National Postal Meter M1 Carbine .30Cal Rifle W/ Underwood Barrel 1943 C&R

SOLD FOR: $1,025.01

LSB#: LSB250729OS013

Make: National Postal Meter

Model: M1 Carbine

Serial Number: 1460723

Year of Manufacture: Early 1943, Barrel date 1-43

Caliber: .30 Carbine

Action Type: Semi-Automatic, detachable magazine fed carbine. 

Markings: 

The top-rear receiver:  “NATIONAL POSTAL METER 1460723”   

The top-front receiver: “U.S. CARBINE”, “CAL .30 M1”. The bottom lug “11”.   

The barrel: “UNDERWOOD 1-43” with a flaming Bomb. The barrel flat also has a flaming bomb inspection mark. The left side of the barrel also has an import mark “NACO. RIDGEFIELD N.J.”.         

The front sight is marked “PO B” an IBM made part.

The barrel band is marked “KI” for Keeler Brass Co.

The slide is marked inside with a faint “W” for Winchester

The rear sight is marked “HI” for Hillerich Machine Company.

The trigger group is unmarked  

The safety is marked “SS” a post war rebuild part.  

The magazine release is marked “CCM” a post war rebuild part

The hammer is marked “WU” Universal Winding CO.

The sear is unmarked

The upper handguard Unmarked. 

The Stock: Sling Cut “IO” for Inland Overton. The right flank has a small “50” stamp. The left flank is marked “1460723”. The bottom of the pommel has what appears to be an “1” stamp. 

The oiler is marked “II” for International Silver CO.  

The magazine is marked “IW” for International Silver CO. correct for Winchester.

Barrel Length: 18″

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a fixed blade set between protective ears.  The rear sight is the later style sliding aperture sight with a serrated windage knob dovetailed to the receiver.     

Stock Configuration & Condition: The stock is an oval cut, low wood stock, with a two rivet handguard, type three barrel band with bayonet lug, rotary safety and a checkered metal butt plate. The LOP measures about 13.25” from the front of the trigger to the back of the butt plate. The wood shows lines, scratches, and compressions scattered throughout. The upper handguard sits loose so it vibrates. The edges of the wood show small chips. The left flank about mid receiver has two holes drilled in it. The left edge of the nose is scuffed. The belly of the butt has glue stuck to it. There are no visible cracks. The metal butt plate has lost finish and shows rub marks around the edges with some oxidation forming and sharp checkering. Overall this stock set is in about Good condition.       

Magazine Quantity & Condition: This rifle includes one 15 round magazine in Good condition.  

Type of Finish: Parkerized

Finish Originality: Original  

Bore Condition:  The bore is bright and the rifling is visible. There is no visible pitting. In this writer’s opinion the bore rates 8.5/10.  

Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 90% of its metal finish. The finish shows some very minor discoloration from age. The bolt and receiver show minimal rub wear on the friction surfaces. The barrel shows some very minor scattered marks. The recoil lug shows some wood stain on the edges. The front sight shows rub wear throughout. The slide shows pitting throughout the surface. The markings are clear and the screw heads are sharp. Overall this rifle is in about Good condition. 

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this rifle. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories:  This rifle includes the magazine, oiler and a sling.

Our Assessment: This National Postal Meter M1 Carbine was assembled in 1943 and is a strong example of wartime collaboration and subcontracting among the various prime contractors and their suppliers. National Postal Meter, originally a manufacturer of postage meters, was tasked with producing carbines despite having no prior firearms manufacturing experience. The company assembled just over 413,000 M1 Carbines between late 1942 and mid-1944, making it one of the more limited-production prime contractors. This example features an Underwood-marked 1-43 dated barrel, not un-common in mid production runs when the U.S. government shifted supply chains to meet high wartime demand.

This carbine has an interesting combination of wartime and post war parts including the Inland stock, IBM sight, Winchester slide, and Keeler Brass barrel band. National Postal Meter relied heavily on subcontractors due to its lack of manufacturing base, and this carbine contains the typical mosaic of parts made by dozens of companies, yet they were carefully assembled to meet ordnance specifications. This rifle’s Underwood barrel and key subcontractor components, makes it a desirable example of National Postal Meter’s short but impactful contribution to the war effort. To better understand this M1 carbine please see our high quality photos via the link and best of luck with your bidding!!!-R.L.