[boomersback]

Hi All- I have been given an old M1 30cal as a gift and would like to know more about it. The gun itself has "Underwood" stamped on top of the SINGLE barrel upfront. The stock has this stamped on it .U. and also a capital P in a square box is stamped in the stock as well. Can anyone tell me anything about this rifle. Thank you in advance

 

[boomersback]

Forgot to add the following info on the M1 questions. On the stock it has NPM and FJA stamped in the wood or letters cloeseely matching that. Also what do rebuilt and import marks look like? Thanks again

 

[Jack Monteith]

Hi, Boomer:
FJA probably is the stamp of Inspector Lt.Col. Frank J. Atwood, USA, 1943-45. I can't find an inspector with a stamp of NPM. Closest is MRM, but he's from the wrong era (1898).

Bye
Jack

 

[boomersback]

Thanks so much Jack. Do you have any idea on whether or not these make good hunting rifles and can I still get ammo for them? Just thought I would put it to some good use.

 

[m141a]

If you are indeed referring to the M1 carbine, they make great little varmint guns. I'd be hard pressed to use one on a deer due to the FMJ ammo allowing for no expansion.

It you are talking about the M1 garand, well sir, If you want to lug 9.5 lbs of rifle in the woods....Hades yes you can use it. Just be advised of your states amount of ammunition allowed to be carried in the rifle. There are 2,3,and 5 shot en-bloc clips availablie for the Garand.

Chris~

 

[Odessa]

The NPM on the stock is a mark for National Postal Meter; the stock would have come originally on a NPM carbine. The barrel manufacturer was Underwood, as evidenced by the stamp on your barrel. The .U. on the stock was from a post WW2 rebuild program, in this case Underwood was the subcontractor for the rebuilds. The receiver should have a manufacturer name or mark just above the serial number and probably hidden by the rear sight overhang. The guns where rebuilt several times and true 100% original M-1 Carbines are virtually non-existant - most are like yours. If it shoots reliably then it is a good one! Odessa

 

[Jack Monteith]

Hi, Boomer:
I'm afraid I know very little about M1 Carbines and can't recollect if I've ever even seen one up here. Remington makes a soft point, but I don't think it's enough for a Saskatchewan buck. Yeah, I know some gunwriters think they weigh 500 lb and wear armour plate. A BIG one goes 300 on the hoof.

The FJA stamp is on my Remington-Rand 1911A1 and I had looked it up. The Dixie Gun Works catalogue has a list of U.S. Inspectors from about 1798 to the end of WW II, very useful for collectors.

Bye
Jack

 

[Charlie Z]

Balistically, there about a 32-20, I think.

 

[boomersback]

A big Thank you to everyone for taking the time to answer my questions . Just out of curiosity how much are one of these worth and are they collectable also are they legal to own (does preban have any impact on these guns)? I also have a JC Higgins 410 shotgun. Are there anyplaces to get parts for one. I need the ammo tube spring assy. Thank you agai. This is the most inpressive board I have found on the web.
Regards

 

[Jack Monteith]

Hi, Boomer:
Try http://www.e-gunparts.com/model.asp?idDept=127

Bye
Jack

 

[boomersback]

Ok guys now Im really puzzled. How do I know if I have the garand or carbine. And yes as you can tell I am new to the military weapon area. But as the days pass and I learn more I see that I have been missing out on alot of interesting history. Thanks again all.
Regards.

 

[m141a]

Simple: is it this one...

the Carbine.. SG Saginaw with an Underwood Barrel.

or this one...

The Garand. 1955 Harrington And Richardson.

or this one (just cause I feel like showing off )

The Garand. 1954 International Harvester.

...or maybe this one...

The M14 (m1a) My personal favorite.

Hope this helps....
Chris~

 

[boomersback]

Hi- Just got back in town. The one I own is the first one in the pics. Worth anything?

 

[bulletsbob44]

30 carbine

The 30 carbine was meant to be a replacement for the 45 pistol.

Unless someone comes up with a premium bullet like Barnes X or partition, its too light for big deer.

Also, the Remington softpoint loading is a varmint load and will fragmentize on impact. It does make a good defense load .

WW 296 is a good powder for the carbine.

 

[Bill Lester]

Most combat soldiers who actually used the U.S. Carbine on the enemy were none too impressed by it's power. There are a lot of horror stories of winter-clad North Koreans and Chinese that just didn't go down because the bullets were slowed enough by quilted coats and leather straps to only inflict minor wounds. It's a great little gun to carry but comes up lacking in killing power. I'd use it for plinking and such and get a better rifle for deer hunting. Even a .357 Magnum lever action carbine with good ammo is a significant improvement, yet equally portable.