WWII Inland Division GM M1 Carbine .30Cal Semi Auto Rifle MFD 1944 C&R

SOLD FOR: $1,701.00

LSB#: LSB250801KW011

Make: Inland Division of General Motors

Model:  M1 Carbine

Serial Number: 5519494

Year of Manufacture:  Receiver January-August 1944, barrel date 9-44

Caliber: .30 Cal Carbine

Action Type: Semi-Automatic carbine fed by detachable magazines. 

Markings:  

The top of the receiver: “U.S. CARBINE CAL. 30 M1 / INLAND DIV. 5519494”. The bottom lug “2”.  

The bottom of the barrel on the flat is stamped with the typical Inland Hieroglyphic series of letters and numbers, The top of the barrel is marked “P” about 3” back from the front sight. The end of the barrel is marked “INLAND MFG. DIV.  /  GENERAL MOTORS  /  9-44”. The gas block is marked “I-I”.

The front sight is stamped “P”

The barrel band is marked “SI” for International Silver CO.  

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

The slide is marked “7160091 X” and “PI” on the inside. For Packard Inland.

The trigger group is marked “W” for Winchester  

The hammer is marked “H.I.” for Hemphill MFG CO.

The safety is marked “N” 

The Magazine Catch: “M” and “W” for Winchester

The stock is marked in the Sling cut “IO”, the right flank there is a faint ordnance wheel and the pommel is marked “6”. This is an Inland Overton Stock.    

The upper handguard: “IO” for Inland Overton. 

The Lug is unmarked

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

The sear is marked “W” for Winchester. 

The magazines are marked “IS”’ and “IW”.  

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 four rivet handguard, type three barrel band, a 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 has been sanded and refinished. The wood shows compressions and lines scattered throughout. There are a few small chips from around the sling cut. There are no visible cracks. The belly of the stock shows the most marrs. The butt plate shows minor rub wear at the toe. The checkering is sharp. Overall the stock set is in Very Good condition.  

Magazine Quantity & Condition: The rifle includes two x 15 round magazines in Very Good+ condition. The exterior of the mags show some glue stuck to them. This should be able to be easily removed with a proper cleaning.     

Type of Finish: Parkerized / Blued 

Finish Originality: Original  

Bore Condition: The bore is very bright with well defined rifling. There is no visible erosion. There is no visible pitting. In this writer’s opinion the bore rates 9.75/10.   

Overall Condition:  The rifle retains 93% of its metal finish. The finish has turned brown / green with age. The friction surfaces of the bolt and the receiver show minor rub wear from use. Some of the edges show very minor finish loss. There areas of the rifle like the exposed portion of the barrel, the barrel band, and the trigger that have a gloss-like layer on them like old caked on oil perhaps. The top of the barrel shows rub wear from the barrel band. The markings are clear and the screw heads are sharp. Overall this rifle is in about Good+-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 two magazines, magazine pouch and sling.          

Our Assessment:  This Inland Division M1 Carbine was produced around September of 1944, during one of the most intense periods of U.S. wartime small arms production. Inland, a division of General Motors, was the lead prime contractor for the M1 Carbine program and ultimately produced more carbines than any other manufacturer, over 2.6 million by the end of the war. This particular example is fitted with a correctly marked Inland barrel dated 9-44, and all of its components are consistent with Inland production and post war rebuild / updated parts. The bore is exceptionally clean, rating 9.75/10, which suggests either minimal use or excellent preservation over the decades.

The M1 Carbine was designed as a lightweight, intermediate-power rifle to arm support troops, officers, and specialized units who needed something more powerful than a pistol but lighter than the M1 Garand. It became widely favored in every theater of WWII for its compact size, manageable recoil, and reliability under harsh conditions. Inland played a major role not only in production but also in design refinement throughout the war. This September ’44 carbine reflects Inland’s matured production techniques with later features like a low-wood stock and type III barrel band while still maintaining original wartime character. The excellent bore make this rifle a desirable collector’s piece that also represents the height of mid-war U.S. ordnance manufacturing. To better understand this M1 carbine please see our high quality photos via the link and best of luck with your bidding!!!-R.L.