1944
July 1944 | | Background prior to WWII: | automobile trim accessories | M1 | 247,160 | | Date of 1st Contract: | August 6, 1942 | M1A1 | 0 | | Manufacturers Mark: | S | M2 | 0 | | Parts made in-house: | 4 (included receiver) | Total | 247,155 | Notes:- Manufactured 5 carbines in December 1942 but production didn't start until April 1943
- made no barrels
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Saginaw Steering Gear Division
General Motors CorporationSaginaw, Michigan | Common Moniker
Saginaw | Information of Interest: - In addition to M1 Carbines, during WWII Saginaw Steering Gear manufactured Caliber .30 Browning Machine Guns (i.e. M1919A4), Oerlikon and BOFORS guns, tanks, tank destroyers, vehicle subassemblies, and armor piercing projectiles.
| | Overview | Model | Production
May 1943-April 1944 | | Background prior to WWII: | automotive steering gears | M1 | 293,592 | | Date of 1st Contract: | February 13, 1943 | M1A1 | 0 | | Manufacturers Mark: | SG & S.G. | M2 | 0 | | Parts made in-house: | 17 (included receiver) | Total | 293,592 | Notes:- Receivers manufactured by Saginaw in Saginaw, MI had a wide recoil plate tang, like the receivers made for IBM by Auto Ordnance.
- For a short period of time in 1943 Saginaw in Saginaw, MI provided receivers to Inland. Some of these receivers were retained and used by S.G. and have the letters SG on the left side of the receiver.
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Saginaw Steering Gear Division
General Motors CorporationGrand Rapids, Michigan | Common Moniker
Saginaw Grand Rapids | Information of Interest:- The facility at Grand Rapids was initially operated by Irwin-Pedersen. When the carbines they produced failed to pass muster with U.S. Army Ordnance, the Irwin-Pedersen carbine contract and Grand Rapids facility was turned over to Saginaw Steering Gear and operated as a second Saginaw M1 Carbine production facility.
- Saginaw Grand Rapids inherited all of the parts made for, or by, Irwin-Pedersen. Saginaw inspected the IP parts and those that met Ordnance specifications were integrated into the carbines manufactured by Saginaw at Grand Rapids.
| | Overview | Model | Production
May 1943-January 1944 | | Background prior to WWII: | automotive steering gears | M1 | 223,620 | | Date of 1st Contract: | March 20, 1943 | M1A1 | 0 | | Manufacturers Mark: | S'G' or IP | M2 | 0 | | Parts made in-house: | 7 (included receiver) | Total | 223,620 | Notes:- Irwin-Pedersen parts that passed inspection included an unknown quantity of IP receivers with the IP markings. These were assembled into carbines by Saginaw Grand Rapids and retained their IP markings with no additional S'G' markings. Parts used on these receivers were the parts used by Saginaw Grand Rapids (S'G', IP, subcontracted parts, any of the parts provided to Saginaw Grand Rapids by other primary contractors)
- The total carbines manufactured includes those Saginaw made using Irwin-Pedersen receivers.
- Made no barrels
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International Business Machines CorporationPoughkeepsie, New York | Common Moniker
IBM | Information of Interest:- IBM was the last company added to the contacters who produced the U.S. Carbines
- Auto-Ordnance of Bridgeport, CT, was initially subcontracted to manufacture all of IBM's bolts and slides in addition to 50% of their receivers. Difficulties at Auto Ordnance caused IBM to assume control of the carbine parts program at Auto-Ordnance, with IBM and additional subcontractors filling the void left by Auto-Ordnance.
- The IBM facility in Endicott, New York, produced 14 of the 19 parts used on the IBM carbines including the trigger housings.
- The stamped/brazed variation of the carbine trigger housing was developed at IBM's Endicott facility.
| | Overview | Model | Production
August 1943-May 1944 | | Background prior to WWII: | business machines | M1 | 346,500 | | Date of 1st Contract: | February 16, 1943 | M1A1 | 0 | | Manufacturers Mark: | B | M2 | 0 | | Parts made in-house: | 19 (included receiver) | Total | 346,500 | Notes:- IBM receivers made by Auto Ordnance have a wide recoil plate tang and the letters AO on the bevel below the serial number.
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Note One of the challenges facing researchers in reconstructing the history of the U.S. Carbines Caliber .30 has been the loss and/or destruction of many original records. The quantities included above and the months of manufacture have been reconstructed from the research of many. Documents used to reconstruct this information have included a variety of U.S. Army Ordnance documents and documents from the various prime contractors. Some of these documents conflict with one another as the original purpose of each document sometimes differed. These documents fall into four basic categories. - Quantity and dates Assembled but not inspected
- Quantities and dates Shipped
- Quantities and dates Received
- Quantities and dates Accepted
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The documents of various government agencies have been consistent in regards to the final number of carbines accepted by Ordnance from each prime contractor. A total of 6,117,827 +/- of all models accepted by Ordnance can be considered fairly reliable.
Locating the Manufacturer Name & Serial Number on the Receivers The primary contractor's name was always stamped on top of the receiver behind the rear sight. The serial number was always stamped directly below the primary contractor name. The adjustable rear sights often obscure part or all of the primary contractor's name. If you don't see the name, look close under both sides of the adjustable sight. You can usually make out the first and last letter or two. Compare the marks you find with the serial number assignments.
Adjustable Rear Sight obscuring
QUALITY H.M.C. |
Adjustable Rear Sight partially obscuring
I.B.M. CORP. |
Should you have questions, assistance is available on our Discussion Forum. The Discussion Forum also serves as a reference desk for the more advanced material that could easily overwhelm a website and is often subject to opinions that may vary due to a lack of original documentation. A number of researchers and authors are present on the forums, helping others and seeking information for various research projects. © Copyright 2012- The Carbine Collectors Club. All Rights Reserved. |
There were 10 main manufactures of the US GI wartime M1 carbine. Models made by Universal Hialeah and Iver Johnson are post war commercial models. M1 carbines made by Universal, normally have the ventilated hand guard and modified bolt.
Springfield didn’t actually make WWII M1 carbines, but did take a large delivery of tooling and parts in 1944 as production slowed down. They were then one of the main armouries to overhaul M1 carbine production post war and any parts manufactured by Springfield carry an SA stamp. Springfield did manufacture M1 carbines starting in the mid 1990s and these carry an SCxxxx casting.
There are many different components used on the wartime US M1 carbine. Each Manufacturer would use different components and change production at different times. Without going into endless detail, here are some of the main things to look out for, between early and late production M1 carbines.
The Rear Sights
The original WW2 produced rear L-type or ‘flip’ site had no adjustment for windage and had only two elavation settings of 100 or 300 yards.
These were replaced towards the very end of the war by the adjustable sights (milled and stamped) and only by only some manufacturers. Period pictures of M1 carbines with the later adjustable sights are extremely rare, with most M1’s having their sights upgrade to the later adjustable model, post war.
The Barrel Band
There are three types of barrel band for the M1 carbine.
Type 1
The type 1 was the model fitted on the vast majority of WW2 carbines. This consisted of a narrow band retained by the band spring. This band did not always secure the barrel to the stock.
Type 2
The type 2 band was fitted to some late war M1 carbines, around mid 1944. It was an improvement in that it had a larger surface area and was not nearly as often seen as the type 1 band, and was replaced by the type 3.
Type 3
The type 3 band was identical to the type 2 with addition of a bayonet lug. This late type 3 barrel band was introduced in 1945 towards the very end of WW2, the vast majority of M1 carbines having their barrel bands upgraded to type 3 after 1945.
The stock
The stock has been classified by collectors into 3 types:-
type 1 – early stocks with high wood and I-cut oiler recess
type 2 – mid war stock with high wood and oval oiler.
type 3 – late stock with low wood and oval oiler
Early M1 carbines had what has become know as “high wood” stocks. This referred to the area of wood covering the operating handle. As this area of wood was quite thin and often became damaged, the area was reduced on later M1 carbines and became what is known to collectors as “low wood” stock. Low wood stocks were introduced in early 1944 by most manufactures.
Very early stocks had what was known as an “I cut” recess. This was intended for an oiler that was never adopted on the M1 carbine. Later stocks had the more common oval shaped oiler recess.
The shape of the stock was also to change on type 3 stocks. Early M1 carbines had a flatter straight stock. The late production M1 carbines had a shaped “pot belly” stock.
M1 Carbine Serial Number Year
The Handguard
There are two basic differences in the M1 carbine handguard. The early handguard had two rivets while later variations had four. The later four rivet handguard was introduced early 1945 by most manufacturers.
M1 Carbine Dates Of Manufacture Serial Number
The Bolt
The bolt on all early to mid production M1 carbines have a flat top. In order to save time in production, later M1 carbines, from mid 1944 onward, utilised a round top bolt, which meant less machining. It should be noted, that all WWII production M1 carbine bolts were blued and not parkarized.
The Safety
The safety on early M1 carbines, used a push button method. This proved to be unsatisfactory, as it was closely located to the magazine release and of the same operation, but did remain in production till very late in the war, when replaced with a rotary style safety. This was then commonly retro-fitted to most M1 carbines.
The Sling
Lastly, a quick note on M1 carbine slings. All WWII carbine slings have a horseshoe shaped metal tab. The material was a light coloured khaki in the early war years and turned to a darker olive green later. Post WWII slings used a solid style tab. The colour of the material was dark olive green and the pattern of the weave changed subtlety.
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