National Postal Meter M1 Carbine Rifle W/ Date Marked Winchester Barrel C&R

SOLD FOR: $1,125.00

LSB#: LSB250729OS015

Make: National Postal Meter

Model: M1 Carbine

Serial Number: 4293593

Year of Manufacture: Early 1944, Barrel date 11-42

Caliber: .30 Carbine

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

Markings: 

The top-rear receiver:  “NATIONAL POSTAL METER 4293593”   

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

The barrel is marked with a flaming bomb mark followed by “W.R.A. 11-42”. 5.5” back from the front sight is a “WP” firing proof. The barrel flat “Y”.        

The front sight is marked “RIA” a post war Rock Island rebuild part. 

The barrel band is marked “MMQ” a post war rebuild part. 

The slide is marked inside with a faint “AOB” an Auto Ordinance slide.  

The rear sight is marked “I.R.C.O. 7160060”-for International Register CO.

The bolt is marked “-U-” an Underwood bolt.  

The trigger group is marked “INLAND” for Inland Division of GM.  

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

The magazine release is marked “M” 

The hammer is marked “HI” for Hillerich Machine Company.

The sear is marked “R.I.” an Inland part. 

The upper handguard is marked “RMC” for Rock-Ola Music CO.  

The Stock is marked “SA” a post war Springfield Armory replacement stock. 

The lug is marked “SG” for Saginaw Gear.  

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

The magazine is unmarked

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 knurled 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 slightly loose. The edges of the wood show small chips mostly notably by the butt. There are some notable compressions on the belly towards the forend and one next to the mag well. There are no visible cracks. The metal butt plate has lost finish and shows rub marks around the edges with some very minor oxidation forming towards the comb and retains sharp checkering. Overall this stock set is in about Good to Good+ condition.       

Magazine Quantity & Condition: This rifle includes one 10 round magazine in Very Good+ condition.  

Type of Finish: Parkerized

Finish Originality: Original  

Bore Condition:  The bore is very bright and the rifling is defined. The bore is very clean. There is no visible pitting. In this writer’s opinion the bore rates 9.25/10.  

Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 90% of its metal finish. The edges of the surfaces of the barrel show some finish thinning. The front sight wings show some rub wear. The receiver and rear sight show finish thinning throughout. The bolt and friction surface of the receiver show minor rub wear. There is a nick in the metal of the trigger guard. The markings are clear and the screw heads are sharp. Overall this rifle is in about Very 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 1944 during the wartime surge in small-arms production when non-traditional firms were pressed into service; National Postal Meter, a postage-meter manufacturer by trade,  produced just over 413,000 carbines between late 1942 and mid-1944, making its run a significant but comparatively short-lived prime-contract contribution to the war effort. Because NPM relied heavily on subcontractors to meet demand, its carbines commonly show a mosaic of vendor parts rather than a single-maker identity, a fact that illustrates the collaborative, assembly-line nature of U.S. wartime procurement.

This example is particularly notable on the parts level, although assembled in 1944, it wears a very rare Winchester barrel dated 11-42, one of the uncommon Winchester M1 Carbine barrels to carry a date mark. These dated barrels were only produced for a brief interval. The rifle also carries components from Rock-Ola Music Co., Hillerich Machine, Underwood, Saginaw Gear and other wartime subcontractors. The mix of subcontractor parts is textbook National Postal Meter construction, but the presence of the Winchester 11-42 barrel makes this particular carbine especially desirable to collectors who value uncommon subcontractor markings and short-run production quirks. To better understand this M1 carbine please see our high quality photos via the link and best of luck with your bidding!!!-R.L.