[870shooter]

Just after coming home from RVN in 12/69, I was at my old gun club in Middleton WI and a guy had a Rem 700/308 & a M1 carbine for sale. I gave the guy $240 for the pair. Still got 'em both.

I wondered if anyone could tell me a bit about this M1 carbine.

It's got a M1 reciever with a 180xxxx serial No. On the top of the receiver at the chamber it says: U.S. CARBINE / CAL. 30 M1. The mfg. seems to be SAG???W. Possibly Saginaw as in MI? I know the auto parts companies made a lot of these. The barrel was made by the old typewriter Co. known as UNDERWOOD and is dated 7-43 with the Ordnance Burning ball/bomb on it right behind the front sight on top of the barrel. There is no bayontte lug on the weapon. The safety is a flip switch on the right side of the trigger housing and the mag. release is a push-type button on the same side and forward of safety. The mag. release is marked M and the safety has E.I. on the front edge when the safety is engaged. The rear sight is of a slide type and is marked I.R CO.
It's a great little shooter but the cartridge leaves a LOT to be desired. Why they didn't neck it down to say 7mm to get some speed on it, has always been a wonderment to me.
I finished my time in RVN as a crewmember on a HU-1C gunship (Rebels @ Phu Loi/ Co B 1st AVN Bn, 1st ID) and carried a .38 revolver (S&W) in a shoulder holster under my chicken plate. Why anyone ever thought you could replace a sidearm with the M1 carbine is also a question to me. They HAD to be a REMF!

I was a small arms repairman as my origional MOS in the army and attended Small Arms Repair school at APG in '67 prior to going to RVN with the 1st ID. Both the RVN's and the VC carried a lot of these and we ran into a bunch in tallies from the field. (I' ve got some pictures of stuff we found in tunnels around Lai Khe/Quan Loi, Ben Cat and the Hobo woods that are hard to believe.) Anyway, Sorry to say that we used to chop these up and sell them to young Huey pilots. I'd cut the barrel off just about an inch in front of the gas tap-it & clamp on a grease gun flash suppressor. Then cut off the stock right at the pistol grip and stuff in a 30 rnd. mag. These were all M-2's so they had the full auto switch on the left side next to the chamber. They "functioned" ok in both semi and full auto but the muzzle blast & flash was a !!!!!!!. It was about as accurate as tossing rocks but young pilots will buy ANYTHING if they think it will makes them look cool or like they'd been "In-country" for awhile! Sorry to digress.

Anyway, perhaps someone with a bit of experience collecting these little guys can tell me with a bit more than I know about it. ALSO, ..I have resisted the temptation of picking up the seven parts ... for years!!!!Continue to give me strength Lord!

Thanks for your interest and help
870shooter/Janesville, WI

[RJS44130]

Those 7 parts can lead to a extended vacation at camp-fed. Thats just the simple possesion....Not good....

[Mooseman684]

You Kept those guns.Lucky!...M1 carbines are now over 600 bucks in most places.
Saginaw Steering gear made the receiver, the Magazine release is an M2 for the 30 round mags. No bayonet lug means it may have the early band on it.
The adjustable sight is later replacement from the early "L" flip sight. The lever safety is also later replacement for the old push button.
As for having the M2 PARTS...I wouldn't have them in possession or readily available ... maybe buried in the back yard or at a friends house that doesn't own a Carbine, 10 years Federal time wouldn't be fun at all.....

[jimb2]

Your carbine was made by Saginaw Division of General Motors in Grand Rapids Michigan. That plant was taken over by Saginaw when the Irwim Pederson Company lost its contract due to an inability to produce acceptable carbines. The actual marking would be Saginaw S'G'. The S'G' indicates the Grand Rapids plant. The power range for these carbines is a bit higher than the .357 mag. Not too shabby for a pistol type cartridge. They weren't meant to be main battle rifles but were built for those REMFs so they could hit something at 560-100 yards! Your particular carbine was rebuilt at least once, probably after WWII (1949). Current value is probably in the $700-$750 range.

[Orlando]

Was Made in 19XX

[jimb2]

As to when it was made, it is between 1942 and 1944. The problem is that Saginaw didn't follow the serial numbers in order. There is no clear pattern of date vs serial number. The best guess is between october and december of 43, but that is just a guess. IF the barrel is dated, then the carbine was probably built the month after the barrel date. The really odd part of all of this is that some IP/S'G' receivers were assembled by Saginaw Gear Saginaw! (SG). It is a really confusing situation.