North Cape Publications was founded on the principle that by providing accurate information within the field of firearms collecting, new and experienced collectors both will benefit. Hence our books.
We will also take advantage of the Internet to provide a series of articles on various matters relating to firearms collecting at this website. The range will be widefrom how pay for and value your collection to pointers and tips that will sharpen your "collecting eye" and help you avoid faked and refinished firearms.
Please let us know what you think, if you have any suggestions for improvement and what subjects you would like to see covered - or if you would like to contribute an article or note, you can Email us at E-Mail:ncape@ix.netcom.com
"All material in this Website is copyrighted by North Cape Publications, all rights are reserved. Reproductions or translations of any part of these works beyond that permitted by Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act without the written permission of the copyright holder is unlawful. Requests for permission should be addressed in writing to the Permission Department, North Cape Publications, P.O. Box 1027, Tustin, CA 92781."
Swedish Mauser Rifles by Steve Kehaya and Joe Poyer
Klasnikov Arms Book by Alexei Nedelin
Most of us do not collect to increase our wealth, but it is good to know what that stuff in the safe or closet is worth
by Joe Poyer
If not, are you contributing to the loss of your Second Amendment Rights?
Knowing what kind of metal an antique firearm is made of will often help you determine whether or not it has been reblued or otherwise refurbished.
by Michael Phillip Powell
Money the leading cause of restricted Firearms Collecting. Pay attention to the "market" to help fund your collecting habit
Restoring Imported Military Firearms. Surplus imported military firearms can make very fine and accurate shooters with only a little work on your part
by Joe Poyer
It was meant to replace the .45 Pistol. Instead, it became one of the most famous long arms of World War II and Korea
by Alan Paige
by Joe Poyer and Craig Riesch
published by North Cape Publications.
The production of various British Enfield series of .303 rifles spans more than 80 years from 1888 to the early 1970s. They were manufactured in a dozen factories on four continents in dozens of variations. In fact, the British Enfield Rifle series include so many variations that they are an entire collector's field in themselves! But because there are so many variations, identification of models and types is very difficult, and determining whether or not the rifle is "correct as manufactured" often seems impossible. Charles R. Stratton, in this first book in a series covering the entire line of British Enfield Rifles, provides a part-by-part analysis of the SMLE Mk I and Mk III series, also known as the Lee-Enfield No. 1. He includes all variations manufactured in Great Britain, Australia and India, including the post-World War II, 7.62 mm 2A/2A1 rifles made in that country. We have excerpted parts of two chapters from his book that describe many of the markings found on the SMLE as well as the characteristics that distinguish the "action body" which is better known in the U.S. as the receiver. SMLE Markings British service rifles especially the Lee-Enfields are profusely marked
with various stampings and engravings, numbers and dates, cyphers and logos,
and abbreviations of all sorts. These markings are a boon to those collectors
who understand them, but they are a source of major vexation to others who
find them virtually The place to start looking at markings on SMLE rifles is the right side of the buttstock socket more or less under the bolt handle. Here, you will find the Cypher, Factory Name, Year of Manufacture, and Model and Mark. Figure 1-1 shows a typical set of markings on the right side of the buttstock socket. Beneath the crown, the first line is the initials of the reigning monarch, the second line is the name of the factory, the third line is the year of manufacture, the fourth line is the rifle model, and the bottom line is the mark designation. Other common markings are: Serial Number, Conversion Data, Proof Marks, Inspection Marks, Unit/Issue/Ownership Markings, and Condition/Configuration Markings. Each is discussed below.
Cypher A graphic logo indicating the country of origin and period of manufacture of the rifle. Often, a smaller version of the cypher also appears as part of the proof mark (see below). British Manufacture On British-manufactured rifles, the cypher is the British Royal Cypher, which consists of a crown and the initials of the reigning monarch. Different styles of crowns are found on different rifles. Table 1-1 shows some of the styles of crowns that have been observed, and Table 1-2 lists the reigning British monarchs for the major period of Lee-Enfield manufacture.
The crowns used in the cyphers on SMLE rifles are all of the basic Tudor Crown pattern (sometimes referred to as the "King's Crown"), but it appears that each rifle factory used its own slightly different version. (The St. Edward's Crown or "Queen's Crown" is found on rifles and carbines manufactured during the reign of Queen Victoria.) Some sources state that the style of crown was unique to each reigning monarch, but inspection of actual rifles does not support this view. Notice that BSA Co. used the same style of crown through the reigns of four British monarchs, while in 1917 (during the reign of George V) five somewhat different styles of crown are found of rifles of different manufacture. Historical Note: Approximately 150,000 "Long Lees" (Magazine Lee-Metford and Magazine Lee-Enfield rifles) from the late 19th Century were converted to SMLE configuration during the early decades of the 20th Century. On most of these rifles, the original cypher (as well as other markings) is retained on the right side of the butt socket, while conversion data (see below) is stamped on the left side of the socket. Indian Manufacture On Indian-manufactured rifles produced prior to circa 1952, the cypher is similar to the British Royal Cypher, consisting of a crown and the initials of the reigning monarch. However, the crown styles used are unique to the Ishapore Rifle Factory, and the letter "I" (for Imperator) is added to the initials emphasizing the fact that the British monarch is not just "king" (of England) but also "emperor" (of the British Empire). Circa 1952 (a few years after the establishment of the Indian Republic), the crown was changed to an Ashoka (four crouched lions) and the initials were changed to "R.F.I." standing for Rifle Factory Ishapore (although the "R.F.I." designation shows up on some Ishapore single loader and .410 musket conversions from earlier decades).
Australian Manufacture On Australian-manufactured rifles produced from circa 1914-1926, the cypher consists of the letter "A" (for Australia) enclosed in a seven-pointed star. On later Australian - manufactured rifles, the star was eliminated and the cypher consists of just the letters "MA" (or in some cases "MF"). On a few very early Australian - manufactured rifles (1912-1913), the cypher consists of the letter "C" surmounted by a "broad arrow," both of which are enclosed in a vertical oval. This cypher denotes the fact that these rifles were manufactured for the Australian government by Colt Arms Company in Hartford, Connecticut. (These "C"-marked rifles are extremely rare. A collector who encounters one of them can take early retirement!)
Factory Name SMLE rifles are stamped with the name or initials of the rifle factory
at which the action body was manufactured (and which is usually the factory
where the rifle was assembled, as Points to Watch For: On early Lithgow rifles, the factory name along with the Model and Mark is enclosed in a shield. On SSA and NRF "peddled scheme" rifles, no factory name is found on the right side of the buttstock socket. Instead, the factory initials are stamped on the rear of the action body to the left of the bolt track.
Year of Manufacture This is the year in which the action body was manufactured and is not necessarily the year in which the rifle was assembled or issued. A run of action bodies would be forged, milled, dated, and stored. Often especially in periods between wars it might be a year or more before an action body was pulled from storage and assembled as a complete rifle. On SMLE rifles, the date is usually found on the right side of the buttstock socket; although for conversions and for special purpose pieces (smoothbore muskets, single loaders, etc.), the date is generally found on the left side.
Model and Mark Different Models of British service rifles indicate major changes in configuration and/or changes in the cartridge fired by the rifle. Models of most SMLE rifles are designated by the abbreviation "SHT L. E." (Short Lee Enfield) stamped on the right side of the buttstock socket. (On later Lithgow rifles, the Model designation is "S.M.L.E.," [Short Magazine Lee-Enfield] while on later Ishapore rifles, the Model designation is "No. 1.")
Different Marks (usually abbreviated "Mk") of a given Model indicate significant changes in configuration or an accumulation of minor changes in configuration. Marks of most Models are designated by a Roman numeral stamped under the model designation. (On later Ishapore rifles, the Mark is designated with an Arabic rather than Roman numeral.)
The Mk I and Mk III are newly-manufactured rifles and are described in this volume; the Mk II and Mk IV are conversions of earlier rifles, and the Mk V and Mk VI are trials rifles. The Mk II and Mk IV rifles are described in Volume III of this series, The Enfield Magazine Rifles (and their Conversions), while the Mk V and Mk VI rifles are described in Volume V, Trials, Training, and Special Purpose Rifles. On early Lithgow rifles, the Model and Mark designation, along with the factory name, is enclosed in a shield. On early Ishapore Mk I rifles, the initials "I.P." (for India Pattern) are found after the Mark designation. The 7.62mm NATO versions (1963-1970) are designated "Rifle 7.62mm 2A" and "Rifle 7.62mm 2A1," the 2A1 rifle being a minor modification of the 2A rifle. Stars (or asterisks) associated with the Mark number indicate minor changes in configuration or conversion to a newer configuration. From one to three stars may be encountered on SMLE rifles. Stars were stamped at the time of original assembly of the rifle or were added later if the rifle was changed to a newer configuration (or canceled if the rifle was changed to an earlier configuration, as sometimes was the case). The stars are found after or above the Mark designation. (For brief descriptions of various Models and Marks, see the Introduction.) Table 1-10 shows some typical Model and Mark designations. Serial Number On SMLE rifles, the Serial Number is stamped on the right side of the receiver ring and consists of a 1-to 5-digit number and (in most cases) a letter prefix; see Figure 1-13. The letter prefix is usually stamped above the numerals, but on some rifles it is to the left of or below the numerals. Serial numbers were arbitrarily limited to five digits, and when production at a given factory reached 99,999, a letter prefix of "A" was added and numbering began over again. For each further increment of 99,999 rifles, the next letter of the alphabet was used as the letter prefix. (See Appendix B, "Model and Serial Number Ranges," for further discussion of serial numbers.)
Until the mid-20th Century, serial numbers on British military longarms were used chiefly to record production at various rifle factories. Individual rifles were not identified by serial number, and no attempt was made to assign different serial number ranges to different factories. Hence, it is possible to encounter three, four, or five rifles from different factories with identical serial numbers (including letter prefix). Further, it is possible to encounter a couple dozen rifles from the same rifle factory with identical serial number digits but different letter prefixes (and usually different dates of manufacture). Points to Watch For: Inspection of hundreds of rifles manufactured by RSAF Enfield reveals an interesting observation: no five-digit serial numbers are found! Evidently, the serial numbers on Enfield-manufactured SMLEs were limited to four digits, with a new letter series beginning every 9,999 rifles. With production at Enfield around a half million per year as it was for several years during WWI two or more entire alphabet series would have been produced all with the same date of manufacture! This has not been widely noted in previous Lee-Enfield publications. To add to the confusion, on many occasions when a rifle was converted or reconditioned, a line was stamped through the original serial number and a new serial number was applied. Usually, the new serial number was one current at the time of conversion or reconditioning; however, on some occasions the serial number of an earlier rifle that had been destroyed was used as the new serial number of a converted or reconditioned rifle or even a new production weapon. Action Body Action Body Assembly The action body assembly consists of the action body group, the safety group, the trigger guard group, the sear group, and the magazine group. (The breechbolt assembly and barrel assembly are discussed in Chapters 3 and 4, respectively).
Action Body Group The action body group (See Figure 2-1) consists of the action body (i.e. the receiver) (1) and various parts assembled to it: the ejector screw (2), the magazine cut-off (3) and the cut-off screw (4). The action body of the Lee-Enfield rifle is unique among major military rifles in that it has a buttstock socket, or ring, at the rear which allows, nay, requires, the rifle to have a two-piece stock. Action Body The action body is made of forged steel, milled and polished, and generally finished with an oil blacking process (see Appendix E, "Metal Finishes"). On most SMLE rifles, the right side of the buttstock socket is stamped with an identifying cypher, the name of the manufacturer and year of manufacture, and the mark and model data. Some rifles will also have additional markings on the left side of the buttstock socket, indicating conversion or rebuilding. The date on the action body indicates when the action body was manufactured (or remanufactured) not when the rifle was actually assembled. Actioi n bodies of six significantly different configurations are found on SMLE rifles. First Variation: Two features distinguish this action body, which is found on the Mk I and Mk I* rifles, see Figure 2-2. On the left side is a forged charger guide (1), while on the right side is a forged stop (2) which forces the bolthead charger guide forward when the breechbolt is drawn fully back.
Historical Note: Early first variation action bodies had relatively sharp edges on the charger guide and stop; on later first variation action bodies, these edges were ground smooth to prevent excessive wear to clothing and bandoleers. In fact, most of the early action bodies manufactured with sharp edges were field-modified by filing down the sharp edges and blackening the filed portions. Points to Watch For: Rifles with first variation action bodies are quite scarce, as few were made and most were converted or scrapped. Especially rare are those manufactured by Sparkbrook, LSA Co., and Ishapore. Any rifle with a first variation action body is worth restoring especially if it has the proper bolt head. While most SMLE Mk II* (Converted) rifles are conversions of Long Lees, it has been reported (Toye1995) that some rifles so marked were, in fact, built on first variation action bodies. Second Variation: In July of 1906, a bridge charger guide (Figure 2-3) was fitted to the action body, and the forged charger guide and the forged stop for the bolthead charger guide were eliminated. The new rifle was designated the Mk III. The bridge charger guide was used on all subsequent Marks. The bridge charger guide was forged and machined separately and shrink-riveted to the action body.
Historical Note: A small hole was drilled in the left side of the bridge and served an interesting purpose. The hole is just the diameter of the firing pin or striker. If a rifle was about to be captured by the enemy, the soldier could remove the breechbolt and unscrew the bolthead to expose about 3/4-inch of the striker. He could then insert the exposed tip of the striker into the hole in the bridge and snap off the end of the striker, thus rendering the rifle unserviceable. Points to Watch For: Second variation action bodies with dates prior to WWI are relatively scarce especially those manufactured by LSA Co., Ishapore and Lithgow. Third Variation: In 1916, the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield remanufactured a number of Mk I and Mk I* rifles by fitting the action bodies with bridge charger guides and installing new breechbolts and barrels and often new furniture, see Figure 2-4. During the remanufacturing process, the forged charger guide on the left side of the action body was milled off (1), but the forged stop on the right side was retained (2). In addition, the original right-side buttstock socket markings were milled off and new markings were stamped in their place.
Fourth Variation: In January of 1916, the Mk III* rifle was officially adopted, see Figure 2-5. Among the changes from the Mk III rifle was the elimination of the magazine cut-off. First, second, and third variation action bodies had a slot machined in the right side to accept the cut-off, but in the fourth variation action body, this slot was omitted (1), as was the hole for the cut-off screw.
Points to Watch For: The presence of an asterisk after the Mk III stamping on the buttstock socket is not a reliable indicator of a fourth variation action body, as many Mk III rifles were upgraded to Mk III* status by the simple expedient of removing the cut-off and cut-off screw. Additionally, some fourth variation action bodies were converted back to the second variation by milling a slot for the cut-off and drilling a hole for the cut-off screw. Inspection is further complicated by the fact that many fore-ends manufactured after 1916 had full-height wood on the right side, which covered the cut-off slot. The only way to tell for sure is to open the bolt, remove the magazine and look at the inside of the action body for any trace of the magazine cut-off slot or to remove the fore-end.
Historical Note: "Peddled Scheme" Rifles, see Figure 2-6. Approximately 250,000 action bodies were built that have the fourth variation configuration but have no factory or manufacturer's name shown on the right side of the buttstock socket. Instead, either "S.S.A." or "N.R.F" is stamped on the rear of the action body behind the safety and along side of the bolt track. These action bodies were manufactured by subcontractors (Standard Small Arms and the National Rifle Factory) and supplied to RSAF Enfield for assembly into complete rifles. They are relatively scarce and of somewhat greater value to collectors than other SMLE Mk III* rifles. (The whole history of "peddled scheme" rifles is quite interesting: see pp 153-157 in Skennerton, 1993 for further information.) Fifth Variation: Unique to Ishapore production, this action body is similar to the fourth variation action body but has a heavier, more robust bridge charger guide (1). In particular, the foot of the charger guide on the right side has a square profile (2), rather than being tapered to provide clearance for the magazine cut-off (as was the case with earlier action bodies). Fifth variation action bodies are found on Ishapore Mk III* rifles manufactured after WWII. See Figure 2-7.
Sixth Variation: Also unique to Ishapore production, the sixth variation action body represents the end of the evolution of the SMLE rifle. This action body is configured for the 7.62mm NATO round and is marked "Rifle, 7.62mm 2A" (or 2A1) on the right side of the buttstock socket. In addition to being made of much higher quality EN steel, the sixth variation action body has a smaller guide channel in the bridge charger guide (arrow), the ejector screw is 1/2-inch forward of the earlier location, and the left side of the bolt track is milled to accommodate a longer extractor all changes made necessary by the shorter and rimless 7.62mm cartridge. See Figure 2-8. Points to Watch For: All but a handful of newly-manufactured SMLE rifles are Mk I, Mk I*, Mk III, and Mk III* models (including 7.62mm 2A/2A1 rifles). Most rifles stamped Mk II, Mk IV, Mk V, or Mk VI and rifles with more than one asterisk or star after the Roman numeral are conversions or trials rifles (or in the case of the Mk V, limited service rifles). Rifles stamped "Cond" are also conversions (Cond is an abbreviation for "converted").
The "British Enfield Rifles, Volume 1, SMLE (No. 1) Mk I and Mk III" by Charles R. Stratton ($16.95 plus $2.50 postage, CA residents add 7.75% sales tax) can be obtained from North Cape Publications, PO Box 1027, Tustin CA 92781. Faster service can be obtained by placing your order toll free at 1-800 745-9714. Orders can also be placed by FAX to 1-714 832-5302. All major credit cards are accepted.
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Most of us do not collect to increase our wealth, but it is good to know what that stuff in the safe or closet is worth
by Joe Poyer
In the late 1980s, Newsweek ran an article which listed the ten best collectibles from an investment standpoint. Heading the list was Chinese Bronzes. Number three was antique firearms. At the bottom of the list were such highly touted investments as diamonds and real estate. And this was before the big real estate slump of the early 1990's.
According to Newsweek, antique firearms returned between 12% and 15% annually in appreciation. My research showed that between 1955 and 1980, long arms had appreciated at a rate of I I to 12% annually while handguns had risen a bit faster at 13 % to 15 % annually. To arrive at these figures, I had selected twenty-four handguns and fourteen long guns to follow. I chose a sampling of low, medium and high interest firearms, and low, medium and high priced firearms. The prices of each for a particular year were obtained from "The Guide to Antique Gun Values," by Charles Chapel.
Appreciation of Antique Firearms 1978-1994 | ||||||
Year |
1978 |
1980 |
1983 |
1987 |
1990 |
1994 |
| Colt Single Action (Peacemaker) 5B-138 | $350.00 | $600.00 | $800.00 | $1,200.00 | $1,600.00 | $2,500.00 |
| Remington New Model 1863 5E-015 | $375.00 | $450.00 | $600.00 | $750.00 | $900.00 | $1,400.00 |
| Springfield Model 1877 Carbine Type 9A-373 | $600.00 | $700.00 | $800.00 | $650.00 | $900.00 | $1,400.00 |
| Springfield Model 1903 (1910-17) 9A-429 | $225.00 | $275.00 | $500.00 | $700.00 | $1,000.00 | $1,500.00 |
| Winchester Model 1892 .44-40 Carbine 5K-076 | $375.00 | $425.00 | $500.00 | $650.00 | $800.00 | $1,200.00 |
| Total Value of Collection/Year | $3,903.00 | $4,430.00 | $5,183.00 | $5,937.00 | $7,190.00 | $9,994.00 |
NOTE: All firearms values are from Flayderman's Guide
to "Antique American Firearms... and their values." Prices listed
are for examples in NRA "Fine" condition. | ||||||
Some of you younger gun collectors won't have heard of Charlie Chapel, who died in the 1970s, but during the 1940s to the 1960s, he was the gun value guru. His guide, published in hardback, appeared every two to three years. Mr. Chapel assembled a team of experts from around the country for each edition, and they assigned values to each firearm listed. The average of the panel's estimate was then used as the final figure. For my study, I prepared two charts, one for handguns and one for long guns, and listed the values taken from each edition from 1955 to 1980. The sum of the values per year were submitted to statistical evaluation which indicated the average rate of appreciation from year to year. A similar study repeated in the late 1980s, using "Flayderman's Guide to Antique American Firearms . . . and their values" produced similar rates of appreciation. I should point out here, that some types of handguns and rifles appreciated faster than others, and some more slowly. But the median rate of appreciation was 11 to 12% for long guns and 13 to 15% for handguns. Shown below is a small portion of my chart, now expanded to include some sixty different antique and modern collectible firearms.
In the example given above, suppose you had invested $3,900 in 1978 in the five firearms listed in the chart. If you had kept them for sixteen years-to 1994-their value would have been $9,994, an increase of 256% or an average of 16% per year. While you cannot get this type of return from a bank savings account, you can from wisely selected mutual funds. However, collecting mutual funds is nowhere near as much fun as collecting firearms. Or, looking at it another way, the Winchester Model 1892 Carbine appreciated 312% over the sixteen year time span at an average rate of 19.5 %.
There is nothing sophisticated about the analyses just performed. Expanding the chart to include other collectible firearms and matching their rates of appreciation against one another could even point you in the direction of which lines to collect, if appreciation was a driving factor in your collecting. But for whatever reason you collect firearms, it is good to know what your collection is worth, how much it has appreciated and how much it will be worth in the future.
If not, are you contributing to the loss of your Second Amendment Rights?
Lately, I've been troubled by the comments I hear from so many about the NRA. Some do not like certain positions the NRA has taken, others say they are tired of mail solicitations. From hunters I hear, "I don't own handguns or assault rifles, so it doesn't affect me." From handgun owners, I hear "they couldn't stop the Brady Bill. So what good are they?" But the worst are those who have dropped out because they don't want to pay the increased dues of $35.00!
Think about it. The NRA is the only organization that effectively represents firearms owners of all stripes. As a collector you may think your guns are safe, but you are fooling yourself. In November, 1996, just four months ago, a friend of mine who lives in the state of Victoria, Australia had to turn in an MID Sniper Rifle made in 1953, and watch it fed to a rock crushing machine. He was paid A$150 for a US $3,000 collector's rifle.
If you think that can't happen here, read the Los Angeles Times 5-part diatribe against assault rifles that started on Sunday, August 24 and ran through Thursday, August 28. Their solution to "gun crime" is an Australian-style ban of all firearms with a capacity of more than two rounds. Now anyone who ever read the LA Times knows that its editorial staff rarely has original ideas. This is the latest offensive mounted by Handgun Control and they have very strong allies in the media. The Australians and their British cousins, didn't stop with assault rifles. They banned everything that shoots.
If you don't support the National Rifle Association, then who will stand up for you in Congress and in the State legislatures? That takes money which means letters asking for contributions. Without effective national representation, what has happened in England, Australia and Canada in the past two years will happen here next.
Thirty-five dollars is a small price to pay to preserve your right to own firearms. Join or rejoin the NRA and we will double your discount on any books you order. Call 1-800 672-3888 for NRA membership information. Help yourself. Help us all.
Knowing what kind of metal an antique firearm is made of will often help you determine whether or not it has been reblued or otherwise refurbished.
By Michael Phillip Powell
The materials used to make firearms have always been of interest to the collector. Knowing the type of iron or steel used can often provide clues as to whether or not the firearm has been refinished. For instance, gun barrels made of wrought iron take on a far deeper "brown" finish than do replacement barrels made of steel. Or the wrought iron frame of a Smith & Wesson Model 3 American or a Remington New Model will show a thinner "heat" or "furnace" blue that flakes far easier than the same frame "reblued" with a modern bluing solution.
This Smith & Wesson Schofield barrel is made of iron, not steel, and so the heat or charcoal bluing originally applied will fade to brown faster than if it were steel.
The oldest type of ferrous metal used in firearms was wrought iron, a mixture of pure iron and slag. The presence of "slag" made the iron soft and easily worked ductile. Wrought iron also was far more resistant to corrosion than most modern steels short of some stainless steels. But the presence of slag in the iron also made the material brittle. Wrought iron was used by gunmakers from the earliest days of firearms through the mid-1870s. Its use began to decline with the availability of crucible steel, described below, starting in the 1850s.
`Cast iron was the most common form of iron available before the middle 1800s. While it contained a great deal of carbon inclusions which made it quite brittle it was easily cast into intricate shapes like cheap revolver frames and shotgun receivers. Another form of cast iron was called malleable iron which was somewhat less brittle and was used for inexpensive shotgun receivers well into the middle of this century.
This rare blued, 2" Victory Model Smith & Wesson was made entirely of steel.
Blister steel was made from wrought iron and was used primarily for making springs and to a lesser extent, for making barrels. Wrought iron was heated with charcoal to allow the iron to absorb carbon. But the slag remained in the final product and quality varied from batch to batch. Blister steel was manufactured until the 1770s when it too began to be replaced by crucible steel.
Crucible steel was developed by British clockmaker, Benjamin Huntsman, who needed a dependable steel for clock springs. He found that when wrought iron and coal were melted in a clay crucible, a much finer grade of steel without slag and inclusions could be obtained. Crucible steel was in use by the mid-1800s at Springfield and Harpers Ferry national armories. But it was expensive and could only be used for making springs and small parts subject to heavy wear.
The greatest stride forward in steel making came with the development of the "Bessemer" process, which appear in England in the 1855. A "converter," a crucible was used to melt a large quantity of pig iron and then air was blown through the molten metal to burn away excess carbon. By the late 1860s, Bessemer steel was being made very cheaply in the United States and its high quality steel was used at Springfield to make lock plates and other parts for the Model 1873 .45-70 Springfield.
The Bessemer process also made possible the development of high strength steels through alloying. Molybdenum steel became available in the mid-1870s, nickel steel in the late 1880s and chrome steels by 1903. Because most steel made in the last century includes scrap steel in its composition, such alloying agents as molybdenum, nickel and chrome are present as impurities. A simple qualitative test by any industrial metals testing laboratory can tell you if that Winchester Model 1866 barrel or that Colt Single Action frame contains nickel or chrome when it should not.
Money ; the leading cause of limited Firearms Collecting. Pay attention to the "market" to help fund your collecting habit
The current national economic situation has been improving slowly since mid-1994. One industry, however, has lagged far behind the recovery curve and that is commercial firearms. As reported by many companies your editor spoke to at the January 1997 Shot Show in Las Vegas, sales are down between 30 to 60% across the industry.
The drastic drop in the sale of modem firearms has also affected the sale of collector's firearms. With few exceptions, we have seen prices fall in many categories over the past two years. Only two areas have seen an increase in value-the very high end of Colts, Winchester, Sharps, etc., and American World War 11 collectible firearms-the MI Carbine, the MI Garand and the Model 1903 Springfield and the MI 917 Enfield-all have risen in value by as much as 50% during the past 2-3 years.
At the high end, very simply, the increasing scarcity of fine collectibles as more and more disappear into private collections, has driven prices to new highs. US firearms are more complicated. Between 1986 and the end of 1995, hundreds of thousands of MI Carbines, MI Garands and M1917 Enfields were imported into the U.S. for the benefit of collectors. As the supplies increased, prices dropped. MI Carbines at the turn of the '90s were selling for as low as $139; MI Garands for $230 and M1917s for $125.00. Then in late 1994, the Administration moved to cut off the importation of firearms. As supplies thinned out, sellers were able to ask more and buyers were willing to pay more.
These two M1 Carbines were purchased in 1990 for $139.00 and $169.00respectively. The photo above shows an original Inland M1 as built in late 1943. Photo below shows an originalWinchester M1 as built in the last days of world War II. Both have more than tripled in value.
Lesson One: The combination of slow business in the modem firearms industry plus the restriction on future imports should have suggested a coming scarcity which in turn meant rising prices. Good old supply and demand.
Lesson Two: Stocking up on low cost MI Carbines, MI Garands and Ml 917 Enfields for later sale would have produced profits to be reinvested. Now many of you are shaking your heads and saying, so what? I'm not interested in U.S. military weapons of World War II vintage. Two reasons why you should have been: first, a possible new area of collecting interest and/or two, wouldn't the profits made from buying low and selling high could help finance the areas of collecting you are really interested in. Appreciation in economic value is a fact of life. Even if you only collect firearms for pleasure, at some point, the value of your collection will become an asset (when you need money) or a liability (when the tax man asks for an accounting from your heirs). Few of us have so much money available for collecting that we can afford to ignore an obvious source of financing.
Restoring Imported Military Firearms
Surplus imported military firearms can make very fine and accurate shooters with only a little work on your part
by Joe Poyer
They are absolutely the best bargains in firearms today, these old "Dogs of War." Not only do many of them have great historical and collector's value, but they can be turned into the really fine and accurate firearms they were during their periods of military service. Outmoded and old-fashioned looking they may be, but never forget that national government's lavished money and manpower on their design, knowing that national survival could very well be at stake.
Military firearms are designed to take the worst possible abuse. They must function under any condition of weather, combat or degree of training on the part of the soldier who uses them and the other soldiers who maintain them. It is military firearms and not sporting firearms that are chosen by guerrillas when they take on security and military forces. No commercial manufacturing firm ever had the money and manpower to apply to the design of a hunting or target firearm that governments do.
Therefore, fifty years or more out of style, grungy, oil-soaked, rusty, parts broken or worn. So what! A little care and attention and you can return more than ninety-five percent of all surplus military firearms to long and accurate service.
To prove our point, we chose one of the beat-up surplus .45 semiautomatic pistols that had found its way back to the United States after service with foreign armies and police departments. This particular pistol had been sent to the Chinese Nationalist Government in 1944. It was apparently captured by the Red Chinese army and stored for nearly fifty years under the worst conditions. It was rusty, pitted, had plenty of worn parts and the barrel showed only the merest traces of rifling. But it was cheap! We filled out the proper paperwork, waited the requisite fifteen days (California) and at last, carried it home to the work bench.
Parts Replacement
Your needs will be relatively modest to start. The most common problem areas in old military handguns are sears, hammers, firing pins or strikers, mainsprings, stocks or grips and if semiautomatic pistols, magazines, disconnectors, barrel links and pins, sear springs and extractors. These parts are often worn from overuse or abuse and chances are good that at least one of them will need to be replaced. When obtaining replacement parts, always try for surplus military parts for the same reasons that you are buying the complete military firearm serviceability and ruggedness. Also many after-market parts tend to be sloppily made and require a great deal of hand fitting, if they can be made to work at all. Avoid commercial investment cast parts like the plague. They are all too often over- or undersized. Military or commercially machined parts will show sharp edges and bright, polished flat surfaces. Investment cast parts will show rounded edges and unpolished surfaces.
Remove the magazine and pull back the slide to assure that the gun is empty. Check to see how tight the barrel lockup is by moving the muzzle up and down. If very loose, the barrel bushing should be replaced.
Press down on the back of barrel through the ejection port. If there is significant movement, the barrel link must be replaced with a longer one.
Cock the hammer and move the slide back about 1/8 inch. Pull the trigger. If the hammer falls, the disconnector must be replaced.
On certain semitautomatic pistols, the sear/hammer alignment can be checked by mounting the parts on the outside of the frame.
In the case of our pistol, it was the disconnector and sear that gave the most trouble. Both were worn to the point of being dangerous. The hammer showed some wear but a careful examination with a magnifying glass revealed no one had ever tried to alter the sear or half-cock notch to "smooth up" the action.
In most cases, one of your local gun shops should be able to supply the necessary parts. If not, contact one of the suppliers listed at the end of this article. Many surplus military pistols such as the Model 1911A1 Government or the Browning High Power have easily replaceable barrels. Surplus military barrels are usually fairly inexpensive. American military barrels can always can readily be distinguished by a small "P" stamped somewhere on the barrel itself, or on the lug. An "HS" (High Standard) stamp on a .45 ACP barrel guarantees World War II-period manufacture, and therefore one made expressly for the. Military barrels will also usually have a blackish finish while commercial barrels usually are brightly polished. Fixed barrel like those for the P-38 or the P.08 Luger pose a different problem as are marked with the partial serial number. For historical and financial considerations, it is best not to change these barrels. Last but most important, if you intend to shoot your surplus military firearm-rifle or pistol- and it has a detachable magazine, buy a new one. Do not spare the expense here. Get a good military magazine, if possible. Detachable magazines are the most failure-prone part of any firearm. Making certain that you have a good, workable one is only common sense.
Beginning the Reconditioning Procedure
The first step is to don safety glasses. Next, completely disassemble the firearm according to the procedures outlined in any of several publications listed at the end of this article. A TIP: put several clean sheets of newsprint or white paper down on your working surface. Fold the edges up and tape them to form a shallow tray about one inch or so deep. This will prevent small parts from rolling off the work surface and disappearing in the shadows beneath the table or bench. Also, use a small plastic cup or dish to hold parts as you remove them.
Tools Required: You will need the following tools. A medium and small screwdriver, flat faced punches of various sizes, an old toothbrush, a flat Arkansas or other hard sharpening stone, and a pan of hot, soapy water. You will also need a gun cleaning kit or at minimum, brass or nylon bore brushes in the proper caliber-add one in .22 caliber for cleaning out hard-to-reach nooks an crevices, a cleaning rod, and cleaning patches. The latter can be made from rags or even paper towels.
Cleaning: With the firearm disassembled, clean all the parts. I prefer to use hot, soapy water-as hot as you can stand-rather than solvents for health reasons. If you choose to use solvents, wear rubber gloves and work in a well-ventilated area. Use an old toothbrush to clean the inside of the frame and slide. Use the .30 caliber and then the .22 caliber brass or plastic bore brush to clean all tunnels and holes, trigger channels and other crevices. Scrub hard and long. Scrub the barrel's bore with the proper caliber bore brush to remove as much gunk as possible. Put each part back into the soapy water as you finish it.
When all parts have been cleaned, empty out the soapy water container, rinse the parts under running water, then replace in the container. Boil a pan of clean water and drop the parts in for a final rinse. Let them stand for five to ten minutes to heat through then fish them out with tongs and lay on dry newspaper. The heat they absorbed will cause them to dry quickly. You may note fine traces of rust appearing; when the pars cool, wipe the rust off with a cloth. When they are dry, spray with a water-displacing oil like LPS. Make sure to saturate all parts inside and out. Now dry them off with a paper towel and wipe with an oiled patch.
Hammer: While you have the firearm disassembled, examine the hammer, firing pin or striker, paying particularly attention to any retaining notches which sears and safeties engage. All cuts should be sharp edges and parallel to contact. If they are worn, do not attempt to recut them as this must be done on precision machinery at the exact right angles for safety reasons. Replace if necessary.
Sears: The nose of the any sear should show a flat, ground lip on its forward edge were it engages the hammer, firing pin or striker. Often, as was the case in our .45 Pistol, the sears in old military firearms are worn or chipped and provide a ragged or rough trigger pull, If in doubt, replace. Make certain that the new sear nose rests completely in the proper notch. If you can detect any roughness when you run your finger along the sear nose, lightly dress it with a fine sharpening stone. Use caution here: all you want to do is remove the roughness. Do not stone away metal. Changing the angle of the sear nose can produce an unsafe firearm that will discharge when you least expect it too.
Disconnector: Disconnectors are found in semiautomatic firearms. Their function is to prevent the firing pin, hammer or striker from falling against a cartridge before the action is locked closed. The detonation of even a small cartridge in tan open breech can cause severe injury-to you. I routinely replace any disconnector if it shows even the slightest bit of wear. This is a vital part of the pistol and you should not take chances with it. The hammer in our .45 pistol had clean, smooth flats in the half- and full cock notches. But the sear nose was worn slightly on one edge and so I replaced both it and the disconnector.
Trigger: Now check the trigger. Triggers should fit snugly and there should be no perceptible side- to-side or up-and-down motion. The trigger in our pistol was abominable. It not only moved back, but in three other directions as well, all at the same time. When pulled, it had a tendency to ride up, jam in its channel and refuse to disengage the sear. If you pulled it hard enough, there was an audible click as the trigger bar was forced back down in its channel and finally encountered the sear. I measured the trigger pull at eighteen pounds. Needless to say, I discarded the trigger and replaced it with one salvaged from a military .45 that had been destroyed as surplus at one time. Judging from the condition of the trigger that surplus pistol must have been almost new. It fit properly and all but a slight bit of extraneous motion was eliminated.
Mainspring: Again, every firearm has a mainspring and hammers, strikers or firing pins should have plenty of snap when I released. But if you find that your hammer drops lazily, or the firing pin or striker motors in lazily when released, the cause may be a broken or jammed mainspring. Consult one of the references listed in the side bar for the proper disassembly procedure. Always keep in mind that mainsprings are usually under a great deal of pressure. You may find the problem is simply dirt and grease, especially in bolts or where the mainspring is enclosed. Removing the dirt may allow the spring to function properly. Clean it and the inside of the main spring housing thoroughly. A bore brush may work well and Q-tips can be used to swab out. If the spring is broken, you have no choice but to replace it. If the interior is clean and the spring is not broken, then the spring may have lost its temper, or may even be too short. Again, you have no other choice but to replace it. But chances are, cleaning decades of grease and dirt will do the job.
Firing Pin and Spring: Examine the firing pin spring for breaks. Make sure that the firing pin is not burred or broken at the tip and moves smoothly in its tunnel or slot.
Extractor: Remove the extractor from the bolt or slide. Examine the "hook" for chips or worn spots. Replace if necessary. After the magazine, extractors are responsible for more failures to eject or operate properly than any other part. Extractors are usually very narrow springs. They break easily when outside their slots and you cannot stone or cut them without usually destroying their spring function or changing their dimensions. Replacement is the best advice.
Barrel: I said earlier in the article that if your barrel's bore is pitted, you may want to replace it eventually if you intend to accurize the pistol. But if the rifling is not broken, pitting will usually not have a great effect on accuracy. But you should check the muzzle end of the barrel and the inner diameter carefully. If the barrel muzzle is pitted or dented, then you will have severe accuracy problems and should probably replace the barrel right away. Also check the inside diameter of the bore. A "loose" bore greater in diameter than the bullet can never be made to shoot accurately. Our .45 was a case in point. The barrel had virtually no rifling left, yet it shot equally well with our highly accurized Colt Gold Cup .45 up to thirty yards because the bore was very tight. Beyond thirty yards, accuracy was terrible. The other aspect of pistol barrels in the Browning system that has a great effect on accuracy is "lockup." When the barrel is in battery (slide forward) the barrel is pushed up tight against the top of the slide and the two ridges on its top ahead of the breech mate with two similar cuts in the top of the slide. Place the barrel in the slide; the barrel should move less than 1/64th of an inch forward or backward for the best accuracy. If there is more movement the barrel will have to be replaced. If want to preserve that barrel for any reason, a gunsmith specializing in accurizing the .45 Government Model can weld up the barrel's locking grooves and recut them to fit the slide exactly. In pistols where the barrel is fixed to the frame (i.e. the Walther system) or in rifles, the equivalent concern has to do with headspacing. Headspace is the distance from the cartridge base to the face of the bolt when in battery. Too much headspace-i.e. too great a distance-can cause the cartridge to move backwards in the chamber on ignition, increasing the chances of hot gases escaping the breech. To tight a headspace can increase pressures in the breech to the danger point. Therefore this warning: Before you fire any imported rifle or pistol with a fixed barrel and bolt mechanism, have the headspace checked by a competent gunsmith with the proper headspace gages. Insist that his findings be made in writing and signed.
Fig. 9: All military pistols show inspection and proof marks that signify the part is an original military purchase. In the case of this .45 ACP it is the "P" proof mark of the US Ordnance Department.
Link and Pin: The next two sections apply only to Browning-style mechanisms in which the barrel is held in place by a pin attached to a link. If the barrel showed significant up and down movement when you thumbed it down through the ejection port while in battery, the barrel link and/or pin may be worn. Punch out the barrel link pin with a flat faced punch. Replace with a new link longer than the old. The new pin should be smooth and unmarked and of the same or greater diameter than the old. Try successively larger links until the problem disappears.
Barrel Bushing: Now check the fit of the barrel in the barrel bushing, and the bushing in the slide. Insert the barrel into the bushing so that the bushing is at the muzzle. If you can slip a strip of bond paper between the barrel and the bushing you will want to replace the bushing eventually for improved accuracy. Examine it for obvious burrs or gouges, or to make certain that it is not deformed. For best accuracy, the bushing itself should fit tightly enough in the slide that a wrench is needed to turn it. Military pistols were not built to this tight a specification. The bushing will have a bit of play. But that play should not exceed 1/64th of an inch in any direction. If it is loose you will want to replace it eventually.
Magazines: Check magazine as follows. Insert five or six cartridges. The top cartridge should rest just below the ears (the bent and rounded portion of the magazine walls that keep the cartridges from popping out). Insert the magazine into the frame with the bolt or slide removed and examine the relationship between the cartridge in the magazine and the breech end of the barrel. The cartridge should be pointing at the open breech with only the slightest "up" angle visible. Push the top cartridge from the magazine with a finger tip. It should move smoothly from the magazine to the barrel. The bottom of the bullet should encounter the slight bevel at the top front of the magazine well and ride smartly up on the beveled bottom half of the barrel to seat itself. If any part of the cartridge rises above the magazine's ears, the cartridge will enter the barrel at to high an angle and cause a "smokestack"-a loaded round projecting from the ejection port. If this happens, it is best to replace the magazine because the ears have been deformed. You cannot bend them back successfully because this portion of the magazine has been treated to give it a spring action.
Reassembly and Testing
Reassemble the firearm. Oil very lightly all parts that move against, or slide into another part. If you have difficulty fitting a replaced part, then it is probably not made to military specification. Discard or return it to the supplier and request a proper part. Lubricate the frame rails on which bolts or slides move with one drop of oil on the front of each rail, and another small drop at the middle. Add the merest suggestion of oil to hammer and sear pivots. To much oil will collect dust and grit.
Firing the Restored Firearm
Now that you have cleaned and replaced the critical parts, have the firearm examined by a competent gunsmith. Does the safety function properly? Are their any cracks in barrel, slide or frame that you may have overlooked. Is the headspace within correct limits? Does the firing pin retract properly? If the gunsmith pronounces it safe to shoot, the next stop is the firing range. If you can obtain it, use military ball ammunition, or failing that, a good commercial brand made expressly for your type of firearm for all initial testing. Do not use reloads unless you prepared them yourself or purchased them yourself from a reputable supplier, Never use someone else's reloads unless you participated in the reloading process. Fire two cylinders or magazines slowly, testing for proper function. All parts should cycle properly and in the case of semiautomatic firearms, load a new round. The hammer should not fall to the half cock position after each shot but should stop in the full cock position. If a semiautomatic firearm fails to feed a new round properly, ninety percent of the time the magazine will be at fault and should be replaced. If a bolt action rifle fails to feed when you operate the bolt handle, check the magazine spring to make certain it is lifting the cartridge to the proper height. If okay, check the cartridge guide on the bottom of the bolt to make certain that it is not broken or worn and is engaging the next cartridge from the magazine.
If you have restored a semiautomatic pistol and the slide will not recoil far enough to the rear to cock the hammer, or the hammer slips to the half cock notch, check the recoil spring to make certain that it is not weak. Small pistol springs require between ten and fourteen pounds of pressure to compress fully, medium pistols between fourteen and seventeen pounds and larger pistols eighteen or more pounds. The minimum for the Government Model .45 is eighteen pounds when military ball ammunition is used. Conversely, if the spring is too strong, it may not compress fully and will prevent the slide from recoiling far enough to cock the hammer and eject the empty case. Also make certain that the slide moves easily on the frame. Other causes are a worn hammer or firing pin or striker notch or rounded sear nose that permits the hammer, striker or firing pin to slip to half cock. Recheck both. The fault may also lie with a worn or broken extractor or ejector. In the odd case, a pitted chamber may be causing enough friction to drag on the fired case. If the condition persists, examine the ammunition carefully. If you are using handloads or light commercial loads, try "hotter" ammunition. If you are the reloader try increasing the powder load in 0.1 grain increments until reliable functioning is achieved. You might also try using a heavier bullet. The Government Model 1911A1 for instance, was built to function best with a 230 grain bullet. Commercial loads with light bullets may fail to cycle the slide. Again, a good reloading manual is a very valuable adjunct to the restoration process.
If everything now works properly, you have acquired and restored a fine military firearm to proper functioning. If not, you still have some work ahead of you. Approach any problems that crop up like a detective. You do have plenty of time to work it out. After all, this is a hobby.
When cleaned and repaired with certain new parts, our "dog of war" became a serviceable firearm once again with many years of life left and its collector's value restored.
A Question of Replacement Parts
Finding replacement parts for surplus military firearms is sometimes complicated by a plethora of cheap, mass-produced cast parts. These look very good when you buy them, but not so good when you try and install them. For the most part, they require "fitting" which could turn out to be a major task. Avoid cast replacement parts whenever possible-you can identify them by the their rounded edges and mold seams. Challenge Publications recommends the following parts dealers. For the most part they stock only "military surplus" original parts. Be sure and specify that you want only original military parts when ordering.
Tom Forrest, Inc., P.O. Box 326, Lakeside, California 92040 619-561-5800, FAX 619 561-0227.
Parts and magazines for the Model 1911 and 1911A1.
Gun Parts Corporation, W. Hurley, NY 12491, 914 679-2417, FAX 914 679-5849.
Wide selectionof parts for all firearms.
Lincoln County Surplus, Box 62, Lincoln, New Mexico 88338.
"Old Sarge" even has a toll free order number 800 524-0534. All parts.
Quality Parts Company, P.O. Box 1479, Windham, ME 040652. Toll Free 800 998-SWAT.
Custom parts.
SARCO, 323 Union St., Stirling, NJ 07980. 908 647-3800.
Dependable and with the widest assortment of gun parts available.
Assembly/Disassembly Instructions
We have found that the best source for assembly and disassembly instructions for the widest variety of firearms of all kinds are contained in the several publications from the National Rifle Association:
The NRA Guide to Firearms Assembly
Volume 1: Shoulder Arms
Volume 2: Handguns
Volume 3: Rifles and Shotguns
Volume 4: Pistols and Revolvers
For an photographic approach to firearms assembly/disassembly,
The Gun Digest Firearms Assembly/Disassembly series published by DBI books can't be beat:
Volume 1: Automatic Pistols
Volume 2: Revolvers
Volume 3: Rimfire Rifles
Volume 4: Centerfire Rifles
Volume 5: Shotguns
In addition, one of the most helpful publications ever to assist the restorer of fine firearms is
Hobby Gunsmithing by Ralph T. Walker, also published by DBI Books.
Packed into 320 pages is a lifetime of professional gunsmithing techniques and tips.
The publications listed above are available from:
The National Rifle Association
Publications Division, 470 Spring Park Place, Ste 1000,
Herndon, VA 22070
DBI Books, Inc.,
935 Lakeview Parkway, Ste 101, Vernon Hills, IL 60061
800 767-6310
It was meant to replace the .45 Pistol. Instead, it became one of the most famous long arms of World War II and Korea
by Alan Paige
As the legend goes, the basic design of the M1 Carbine was developed by a convicted murderer while serving time in prison for murder. After his release from prison, David Williams went to work for Winchester Repeating Arms and proved to be an invaluable, if somewhat irascible employee. The United States had developed perhaps the finest battle role of its time, the M1 Garand and placed in service in 1939. But the M1 Garand production was slow-less than 600,000 were manufactured by late 1940-and President Franklin Roosevelt was pressing the military hard to prepare itself for the inevitable entry of the United States into the war already raging in Europe. One of the Army's great concerns was not only the lack of first-class front-line battle weapons, but the usability of those that did exist. Among these concerns was the sidearm, the .45 caliber M1911A1 Government model which was issued to officers, non-commissioned officers and combat support troops. The .45 had a well-deserved reputation for being difficult to learn to shoot accurately, but once learned, was deadly. But there now existed neither the money nor the time to run soldiers through the lengthy training period required.
The solution finally decided upon was to develop a light semiautomatic shoulder arm-sort of a miniature M1 Garand-that with little training, a soldier could learn to shoot accurately. The new arm would then replace the .45 Government model for combat support troops, officers and non- commissioned officers.
The legend about the origins of the M1 Carbine is essentially true for once. The basic action of the M1 Carbine was developed by David Williams who really did work out most of the engineering problems and even carved a wooden model while in prison term. The essence of William's design was that gas bled from the barrel could drive a short piston with sufficient force to cycle a bolt in a semiautomatic firearm.
The Winds of War
On October 1, 1940, the Ordnance Department issued proposed specifications to more than twenty- five companies and requested that they submit designs for the new carbine. Seven companies developed prototypes and within eight months, them in May 1941. The companies included Savage Arms Corporation, Woodhull Corporation, Colt's Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company, Harrington & Richardson Arms Company, Auto-Ordnance Company, Springfield Armory and Bendix Aviation Corporation.
But not Winchester. Because of other commitments, the company was unable to provide test models for the initial firing trials. The test were held but all of the models submitted proved to be flawed in one way or another. The Ordnance Department, unable to select a design, scheduled additional trials for mid-September of that year. With their design staff now free of previous commitments, Winchester Repeating Arms submitted a final version of David Williams design, and won.
The M1 Carbine Goes To War
The M1 Carbine was adopted on October 22, 1941 and was subsequently used by every branch of the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II, the Korean War and by many units during the War in Vietnam. More than six million of the light, handy weapon were produced by ten major contractors supported by over 1,600 subcontractors in under four years. The effort involved in coordinating this production was an epic of industrial management rarely equaled since. The original specifications called for a .30 caliber weapon weighing five pounds, a magazine capacity of 20 rounds and an effective range of 300 yards. The .30 caliber round was developed for the Ordnance Department by Winchester and was based on the .32 WRA Self Loading cartridge. The weapon had to be capable of both semiautomatic and automatic fire. First production contracts were issued to Inland, a division of General Motors, and shortly thereafter, to Winchester in November 1941. The first deliveries arrived seven months later from Inland in June 1942. Winchester followed in September with their first production shipment.
American assault troops near the beach at Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944. Several M1 Carbine are in evidence. The smoke in the background is from US Naval gunfire.
The M1 Carbine served on all fronts during World War
II. These two soldiers of the 110thRegiment, 28th Division, US First Army
are resting before returning to the line after German Panzers overran their
position outside Bastonge.
American troops armed with M1 Carbines guard German
prisoners captured in the days following the Normandy landings.
Although the M1 Carbine was supposed to replace the
Government Model 1911A1 pistol,within months, the two firearms were issued
simultaneously to combat officers and non-commissioned officers, particularly
in combat support units.
M1 Carbine parts underwent several changes as combat
experience revealed where improvements needed to be made. The early flat-topped
bolt (top) gave way in mid-1944 to a stronger, round bolt (bottom).
M1 Carbine parts were manufactured by over 200 contractors
and sub-contractors. Virtually every part is coded so that it could be traced
to the manufactured in case of failure. These two Type3 hammers were manufactured
after September/October 1943. Codes indicate that they were manufactured
by Inland (left) and Underwood (right).
The M1 Carbine exceeded all Ordnance Department expectations and eventually, ten major contractors were involved in producing the weapon: Inland, Winchester, Underwood-Elliot-Fisher Company (typewriters), Rock-Ola Corporation (a manufacturer of juke boxes), Rochester Defense Corporation (which later became National Postal Meter), Saginaw Steering Gear Division of General Motors, Quality Hardware Corporation, Standard Products Corporation, Irwin-Pedersen Arms Corporation and International Business Machines Corporation. The production effort was so successful that it reached per day in mid-1943. IN all, 6,200,000 carbines were produced by the time production ended in 1945. By mid-1944, the Ordnance Department was convinced that enough M1 Carbines had been manufactured that all contracts except those to Inland and Winchester were canceled. Both of these original manufacturers continued in production until August, 1945 when the war ended.
M1 Carbine Collecting
While ten official models of the M1 Carbine were developed, all but four were considered experimental or never reached the production stage. These four were the M1 Semiautomatic Carbine, the M1A1 Folding Stock Carbine, the M2 Selective Fire Carbine and the T3 (M3) Infrared Sniperscope Carbine. This last served primarily during the Korean War although prototypes were developed during the waning days of World War II.
The M1 Carbine is a fertile field for collectors. There are ten manufacturer's variations with which to begin a collection. Those ten manufacturers produced some fifteen sub-variations and up to seven types of some fifty-four parts. During its period of use with the United States military, M1 Carbine components were continually being upgraded, and retrofitted to carbines already in use, as well as those then in production. Because the M1 Carbine was produced in such quantity and used so widely around the free world there is a vast reservoir to supply the collector's market. The challenge for the collector of M1 Carbines is first and foremost to return his or her carbine to original condition. Next, to obtain a basic collection illustrating unaltered examples of each of the ten manufacturer's carbines. Advanced collectors will then wish to acquire examples of Ordnance Department altered carbines-those with the two types of adjustable sights, two different types of hand guards, three barrel bands, three styles of stocks and so on. The fact that spare parts are still plentiful makes it possible for the collector to restore many M1 Carbines to "factory-issue"- and in those states that allow automatic weapons to be owned by individuals-M2 carbines as well. A little less than 140,000 M1A1 folding stock carbines were manufactured by Inland between 1942 and 1944. An unaltered example is the prize of any collection.
The Four Major Variations
The standard M1 Carbine was a semiautomatic short rifle equipped with a fifteen-round magazine. This is the familiar carbine seen in the hands of so many soldiers during World War II, the Korean War and even during the Vietnam War. Original productions carbines made during WWII were not equipped with bayonet mounts but adjustable sights were introduced in 1944.
The M1A1 Carbine was developed and issued primarily to airborne troops. It was a basic M1 Carbine except that it was equipped with a folding wire butt stock. The compact weapon was carried in a leg holster. It was later adopted by Signal Corps linemen and heavy vehicle drivers and was much sought after by tankers as well.
The M2 Carbine was the M1 redesigned as a selective fire-semiautomatic or automatic mode-carbine. The M1 Carbine's .30 caliber round was determined to be underpowered for combat use. The semiautomatic version was developed to allow the soldier to increase his firepower. The M2 was issued only very late in World War II but saw action in a series of small conflicts after 1946 and widespread use in Korea and Vietnam.
The M3 Carbine was the M2 semiautomatic carbine equipped with an infrared illumination source and a telescopic sight with an infrared light filter for sniping at night. The short range of the IR illuminator kept the M3 from achieving wide usage. But it was used to good effect during the Korean War for nighttime sniping and provided the impetus behind the Defense Department's development of the "starlight scope". The collector will be most concerned with the M1 and M1A1 carbines, less so with the M2 Carbine as most states restrict the possession of automatic weapons. Few collectors will be concerned with the M3 carbine because of their extreme scarcity. Certain states, such as California, forbid the possession of a complete M3 Carbine because of the infrared sniping attachment and concerns about poaching.
"Civilian" M1 Carbines
The M1, M1A1, M2 and M3 Carbines were manufactured only between 1942 to 1945. No other M1, M2, M1A1 or M3 Carbines were acquired by the U.S. Ordnance Department before or after these years. M1-style carbines were manufactured by several companies after World War II for civilian sale but none of these were officially acquired by the U.S. Ordnance Department for use by the United States military or non-military armed services. Some of these "civilian" carbines were however, acquired by foreign governments.
Rebuilt M1 Carbines
After World War II ended, hundreds of thousands of M1 Carbines were overhauled at various arsenals and by private contractors. Some carbines were so battle-damaged that they were completely rebuilt while others had only the sight, safety and barrel band replaced to bring them up to military specification. When the carbine was approved for reissue, the initials of the arsenal where it was rebuilt were stamped into the stock. This stamp is normally on the left side, above the pistol grip. Some arsenals stamped a "P" on the forward part of the pistol grip behind the trigger guard. It is not uncommon to see a carbine with two or three sets of rebuild stamps from different arsenals. Each time a carbine was sent back for repair or refinishing, upon completion a new acceptance stamp would be applied. Some of the arsenal markings will show additional letters.
Usually, these are inspector's initials. Many component parts of the M1 and M2 Carbines were manufactured for post-World War II repair or replacement. Springfield Armory "SA" and Rock Island Arsenal "RIA" produced a wide variety of replacement parts. After the Korean War ended in 1953, many parts were manufactured by investment casting and can be so identified by mold marks. Several other small parts, like M2 hammers, sears and 30-round ammunition magazine catches show no manufacturer's markings at all and so these parts would not be correct for restoring M1 Carbines to World War II condition. Refinished carbines will show a heavier bead blasting than the original finish preparation process. The parkerizing color will be black or gray rather than the deep olive green of the original process, depending on the arsenal, and the finish will be dull.
Finally, some rebuilt carbines may have had their muzzles counterbored. The depth of this counterbore was kept to a minimum whenever done. The practice was authorized by the Department of the Army in February 1953 to restore accuracy to damaged but otherwise serviceable carbine barrels.
Assigned Serial Number Blocks
The U.S. Ordnance Department assigned each of the ten major contractors building complete carbines blocks of serial numbers. It should be noted that the contractors did not use all the numbers assigned.
Since the 1986, M1 Carbines have been reimported into the United States by the hundreds of thousands. Most of these carbines were sent overseas to allied and friendly governments during the Cold War as military assistance. Many have been stored for decades as war reserve stocks, but others have seen hard use. These "returned" carbines are widely available at very reasonable prices at your local gun shop or gunshow. Check them out, then restore them to their original condition. And don't be afraid to shoot the M1 Carbine. It is a very fine plinking and recreational shoulder arm and is accurate enough for small game hunting.
To learn more abut the M1 Carbine, order "The M1 Carbine: Wartime Production" from North Cape Publications, PO Box 1027, Tustin, CA 92780. Either print the order form (link*order form) or phone toll free 1-800 745-9714. The price is $16.95 and it provides a complete part-by-part analysis of the M1 Carbine and lists every part by manufacturer, serial number range, variation and includes all manufacturer's codes appearing on the part as well. Using the M1 Carbine: Wartime Production allows the collector to return any M1 Carbine to its original, as-issued configuration.
incomprehensible. A study of the various markings on an
SMLE rifle will go a long way toward revealing the origin and history of
the rifle, as well as its current condition. Major markings are found in
various places: on the right side of the buttstock socket, on the right
side of the receiver ring, on the left side of the buttstock socket, on
the top and left side of the receiver ring, on the left side of the barrel,
on the buttstock and buttstock marking disk, and on individual parts.
well). On most rifles, the
factory name is found on the right side of the buttstock socket, under the
cypher and above the date of manufacture. See Table 1-5.
Serial numbers are also often found on the rear of the bolt handle,
on the bottom of the backsight leaf, on the nose cap, on the bottom of the
fore-end (just behind the nose cap), and on the magazine. Serial numbers
in these locations were not stamped at the factory; rather they were added
in the field by unit armorers. Achieving proper chamber headspace often
involved hand-fitting the bolt (actually, the bolt head) to a particular
action body. In order to keep bolts from getting mixed up when a number
of rifles were disassembled, armorers would stamp the action body serial
number on the rear of the bolt handle. In the process of sighting in a rifle,
the backsight assembly would be paired up with a particular action body
and barrel assembly, and the backsight leaf would be stamped with the action
body serial number. Often, too, sighting-in required hand-fitting of the
fore-end and nose cap, so armorers would stamp the action body serial number
on these parts as well. Serial numbers on magazines are not as prevalent
as on other rifle components, and the reason for numbering magazines is
not clear.
Date of manufacture is not totally reliable, either. Some fourth
variation action bodies with dates as early as 1915 have been observed (from
BSA Co.), while some second variation action bodies with dates as late as
1918 have been observed (from LSA Co.). Furthermore, during the years between
WWI and WWII, both second and fourth variation action bodies were manufactured
by BSA Co. In addition, both Ishapore and Lithgow returned to the second
variation action body shortly after WWI and continued with it until the
beginning of World War II.
