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Help with an M1 A1?

coice
I am looking into a General Motors M1 A1. I do not know much about the M1 carbines and this will be my first one. Other than the condition, what should I look for in the carbine? What is the difference in the M1 and the M1 A1? What is the telling factors of a re-work? Thanks in advance for your help.

P.S. Bert...What is wrong with the Winchester Collector Forum? I have not been able to connect to it for several days.
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Comments

7 comments

Date Votes
  • Bert H.
    quote:Originally posted by coice
    P.S. Bert...What is wrong with the Winchester Collector Forum? I have not been able to connect to it for several days.


    It is being worked as we speak. I am not 100% sure what caused the breakdown.
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  • Hawk Carse
    An M1A1 is the folding stock "paratrooper model."
    A REAL ORIGINAL one is very valuable.
    But there are a lot of parts guns and outright fakes.
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  • rufe-snow
    I agree with HC. You really have to do your homework before buying a pricy M1A1. Unless your extremely lucky and stumble on a sleeper that been in some guys garage for the last 40 years, you can get screwed big time. You might start out by doing as much research on-line as you can. There are at least two carbine forums on the net, that I know of. I would start studying them before making any big purchases.
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  • coice
    I think it must be a M1 as it is not a paratrooper (with the folding stock). It is a General Motors. The barrel is marked 11-43 and has a flaming bomb. The stock has a cross cannon cartouche. The overall condition is very nice. The guy wants $600. It comes with 600 rounds of ammo. Seems like a fair buy to me. The carbine looks original to me.
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  • rufe-snow
    quote:Originally posted by coice
    I think it must be a M1 as it is not a paratrooper (with the folding stock). It is a General Motors. The barrel is marked 11-43 and has a flaming bomb. The stock has a cross cannon cartouche. The overall condition is very nice. The guy wants $600. It comes with 600 rounds of ammo. Seems like a fair buy to me. The carbine looks original to me.


    If there isn't anybody close to where you live that knows carbines and could do a hands-on, post quality photos of it here. Some of our folks could perhaps help you.
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  • Stack
    Original M1A1 carbines were manufactured only by Inland. M1 carbines produced by other manufacturers will be found in the M1A1 configuration but all left the factory as M1 carbines. Even then, there are two types of M1A1 stocks that fall into early and late Inland serial number ranges. At the same time Inland was also producing standard M1 carbines, so it is impossible to say, with certainty, if a particular Inland left the factory as an M1 or M1A1 carbine, unless the serial number range is outside the early and late Inland M1A1 production range which would indicate M1 carbine production. An original M1A1 carbine stock, by itself, is quite valuable but be aware of cheap reproduction M1A1 stocks on M1 carbines being sold as original M1A1 carbines. Original M1A1 butt stocks have a letter followed by numbers and a asterik cast into the front of the butt plate, reproductions do not.
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  • nmyers
    I think we've settled that it is an "M1 carbine", not an "M1A1 carbine".

    The problem is, there is no such thing as a "General Motors" M1 carbine. The barrel markings tell you who made the barrel, not the carbine. You may see "Inland Div of General Motors" or "Saginaw Div of General Motors", but not just "General Motors". The prime contractor name will be on the receiver, immediately behind (or under the overhang) of the rear sight.

    OTOH, carbine ammo sells in the $.50-$.75 / round range, so it would be difficult for you to get burned on any carbine at that price.

    Neal
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