Inland M1 Carbine .30 Carbine

This description starts with all of the markings on the various parts that make up this restored WWII carbine, beginning with the stock and the handguard, which are replacements for the worn out unmarked pieces. The stock is marked IO in the sling well on the left side of the buttstock, with an Inland cartouche on the right side of same. The handguard also has an IO on its underside. The original recoil plate is marked WI and the barrel band/bayonet lug is marked KI. Next is the receiver, all of which is completely original to the firearm. It is marked S G on the front of the left side for Saginaw Gear, another carbine manufacturer from General Motors that overran Inland's serial number range and had to replace them. The receiver is also marked with "Inland Division," giving credit to the actual supplier of the finished product. Below that is the serial number of the firearm, 949050X. The X is not a substitute for a missing number, but it indicates that it is a duplicate of the digits in the serial number on another manufacturer's firearm. In this case, Saginaw Gear. There are approximately 10,000 rifles in the range of lowest to highest number of X suffixes known, but the total count I have seen published is 31. I have heard rumors over the years that there is a list somewhere a little more than double that, but to my knowledge it has never been substantiated. Back to the description. The rear sight has an H in a shield for Hemphill, a subcontractor for Inland, among others. Above the chamber, the marking reads, “U.S. Carbine” and below that, “Cal. 30M1.” The front sight is original and carries the marking N (Niedner,) another subcontractor. Below that, on the barrel are the markings, INLAND MFG DIV, below that GENERAL MOTORS, and below that the date, 12-43. The gas cylinder is marked with I-I and is also original to the gun. There is an an illegible (unreadable) place on the bottom of the barrel between the stock and the front sight that resembles a scratch more than anything else, but there is the probability that it is a completely botched importer's marking. The trigger housing is marked with a vertical “Inland,” and all of its internal parts marked as follows: Safety-modified push variation (unmarked); Mag catch-M on face and HI on front; Hammer-HI; Trigger-RI; Sear-BI. The flat bolt is marked AI plus a sideways 2, and the slide is marked with PI plus a T inside. The muzzle wear is not quite .002. and the 30.06 cartridge method of measuring muzzle wear came out to 3/16 inches, translated to a decimal of .1875." Not bad at all for an 82 year old firearm, and a rare one at that.