Bullseye M1

Bullseye · 12-20-2005, 02:55 PM

I have an M1 my grandfather bought. It says BULLSEYE MIAMI FLA 1254 right behind the sight. Up above the bolt it says US CARBINE 30 cal M. The safty is a psh button with a M with an underline. The sight has a 8 that's squared on the left side. The stock has P in it down low behind below the trigger. What can anyone tell me about this...? Thanks in advance for any and all knowledge.

jimb2 · 12-20-2005, 08:46 PM

Bullseye is a commercial clone of the USGI carbine. It was one of the very first produced. They were produced in a small machine shop in Miami Fla. Most of the barrels were cut-down 03 barrels. They had heat treating problems with the receivers so they may not be safe to shoot. The company was reorganized in the late 50s as the Universal Firearms Corp.

Bullseye · 12-21-2005, 11:57 AM

I've shot many rounds with it over the years....How serious is this heat treating problem? This is the 1st I've ever heard of it. What is an 03 barrel? Would it be possible to just get another reciever and swap all the other parts to make it a safe shooter? What do any of the other marks I've decribed mean, Oh the underscored M is on the clip release not the safty.
Thanks again for your reply

jimb2 · 12-21-2005, 06:00 PM

The only way to know if it is really safe is to take it to a gunsmith and have him do a headspace check. That will tell you if the receiver is stretching. Until it is checked you won't know. Could you get another reciever? Yes, for a couple of hundred dollars plus having to have a gunsmith install the barrel and headspace the receiver/bolt fit. If it isn't checked and it does get severely out of spc, it could result in a blowup. Get it checked for your own safety.
What is an 03 barrel? Basically it is a barrel from an M1903 Springfield rifle which has been cut down and converted to the M1 carbine configuration. Most were two groove barrels and if you find that your carbine has a two groove barrel, it most likely is a cut down 03 barrel.
The sight marking may be a square S, rather than an 8. The underlined M simply means that the mag catch is a later "Modified" type with a thinner guide rail. The P is nothing more than a proof mark on the stock from a rebuild. Bullseye used a lot of surplus parts in their manufacturing.
You will find a lot of other parts are marked as well. The bolt, slide, hammer, sear, front sight, trigger housing and many other parts should be marked. The leters to look for are I, U, B, Q, SG, S'G', W, S, R, N and IP. These will appear by themselves or in combination with other letters. They are the prime manufacturers marks.

Bullseye · 12-22-2005, 01:19 AM

The upper part of the stock has an 10 in the wood. In the strap hole on the stock is a J. The safty has a JAO. The slide an SG D-7161843. The recoil plate a PN. The trigger housing has a U. On the bolt is a N 14. By 2 groove barrel what do you mean ? The only grooves I see in it are where the slide slides.

Uncle Red · 12-22-2005, 09:21 AM

The grooves he is refering to are the rifling inside the barrel.

-UR

Bullseye · 12-22-2005, 02:15 PM

Ah thanks yes it does have 2 rifles inside the barrel. Where there versions with more or less than 2?

jimb2 · 12-22-2005, 08:20 PM

Generally 4 or 6 grooves are present. The 2 groove is made from the M1903A3 barrel. It is an IO not a 10 on the handguard. It stands for Overton/Inland. The SG is Saginaw Gear and the number is a drawing number for the part. N14 ia a National Postal Meter part and the JAO stands for J.A. Otterbein, the part manufacturer. The J in the sling bevel is for a WWII replacement stock probably made by Jamestown Lounge. The .U. is Underwood. Hope this info helps. It sounds like almost everything but the receiver is USGI parts.

Bullseye · 12-23-2005, 12:45 AM

Thanks Jim you've been a real gold mine of info.

gunpowder · 01-07-2008, 07:05 PM

i to have a bullseye carbine,i also have a friend who brought one back from nam,i have been told that a run of the bullseye were made for the bay of pig invasion?i know that the parts swop with the us military ones.i have also come up with a japanese carbine made by howa,they also made m1 garands but did not look as much like the garands as the carbines.

12-20-2005, 02:55 PM	#1
Bullseye Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 5	Bullseye M1 I have an M1 my grandfather bought. It says BULLSEYE MIAMI FLA 1254 right behind the sight. Up above the bolt it says US CARBINE 30 cal M. The safty is a psh button with a M with an underline. The sight has a 8 that's squared on the left side. The stock has P in it down low behind below the trigger. What can anyone tell me about this...? Thanks in advance for any and all knowledge.

12-20-2005, 08:46 PM	#2
jimb2 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Ohio Posts: 513	Bullseye is a commercial clone of the USGI carbine. It was one of the very first produced. They were produced in a small machine shop in Miami Fla. Most of the barrels were cut-down 03 barrels. They had heat treating problems with the receivers so they may not be safe to shoot. The company was reorganized in the late 50s as the Universal Firearms Corp. __________________ I am a nobody. Nobody is perfect. Therefore, I am perfect...

12-21-2005, 06:00 PM	#4
jimb2 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Ohio Posts: 513	The only way to know if it is really safe is to take it to a gunsmith and have him do a headspace check. That will tell you if the receiver is stretching. Until it is checked you won't know. Could you get another reciever? Yes, for a couple of hundred dollars plus having to have a gunsmith install the barrel and headspace the receiver/bolt fit. If it isn't checked and it does get severely out of spc, it could result in a blowup. Get it checked for your own safety. What is an 03 barrel? Basically it is a barrel from an M1903 Springfield rifle which has been cut down and converted to the M1 carbine configuration. Most were two groove barrels and if you find that your carbine has a two groove barrel, it most likely is a cut down 03 barrel. The sight marking may be a square S, rather than an 8. The underlined M simply means that the mag catch is a later "Modified" type with a thinner guide rail. The P is nothing more than a proof mark on the stock from a rebuild. Bullseye used a lot of surplus parts in their manufacturing. You will find a lot of other parts are marked as well. The bolt, slide, hammer, sear, front sight, trigger housing and many other parts should be marked. The leters to look for are I, U, B, Q, SG, S'G', W, S, R, N and IP. These will appear by themselves or in combination with other letters. They are the prime manufacturers marks. __________________ I am a nobody. Nobody is perfect. Therefore, I am perfect...

12-22-2005, 09:21 AM	#6
Uncle Red Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Indiana Posts: 547	The grooves he is refering to are the rifling inside the barrel. -UR __________________ "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed"--Amendment II, Bill of Rights "He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself."--Thomas Paine "He that hath no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one." - Jesus, Luke 22:36

12-22-2005, 08:20 PM	#8
jimb2 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Ohio Posts: 513	Generally 4 or 6 grooves are present. The 2 groove is made from the M1903A3 barrel. It is an IO not a 10 on the handguard. It stands for Overton/Inland. The SG is Saginaw Gear and the number is a drawing number for the part. N14 ia a National Postal Meter part and the JAO stands for J.A. Otterbein, the part manufacturer. The J in the sling bevel is for a WWII replacement stock probably made by Jamestown Lounge. The .U. is Underwood. Hope this info helps. It sounds like almost everything but the receiver is USGI parts. __________________ I am a nobody. Nobody is perfect. Therefore, I am perfect...

12-21-2005, 11:57 AM	#3
Bullseye Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 5	I've shot many rounds with it over the years....How serious is this heat treating problem? This is the 1st I've ever heard of it. What is an 03 barrel? Would it be possible to just get another reciever and swap all the other parts to make it a safe shooter? What do any of the other marks I've decribed mean, Oh the underscored M is on the clip release not the safty. Thanks again for your reply

12-22-2005, 01:19 AM	#5
Bullseye Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 5	The upper part of the stock has an 10 in the wood. In the strap hole on the stock is a J. The safty has a JAO. The slide an SG D-7161843. The recoil plate a PN. The trigger housing has a U. On the bolt is a N 14. By 2 groove barrel what do you mean ? The only grooves I see in it are where the slide slides.

12-22-2005, 02:15 PM	#7
Bullseye Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 5	Ah thanks yes it does have 2 rifles inside the barrel. Where there versions with more or less than 2?

12-23-2005, 12:45 AM	#9
Bullseye Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 5	Thanks Jim you've been a real gold mine of info.

01-07-2008, 07:05 PM	#10
gunpowder Registered User Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: alabama Posts: 1	i to have a bullseye carbine,i also have a friend who brought one back from nam,i have been told that a run of the bullseye were made for the bay of pig invasion?i know that the parts swop with the us military ones.i have also come up with a japanese carbine made by howa,they also made m1 garands but did not look as much like the garands as the carbines.