The M1 Carbine

[sakorick]

From 1942 to 1945 the US had 6.2M M1 Carbines assembled by 10 different manufactures as follows:

Inland Manufacturing Division GM.............2,632,097, 43% of total
Winchester Repeating Arms........................828,059, 13.5%
Underwood- Elliot-Fisher Co.......................545,616,  8.9%
*Saginaw Steering and Gear(GM)...............517,212,  8.5%
**National Postal Meter Co.........................413,017, 6.8%
***Quality Hardware & Machine Co............359,666, 5.9%
International Business Machines(IBM).........346,500, 5.7%
Standard Products Co..................................247,160, 4.0%
Rock-Ola Co..................................................228,500, 3.7%
****Irwin-Petersen Arms Co............................3,542, .06%

* Saganaw had two plants in operation, one at Saginaw, MI and one at Grand Raipds, MI.

** A few early NPM receivers were marked "Rochester" for the Rochester Defense Corp. A very few were marked CCC for Commercial Controls Corp when their name changed......None have ever been reported save the company owners rifle.

*** Some Quality Hardware carbines were assembled using receivers made by Union Switch and Signal marked UN-QUALITY(highly prized by collectors).

**** Irwin Petersen manufactured only 3,542 carbines, none of which were accepted by the government. These Carbines were finished and reworked by Saginaw Grand Rapids and issued to the Army.

I have been looking for the rare I-P rifle for many years and finally found one.
All numbers taken from War Baby by Larry Ruth.

[j0e_bl0ggs (deceased)]

Nice one Rick!

[farmboy]

Wow 6.2 million of then in 4.5 years!! That does not take in to account the m2s plus the millions of other rifles made during the same time! When FDR said that America was the Arsenal of democracy he was not kidding!  Nice rifle Rick.

[Jorge in Oz]

Love those little carbines, wish they were still legal here in Oz.

[Paul Hoskins]

Good find, Rick. You're always the lucky one. Nice little carbines for an auto loader. Short, light & handy for short range work. I have had lots of chances to buy one but just couldn't see buying one. Some of these little carbines were converted to the 22-30 carbine & 17 *** Wee by some enterprising gunsmith. Can't recollect his name offhand. ......Paul H

[j0e_bl0ggs (deceased)]

17pe ewee was a Parker Ackley design?

[JaDub]

Wow !!!!!!!!!!!!!!    I`m insanely envious .  Not only an I.P.,  but a beauty to boot .

[sakorick]

Wow !!!!!!!!!!!!!!    I`m insanely envious .  Not only an I.P.,  but a beauty to boot .

Carbines are like Carson City silver dollars.......they always go up in value. I wish I had started collecting them earlier in life. I always wanted a pre 62 Model 70. Every time I found one in caliber and condition, they were always about $50 too much. Here's one that has been reblued and the stock refinished and they want $3200 for it.....not fair! http://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-for-sale-online/rifles/winchester-rifles-model-70-pre-64/pre-64-winchester-model-70-375-h-h-magnum.cfm?gun_id=100809645

[gitano]

This is one of the fundamental problems with capitalism, (and I'm NOT suggesting any alternative, just pointing out that capitalism isn't perfect), "what the market will bear". So "collectors", that have NO interest in USE, drive the prices of OBJECTS up for ARTIFICIAL reasons. It's like furniture - if it's been "refinished" is "valueless" even if refinishing saved the object. "Collecting", (even though I do it in the spirit of "when in Rome do as the Romans do" and "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em"), drives me nuts. Actually it isn't the 'collecting' that drives me nuts, its the insanity of artificially elevated prices because of "I want it so I can brag about having something everyone wants" - also called 'collecting'.

Paul

[Paul Hoskins]

Paul, you said what I've felt for 60 years or more. I have little interest in things to look at & not use. Back in the mid 70's I stupidly bought a Sharps Borchardt musket chambered for the 50/70 gov't. cartridge. The piece was mint & unfired.  I paid 1310 dollars for it. It was useless to me as a milk bucket under a bull. Sold it to an antique gun dealer for just what I paid for it in less than a year.  ...... Paul H