Collector Value of Various M1 .30 cal Carbine Manufacturers?

[msmp5]

What is the relative ranking of the different manufacturers of the US .30 cal M1 Carbine as to value? (Assuming similar condition.) Inland? Winchester? National Postal Meter? IBM? Others? I'm not looking for a dollar value, just maybe high to low in terms of collector value and what they are worth? Is there a definitive on-line resource about the M1 Carbine anyone can recommend? I've got some studying I need to do.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Most to least-
1) Irwin Petersen
2)Quality Hardware/ Union Switch and Signal (UnQuality)
3)Rockola
4)Winchester
5)IBM
6)NPM
7)Saginaw
8)Standard Products
9)Underwood
10)Inland

Generally Speaking, of course.

This is a good reference site, especially for the Byzantine world of commercial post-war carbines-
http://www.uscarbinecal30.com/

 

[1KPerDay]

I'm no expert but I agree with nightlord from my informal research. The CMP forums are a good source of info also if you haven't asked around there.

 

[AlexanderA]

The name on the heel of the receiver is what collectors generally go by. But as to the rest of the parts, most Carbines are mixmasters. If you find one with matching parts, it's probably the result of some collector trying to make it "correct." (Same goes for Garands, to a lesser extent.)

 

[Steel Horse Rider]

The ones I own are the most collectable......

 

[grampster]

It was about 1967 iirc. There was a bit of unrest in America at that time. The NRA offered those of us in LE a deal on an M-1 carbine. I don't remember which was which...NRA 1 year dues was $5.00 and $25.00 for a brand new in the box covered in cosmoline M-1 carbine. It may have been $25.00 dues and $5.00 for the rifle. Mine was brand spanking new and I enjoyed it for several years till I traded it to a gun shop for an Ithaca XL900 20 ga shotgun with two barrels...one for birds and a slug barrel. I wish I would have kept that rifle.

 

[CapnMac]

Bruce Canfield (who knows a thing or two on the topic) agrees, generally, with @NIGHTLORD40K, above.

Although I think he may put the NPM ahead of Winchester, due to the tiny number of "all NPM" produced--that's from memory, which could be flawed. And I have a sleeping dog on my foot, so I can't walk the 14' to the bookcase with the Canfield book in it (and, as always, I'd lose and hour or three rereading it []).

Total production of Carbines was staggering, if memory serves, the production lines did not fully stop until about Christmas, 1945. Rather large numbers of Carbines straight from the factories were just stacked up in warehouses, pristine. In 1947, DoD was ginned up, and they were all Space Age fancy. Then 1950 hit. Regiments and Divisions processed, poste haste, all their arms through the Armorers to ensure all arms were fit for Combat Service.

That process was pretty simple, all the parts were taken down to bits, and each bit went into a bin, and was then cleaned en masse, and go/nogo checked for tolerance. Weapons were rebuilt with all working parts. Parts were parts. Speed was of the essence. Cosmoline still in the thing? Strip it down!

Then, suddenly, it was 1953, and Peace broke out again. Back to garrison and post duty.

There were still thousands of Carbines out there. Many were mustered out with the troopie they were issued to. Some of those were straight from a rack, and had not been through Battalion or Regiment armorers. So, there were plenty of "all matching"; bunch of the DCM ones were straight from warehouses. But, there were plenty of mixmasters, too.

But, the European thing of putting serial numbers on everything created an ethos where "all matching" was prized. Yet, one of the great victories of the US was to create an arms industry that could make firearm parts to standards good enough that they could be swapped between any working firearm of the same type.

For me, yes, there's a cachet to a "more correct" (and that's a loaded and inapt phrase) Carbine. But, it's not a be-all, do-all. And without a very solid provenance, not worth a major uptick in price.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Ya, those are a toss-up and the value will depend on whos buying. A Carbine collector may pay more for an NPM based on its rarity, however the average buyer might put a premium on more recognizeable names like IBM and Winchester.

 

[Speedo66]

The name on the heel of the receiver is what collectors generally go by. But as to the rest of the parts, most Carbines are mixmasters. If you find one with matching parts, it's probably the result of some collector trying to make it "correct." (Same goes for Garands, to a lesser extent.)

I have an Underwood, made by the typewriter people. Both the barrel and receiver are by them, I believe other parts , too.

They seem to be one of the companies that made most of their own parts, and actual sold some to other companies that fell behind in production.

 

[Jim Watson]

Some contractors did not make every single part, so a "matching" gun is impossible. All you can do is get one with stuff from their main subcontractor.

 

[AlexanderA]

It was about 1967 iirc. There was a bit of unrest in America at that time. The NRA offered those of us in LE a deal on an M-1 carbine. I don't remember which was which...NRA 1 year dues was $5.00 and $25.00 for a brand new in the box covered in cosmoline M-1 carbine.

It wasn't just for law enforcement. In the early 1960's, NRA members could buy surplus U.S. military firearms through the DCM at what seem to us today to be unbelievably low prices. These included Carbines, M1911 pistols, 03 and A3 Springfields, and 1917 Enfields. Garands were also available on a limited basis (because they were still being used by the armed forces), but you had to meet additional conditions such as being an active competitive shooter.

The DCM program was one of the biggest benefits of NRA membership, and was a great recruiting tool for the NRA. I joined in 1964, but by that time most of the pool of available firearms had already dried up. They were still selling parts for Carbines and.45s.

 

[eastbank]

my winchester m1 carbine most likley saw service in ww-2 and maybe korea, it went thru a arsenal rebuild some ware in between and was sold thru dcm in the 60,s. a fine shooter.

 

[msmp5]

Anyone familiar with Buffalo Arms? That’s the name on the barrel of my National Postal Meter M1 Carbine.

 

[eastbank]

many companies supplied different parts for the m1 carbines durning ww-2, you can have a reciever with a different makers barrel and other parts. and at the rebuilds parts were replaced as needed.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

Anyone familiar with Buffalo Arms? That’s the name on the barrel of my National Postal Meter M1 Carbine.

Importer marking.

I've bought a couple lever actions from them.

 

[AlexanderA]

Importer marking.

Same with "Blue Sky." These were re-imports from Korea. Some of these were stamped so heavily (near the front of the barrel) that it actually distorted the bore.

 

[CapnMac]

Was almost a couple years ago, now, but at a DFW gun show there was a guy with a whole table of "correct" carbines, every single part name matched. Rockola, Winchester, and NPM, all in brand new stocks (very much missing military oil finishes), and none looking much like they were old at all. $2300 each, 5% more on cc--and they were confused why they were not selling like hotcakes.
Sadly you can get less than you paid for.

 

[AlexanderA]

$2300 each

Absurd. Asking a premium for "correct" carbines is taking advantage of the uninitiated.

 

[mgmorden]

As I'm a computer programmer by trade, I have always wanted one of the IBM made rifles as a novelty . Thankfully they appear to be only "middle of the pack" for value.

 

[CapnMac]

Absurd. Asking a premium for "correct" carbines is taking advantage of the uninitiated.

Concur wholeheartedly. If they had WWII walnut stocks, that would have improved things. Not to $2300, but, still.
Those hershey's brown stocks (which looked suspiciously like the new Inland "walnut" stocks, the ones that are magnolia or mock cherry or whatever) could be spotted from an aisle away, too.

And, apparently the "uninitiated" were few and far between, as they were not getting even that many lookie-loo's. The guys on the table were out in the aisle trying to get traffic. They had not brought anything else to flog, either--paying the table rental was 100% keyed to selling a carbine.

Who does that? Here, we'll just bring our 15-18 Carbines and they'll sell like hotcakes. Get some mag pouches, nah. A bayonet or two, nah. Pile of magazines, maybe, nope. Three tables for two days, and no way to pay for those except out of pocket. This probably explains why I never saw those dudes again.

 

[Poper]

Most to least-
1) Irwin Petersen
2)Quality Hardware/ Union Switch and Signal (UnQuality)
3)Rockola
4)Winchester
5)IBM
6)NPM
7)Saginaw
8)Standard Products
9)Underwood
10)Inland

Generally Speaking, of course.

This is a good reference site, especially for the Byzantine world of commercial post-war carbines-
http://www.uscarbinecal30.com/

Not taking into consideration of condition. A unaltered, 1st issue, WWII era / issued Inland will likely sell at auction for more than say a Rockola that has been re-arsenalled, rebuilt or otherwise altered from its issued condition.

I auctioned a WWII issued Inland that had its original 1943 issued configuration and looked like it had been through every campaign in the pacific theater after being issued. (I bought it from a WWII vet in 1970-ish.) I expected $550 - $650. Sold it on Gunbroker about 3 or 4 years ago, penny auction, no reserve, and it went for $1,325. Go figure. The retired veterinarian who bought it said he wanted it because of its apparent "war experience" showed and his father had carried one when he fought on Tarawa and Iwo Jima . Values are going to vary all over the place from $500 at the low to "who knows!" for the high.

 

[firedawg60]

Anyone familiar with Buffalo Arms? That’s the name on the barrel of my National Postal Meter M1 Carbine.

I believe Buffalo Arms provided barrels for government contract use and were used by NPM, Quality Hardware, and Standard Products. There's a chance it could be original to the receiver, but could be on any make post rebuild. It's not an import mark such as Blue Sky.

 

[natman]

It was about 1967 iirc. There was a bit of unrest in America at that time. The NRA offered those of us in LE a deal on an M-1 carbine. I don't remember which was which...NRA 1 year dues was $5.00 and $25.00 for a brand new in the box covered in cosmoline M-1 carbine. It may have been $25.00 dues and $5.00 for the rifle. Mine was brand spanking new and I enjoyed it for several years till I traded it to a gun shop for an Ithaca XL900 20 ga shotgun with two barrels...one for birds and a slug barrel. I wish I would have kept that rifle.

My father bought a carbine from the government in 1962, IIRC. It was $25. There was one requirement in order to buy a semiautomatic rifle that really was a weapon of war with a detachable 15 round magazine from the government - you had to be an NRA member. Back then the NRA was practically a branch of the federal government.

My, how times have changed and not for the better.