Korean Markings on an M1 Carbine
I recently picked up a General Motors M1 Carbine. It's marked 1943 on the barrel. It is in very good shape, and doesn't appear to have been used much. It has Korean markings painted on both sides of the stock, some stenciled and some obviously hand painted.
Do these painted markings detract from the value of the weapon? I'm guessing it would be very easy to remove them but I'm not sure I want to. I'd also be interested in the value of this rifle.
Any thoughts?
Do these painted markings detract from the value of the weapon? I'm guessing it would be very easy to remove them but I'm not sure I want to. I'd also be interested in the value of this rifle.
Any thoughts?
0
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Hello if it has an importer stanp in the barrel or action then I would leave all markings however if it was brought back before BATF made the importer stamp them then I would maybe think it would be worth more with out the markings. 0 -
No M1 carbines were imported from Korea without import markings. However, anyone could have swapped the stock. To look for import markings you must field strip the rifle; the markings could be anywhere on the barrel or receiver, even below the wood line.
In general, import markings or other foreign markings detract from the value of the carbine. Blue Sky imported some of the worst ones; the best are usually Arlington Ordinance, which rebuilt most rifles with good quality parts.
Imported carbines usually sell in the $300-600 range. Those at the top will have a good bore & tight muzzle.
Neal0 -
OK, I went out and bought Ruth's book "The M1 Carbine Owner's Guide" I'm trying to determine if my M1 Carbine is a rebuilt import or a true service rifle that spent some time in Korean hands.
I stripped the rifle down, but did not disassemble the trigger group. Here is a description of my rifle.
The stock is a "low wood," late model stock. It is stamped "SU" on the inside, along the left side. It is paint-stenciled with Korean characters, and there are some hand-pained numbers on it. Other than that, the stock is in very good condition.
Here are the markings I could find on the steel portions of the rifle, along with other identifying marks:
Stamped on the front sight assembly, just behind the blade are the letters "EU"
Near the muzzle is:
INLAND MFG. DIV.
GENERAL MOTORS
6-43
On the forward part of the receiver, on the top is marked:
U.S. CARBINE
CAL. 30 M1
On the receiver, behind the rear sight is marked:
INLAND DIV.
433490
The bolt is the flat profile type and unmarked
The gas cylinder is swaged onto the barrel
The receiver is the "deep hole" type
The operating slide is marked with the letter "U"
The rear sight assembly is adjustable, and milled, not stamped.
The letters "SG" are stamped into the safety side of the trigger housing, at the rear.
The magazine release button is marked with an underlined M
It has a flip-type safety
The hammer is marked "HI" or "IH"
There were no other marks I could find in the trigger group.
Now, the only other marks I could find were some hand-stamped numbers and letters on the underside of the receiver, just back from the gas cylinder assembly, on the milled, flat portion of the receiver. Please see my attached diagram.
I cannot find any reference to these numbers, and have no idea as to their meaning. Any help with them would be appreciated. Do all M1 Carbines have these markings?
So, any ideas as to how this M1 Carbine got into the civilian market? My brother bought it 10 years ago, and paid $120, but doesn't remember the details. I got it as a gift. I'd like to know its value and pedigree.
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Since you want to analyze the parts, a better book would have been "US M1 Carbines Wartime Production" by Craig Riesch. Many of the markings handstamped are inspector marks.
Pedigree? Sorry, what you have is a Mixed Parts Mongrel; there's no telling exactly what it is or where it came from. All we know for sure is that the receiver started life as an Inland early in the war. It could well be assembled from parts.
The Koreans used their carbines hard, & most were abused. Some were sold "as is", some sold rebuilt, & some broken down for parts.
In your place, I would strip the wood with furniture stripper, then refinish with 3-4 coats of thinned tung oil (rub with 0000 steel wool between coats).
Neal0 -
So those crazy marks on the bottom of the receiver, they are definately NOT importer marks??
Thanx for the info, think I'll keep it as a shooter.
Frank0 -
Import marks are always the name, city, & state of the importer:
MY Mixed Parts Mongrel:
Neal0 -
Hmmmmmm, no marks like that on my mongrel---I'm wondering how it got into Korean hands, then back into the US without going through an importer? Did the US lend M1s to the Koreans then get them back after the war? 0 -
"The War", in this case, is the Korean War. The terms under which we gave military equipment to the South Koreans is not clear; if "lend-lease", it was a loan & title remained ours. Or, it could have been a gift. My guess is that they were "lend-lease", but, by the time they were through with them, we just said "Keep 'em."
In any case, none of the Korean M1s or M1 carbines ever came back to the US military. All were bought by US gun importers, who marked them & sold them to US civilians in the '60's & '70's.
Limited numbers of carbines have been sold to civilians direct from US arsenals through the Director of Civilian Marksmanship & the Civilian Marksmanship Program. These were not import marked.
Neal0
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