Q for my fellow surplus nerds

[DoggyDaddy]

^ someone rep that because I need to spread it around & can't.

LOL, I just tried and was told I have to spread it around too

 

[LazyL0228]

I have a few M1 carbine and they are few that match but if looking for a shooter 500.00 to 600.00 range. One of the best shooting guns I own always looking for another one. Good luck in your hunt.

 

[A 7.62 Exodus]

This thread is worthless without pics right? So here's what I picked up this afternoon. Early serial number dated Winchester Carbine. All the proper markings on the stock, and the barrel and receiver are both Winchester. The stock also has a matching serial number, so I'm lead to believe this may be a return rifle from Isreal. The biggest "oof" with the rifle is that it appears some idiot tried to scrub a troop or rack number off the gun as some point.

Let me know if there is an issue with the link.

https://imgur.com/a/REHI25E

 

[Jt22453]

I think Century imported those about 20 years ago but I have heard good things about them. Double check the cartouches because they sell the stamps to do that now.They look fine to me, especially with the ding in the middle, but you never know and I always try to verify. It was also arsenal rebuilt by Underwood based on the U on the left side.The grind marks stink but at least they didn’t mess with the serial number or anything crucial to the gun. Nice carbine all in all. Wouldn’t mind having it and I hope you get to enjoy shooting it soon. You might also check the receiver or the barrel with it field stripped for an import mark. Should be a Hebrew marking that looks like a 4 under the handguard.

 

[A 7.62 Exodus]

Jt,

I just quickly field stripped it to look at a few things. The barrel looks good. I found the proof marking for the Winchester, and it's right where it should be. The trigger group is a mix master as expected. The I however, could not find the 4 you speak of, and the import marking is actually a N.A. co, for Navy Arms company. I didn't fully look for other markings, I will when I fully go to clean it

 

[Jt22453]

It is just something other people have received with the Israeli imports. Nothing is definitive with m1 carbines. It may have been something century did or may be a batch from one particular place. Congrats on your Carbine and you can PM me if you have any specific questions about anything. Always thought it would be cool to have a Winchester carbine. Is it a Winchester stock?

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Congrats on your find OP! I need to get mine to the range again. (That pretty much applies to almost every gun I own. ) I haven't even shot the last 3 I bought.

 

[Mongo59]

Sweet piece there Exodus. The grinding is just part of the history.

I don't know if you are interested but a GI flash hider is still available from Numrich. Listed under closeouts for $44.95.

 

[rob63]

That's great that you found a carbine! I'm happy for you.

I went to the big gun show and militaria show in Louisville this weekend. I had a short list of mil-surp rifles I was interested in, including a 1917 Enfield and found absolutely nothing that I was willing to buy. Heck, even Model 1917's in crappy shape had $950 price tags on them. I did pick up a nice German WWI helmet though.

The neatest thing was that the grandson of General Patton was at the militaria show raising funds for the military museum in Vincennes. He was a really nice guy to talk to, and looks just like his grandpa.

 

[TheJoker]

~8-10 years ago they were available at the CMP store in Ohio and I'm kicking myself for not going up there with a buddy when he got his for ~$400. Prices have gone up drastically and are now in the ~$750-1400 range!

In 2012, I made a visit to the CMP South Store and was excited to see a rack of about a dozen US Model of 1917 rifles. Looking them over, I found most had terrible barrels and were marked 'bad headspace'. After WWI, the rifles were poorly preserved and the corrosive ammunition took its toll on the barrels. One of these rifles however, had a High Standard WWII replacement barrel and was marked "good headspace". Although the bore was filthy, I decided to give it a chance. I paid $400 for it. When, I got it home and got 50 years of residue from firing blanks by an American legion honor guard scrubbed out of the barrel, I found sharp, bright rifling. It was a lucky find; but, typical of the gems that have resulted from my annual visits to the CMP South Store.

 

[rob63]

^^^ Nice rifle! ^^^

I just bought one today with a High Standard barrel myself. I actually would have preferred one with the original WWI barrel, but I liked everything else about this one so much I decided not to worry about it. I found it at an auction in Coldwater, MI. It was a long drive, but well worth it as it worked out. A week ago I drove to the big gun show in Louisville and couldn't find anything in half way decent shape, so this was a much better day. There were other guns I was interested in if this one went too high, so I wasn't betting everything on getting this one, it just worked out that the price was reasonable. The bore is mint and it has one of the nicest stocks I have ever seen on a WWII rework, it wasn't sanded at all. I haven't taken any photos yet, but here are the photos from the auction catalog. The stock and the bluing look a bit darker to the eye than they appear in the photos, I think they must have used pretty bright lights.

 

[Mongo59]

SWEET!

 

[Hop]

I may have been watching that same auction!!!

 

[RaoulHayduke]

Ha! I was watching that one too. Glad to see someone here end up with it.

 

[rob63]

I may have been watching that same auction!!!

Ha! I was watching that one too. Glad to see someone here end up with it.

Thanks, I appreciate it. Yea, that auction had quite a few nice guns in it. I thought about just bidding online, but the premium was 5% less in-house and I figured with so many guns I was interested in it was worth the drive to save shipping and dealer costs too. If I didn't get this one, there was a Dutch Mannlicher, a Japanese last-ditch, and a French Berthier that made me sure I could still walk out with at least one of them. I checked the prices later, and they all sold at pretty reasonable prices, but certainly not cheap. The Japanese last-ditch was the nicest one I have ever seen, it was hard to pass it up, but I already had this one and I'm happy with it. I ended up at $641.30 out the door. The previous week at the gun show the best price I saw was $750 for one with a 2-groove JA barrel and pretty beat up otherwise.

 

[Mongo59]

If you haven't read the history of Melvin Johnson of JA fame, you should. He died young and IMO if he had lived longer would have been right up there with John Moses Browning.

 

[Max Volume]

Once in awhile they can be had reasonably but you need to be patient. I picked one up last spring at a Civil War show that appears to be all original for 7 Benjamins. Yeah, yeah. worthless without pics but it is too much of a PITA to post pics here so I don't bother.

 

[rob63]

I googled the rebuild stamp on my new rifle [OG.E.K.] to see if I could find where it was rebuilt, and discovered that it was done at Ogden, UT and the inspector was none other than Elmer Keith! I also found a great list of inspector's markings I had not seen before. I've seen lists of many of the known inspectors, but this is the first time I remember seeing a list where somebody bothered to include the ones that aren't known.

Inspectors Stamps

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elmer_Keith

 

[RaoulHayduke]

Thanks, I appreciate it. Yea, that auction had quite a few nice guns in it. I thought about just bidding online, but the premium was 5% less in-house and I figured with so many guns I was interested in it was worth the drive to save shipping and dealer costs too. If I didn't get this one, there was a Dutch Mannlicher, a Japanese last-ditch, and a French Berthier that made me sure I could still walk out with at least one of them. I checked the prices later, and they all sold at pretty reasonable prices, but certainly not cheap. The Japanese last-ditch was the nicest one I have ever seen, it was hard to pass it up, but I already had this one and I'm happy with it. I ended up at $641.30 out the door. The previous week at the gun show the best price I saw was $750 for one with a 2-groove JA barrel and pretty beat up otherwise.

I really considered buying the Dutch Mannlicher. There was also a really nice 1909 Argentine that looked unissued and had Interarms tags on it that sold for a good price. I couldn't justify the drive, because I'm young and slightly broke, and I'm holding out for a nice M39 or MAS 36 besides.

Still, looking through the prices realized on Proxibid makes me think that was definitely a good auction to go to.