M1 30Cal Carbine question

[krw]

Went to a small gun show here in Arkansas today. Picked up a real nice shooter grade OM 45x7 1/2". Some moron slotted the front site and put a blaze orange insert in it :roll: . But real find was a nice M1 30cal Carbine. National Postal Meter but has a Underwood bbl marked 1-43 with the flaming bomb cartouche. SN is 14803xx. Stock has been refinished. It has an adj aftermarket rear site that I took off. Which style of rear site should go on this carbine? I know absolutely nothing about Carbines, but for $300 it was the perfect time to learn. Thank You krw

 

[Snake45]

Congrats on a great deal! I haven't heard of a genuine USGI carbine in ANY condition changing hands for three pigs in a decade or more. :shock: :shock: :shock:

Your carbine was originally built with a simple L-shaped "flipper" rear sight. Real ones of these are extremely rare because after the war they were all replaced with the later adjustable sights in arsenal rebuilds/refurbs, but excellent repros are available today if that's what you want.

A GI milled/forged or stamped adjustable sight would be "correct" for your gun. These are also available very reasonably. As I said, after the war, virtually all carbines in the inventory were overhauled and rebuilt so technically almost any combination of genuine GI parts can be considered "correct" for a postwar/Korean War/Vietnam war carbine. :wink:

I hope you have fun with your new toy, and please do post pics of it for us to enjoy! :wink:

 

[krw]

Thank You for replying. I had searched last nite and seen the different styles of rear sites. Most Carbines I have seen, or paid attention too, have the adj rear like you said were added post war. Never posted pics but will try. Thanks again!

 

[Snake45]

The GI adjustable sight (and the bayonet lug) appeared shortly before the end of WWII, I believe. I don't think I have ever seen a photo of a carbine with either in the European theater (war ended 8 May '45) and have seen only a few photos of them with either or both in the Pacific (ended formally 2 Sep '45). Same is true of the 30 round magazine--I'm not sure any 30 rounders got into action even in the Pacific.

Virtually all carbine pics from Korea and Vietnam will show both features, though I've seen exceptions.

 

[Tommy Kelly]

Go out and buy all the 30 cal ammo you can find. These guns are a blast to shoot. And they stay hungry for more ammo. They are so fun that you don't want to quit shooting them. Hardly any recoil they are great for women or kids. I have 2 30 carbine blackhawks that I love shooting. One I cut the barrel back to 4 5/8" and it's my favorite of the 2. The single actions don't eat ammo as fast as a carbine so I enjoy them.

 

[krw]

I have a pr of OM 30 Carbine Blackhawks. One NIB example put up and another shooter I got from my uncle yrs ago. Don't shoot it very much but when I do, I try to shoot late of an afternoon or at night. Fireball is something! And I bet your 4 5/8 is something on top of something! :lol:

 

[rugerguy]

I think you'll find that the adjustable rear sights and the bayonet lug up front were added on when they hit the "front" ( combat, later part of the war) the armorers changed and added these all the time and rather quickly ...........
if you ever come across one that may have the 'flip sight' but you "see" a stake mark in the dovetail this was already changed and changed back, tough to remove or cover up the staking mark............
as you say the stock has been refinished , are there any "import" marks on the barrel just behind the front sight??? look carefully, as many guys are removing the import marks and trying to "fake" them as being "original issue, war time bring backs...there were PLENTY of them available back in the early 1960's when we got our first one from the DCM/NRA....for like $17 plus the shipping......................

 

[krw]

Yes Rugerguy, mine has Davidsons Inc Va engraved on the bottom of bbl immediatly behind the front site. I learned a lot more about it this weekend in Tulsa. Thanks!

 

[Snake45]

That mean it's a post-1986 re-import, probably from Korea. You still got a good deal on it, though. :wink:

 

[rugerguy]

Oh yes, that gun was stll a very GOOD deal...the commercial Universals and Plainfields, run more than that...great price

 

[Coop]

Larry Ruth and Scott Duff wrote a excellent Owners Guide/manual for the M-1 Carbine, including history, Dates of Mfg., Maintenance/takedown. It is listed in Brownells latest catalog: Page 384, Item 1F17P56 for $21.95. I've had one since 1999 after I bought my first M-1 Carbine. I highly recommend it.

Coop

 

[flatgate]

I had my Dad's "bring back" but foolishly traded it off for $ so I could buy a neat old Super Blackhawk............


Well, it really wasn't his Carbine since he was a Bombardier and was issued "old slab sides" which was taken from him prior to departure from Italy in '44.

flatgate