Bavarian M1 Carbine

[bainter1212]

Hello,

As some of you may be aware, I recently picked up a Bavarian Forestry Police M1 Carbine. Last night, I finally got the chance to tear it down and clean it. The thing was desperately in need of cleaning. The firing pin was jammed forward due to all the grease in the bolt - the prior owner probably sold it due to slamfires.

Anyway...here goes.


It is an Underwood with an Underwood barrel dated 12-43.





Some general pics. Lighting was too bright in the sun and too dim in the shade. Where is an overcast day when you need one?












serial # 26612XX







Rebuild markings on stock





Don't know what these numbers are, possibly a rack number?





"P" on bottom of pistol grip





Stock makers mark

 

[bainter1212]

Handguard makers mark





Stock cartouche




Lots of -U- marked parts

bolt



sear



trigger housing



firing pin

 

[bainter1212]

Some other markings

Hammer



mag release





safety




Check out this strange marking on the op rod assy. Anybody seen this before?





Barrel band









AND........the money shot










Overall, I am very happy with this purchase. I have not fired it yet. If it proves reliable, I will be even happier.

Please feel free to help me interpret the markings and such.

Does anybody think the stock and handguard may be original to the gun? That would tickle me in the good spot.

 

[lemaymiami]

Here's an outstanding site for info about your Bavarian....
m1CarbineForum.com They even have a particular page for Bavarian carbines (along with one for every other possible source -including commercial carbines). I like it enough that I visit it every few days to learn a bit about those old War Babies... I'm not a carbine owner -but I'm definitely a fan....

 

[kBob]

I am guessing that is a California 10 round magazine?

Neat carbine. There was an older gentleman in my German gun club that insisted that the old mans reserve still had Carbines in the early 1970s and he shot an Erma m-1/22 occasionally at the club. If so I wonder if there will be another batch of carbines eventually in bound.

-kBob

 

[CoalTrain49]

Trigger housing looks to be early type I Underwood. Slide is Type III Underwood. The Heart/F is a common mark. Hammer Type III Underwood. Barrel band, safety and mag catch is post war rebuild codes. Stock is Underwood. Can't make out rear sight. Should have Code on starboard side. Probably type III as most were refitted. Barrel date and receiver SN is a close match. Looks like the barrel is original to receiver.

Looks like you have all Underwood parts except the ones with rebuild codes. Looks like it was re-arsenaled and not messed with after that.

Nice collectible rifle.

 

[bainter1212]

Thanks for all the helpful replies. I bought it for $800 for whatever that is worth....2 or 3 yrs ago it would have gone for much less but nowadays that is a fair price.
I wish I would have snatched up a bunch of these a few years back. They are so fun to shoot.

And yes that is a 10 rd mag. Came with the gun. I have a few 15s and a 30 as well that I have had forever.

 

[carbine85]

The number on the stock is a rack number. That's a nice carbine. Probably only refurbished once.

 

[bainter1212]

The number on the stock is a rack number. That's a nice carbine. Probably only refurbished once.

If you look very closely at that rack number, it looks like there might be a big P within a circle real faded like, so maybe rebuilt twice.

Somebody on another forum thinks that it may have been purposefully "corrected". I don't know....I am not expert enough.

 

[njl]

You should post pics/questions on forums.thecmp.org. There are people there who can tell you just about anything about it. It's too bad the stock has all those nice markings and what looks like a pretty good crack next to the recoil plate.

 

[bainter1212]

You should post pics/questions on forums.thecmp.org. There are people there who can tell you just about anything about it. It's too bad the stock has all those nice markings and what looks like a pretty good crack next to the recoil plate.

Crack is small and not that deep. Not too concerned about it.

If I shoot it and it gets worse, I will put a shooter stock on it and save the old one.

Thanks for the CMP forum suggestion. I think I will post it there.

 

[bannockburn]

bainter1212

Nice Underwood M1 Carbine. Like the Bavaria Forestry Police inscription. Kind of reminds me of the Manurhin P1 that I have that was used by the West Berlin Police force.

 

[bikerdoc]

Sad that we left a huge number of those carbines in Viet Nam. We will never see them again and probably dont want to what with the weather there and the way they were not taken care of.

 

[ulflyer]

Does the trigger housing, just in front of the mag catch, have stamped markings? Most Bavarians were stamped with letters/numbers that designated the area they were assigned to. If so, post it on the CMP forum and someone can tell you more.

Very nice gun, looks all original but for the few parts added during/just after war when rearsenaled. Large numbers of these were loaned to the Bavarians right after the war and came back a few years ago via the CMP. Vast majority were in excellent condition.

 

[Ibmikey]

In 1964-65 i purchased twenty M1 Carbines and twenty five M1 Garands through the police department but for individual officers and with their funds, the rifles came from Century Arms. Some of the Carbines were reblued, had most parts serialized and one had the rear sight notch filled and an u notch sight silver soldered on the rear of the barrel. These Carbines were marked "Bavaria Rural Police" i ordered two so I took the best standard Winchester and a Inland Bavaria, i have and shoot these carbines today-- neither has been through a rebuild (although the Germans modified the Inland as described).