First 30. Carbine

[Flip85]

I have just bought my first but hopefully not my last firearm. I paid $400 from the pawn shop.( besides being filthy, it fired just fine.) It is a 30 carbine stamped E.F.M 3430). The folks there told me that the mag release button was made by General Motors because it has the letters ( H I ) stamped on it. Ive been told there may be real GI parts, How do i look up all the numbers, there are some on the sight and on the bayonet lug. Thanks for looking.

 

[Tim the student]

If you look on the CMP forums, you can probably find info.

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Nice Piece

It looks like you have a Type III.

You have that rotating safety lever, which replaced the safety button. The original safety button was close enough to the magazine release that occassionally the operator would drop the mag rather than release safety.

You also have the adjustable ramp rear sight, which is also a later development.

Mine is a Type II, as near as I can tell (Rockola).

The make is engraved/stamped on the receiver just under/behind the rear sight. What does it say there?

Possible names are IBM, Inland, Winchester, Quality Hardware, Underwood, Rockola and so on.

This may help:

M1 Carbine Manufacturers by serial number blocks.

From:___   To:_____   Company:_________________
0,000,001  0,000,005  Inland Division, General Motors
0,000,006  0,000,010  Winchester Repeating Arms
0,000,011  0,999,999  Inland Division, General Motors
1,000,000  1,349,999  Winchester Repeating Arms
1,350,000  1,449,999  Underwood, Elliott, Fisher
1,450,000  1,549,999  National Postal Meter
1,550,000  1,662,519  Quality Hardware Mfg. Corp
1,662,520  1,762,519  Rock-ola Mfg. Corp
1,762,520  1,875,039  Irwin Pedersen-Saginaw Gear
1,875,040  1,937,519  Quality Hardware Mfg., Corp
1,937,520  1,982,519  National Postal Meter
1,982,520  2,352,519  Standard Products
2,352,520  2,912,519  Underwood, Elliott, Fisher
2,912,520  3,212,519  Inland Division, General Motors
3,212,520  3,250,019  Irwin Pedersen-Saginaw Gear
3,250,520  3,651,519  Saginaw (Saginaw) Division
3,651,520  4,009,999  International Business Machines
4,010,000  4,074,999  Underwood, Elliott, Fisher
4,075,000  4,075,009  Winchester Repeating Arms
4,075,010  4,432,099  National Postal Meter
4,432,100  4,532,099  Quality Hardware
4,532,100  4,632,099  Rock-Ola Mfg. Corporation
4,632,100  4,879,525  Quality Hardware Mfg. Corp.
4,879,526  5,549,921  Inland Division, General Motors
5,549,922  5,834,618  Winchester Repeating Arms
5,834,619  6,071,188  Saginaw (Saginaw) Division
6,071,189  6,099,688  Rock-Ola Mfg. Corporation
6,099,689  6,199,688  Underwood, Elliott, Fisher
6,199,689  6,219,688  Rock-Ola Mfg. Corporation
6,219,689  6,449,867  Inland Division, General Motors
6,449,868  6,629,883  Winchester Repeating Arms
6,629,884  7,234,883  Inland Division, General Motors
7,234,884  7,369,660  Winchester Repeating Arms
7,369,661  8,069,660  Inland Division, General Motors

 

[rcmodel]

You do not have a real U.S. GI M-1 Carbine.

It was made by Erma's Firearms Manufacturing Company (EFM) of Steelville, MO.
They made both military style and sport versions of the M1 carbine out of surplus parts and newley manufactured receivers in the 1950's - 60's. In the mid-1960s they become the Steelville Manufacturing Company, and apparently they went out of business about 1967.

http://www.m1carbinesinc.com/carbine_ermas.html

rc

 

[Flip85]

Thank you everyone for your info. I
now know the year span my carbine was made between 50's and 60's, and the name of the manufacture. I dont care it its not a "real" GI issue, i just care how well it works, and it works fine.
F.Y.I. wall-mart has been seen with 30 carbine ammo.

 

[JT'sDad]

Congrats. I have the IAI M1 Carbine.
Mine shoots great with any ammo I feed it. Sounds like you got a great carbine, go have fun.