WWII Winchester M1 Carbine .30 Cal. Semi Automatic Rifle 1945 Our Assessment: The M1 Carbine was developed and produced after WWII started. Over 6 million were made by a number of U.S. companies to assist with the all out war effort. The M1 Carbine was widely issued to U.S. Military Forces which numbered over 16 million during WWII. The M1 Carbine contributed greatly to U.S. efforts during WWII. Winchester is responsible for the development of both the M1 Carbine and the .30 Carbine cartridge. Despite having a long firearms history and being responsible for M1 Carbine development, Winchester did not produce the majority of M1 Carbines during WWII. Winchester was responsible for about 13.5% of the total number of WWII M1 Carbines.This Winchester M1 Carbine was made back in 1945. It has since been rebuilt and refinsihed. It still uses some Winchester parts including its Winchester marked barrel. It is in Very Good Plus condition. The rifle comes with four 15 round magazines, a dual mag pouch, an aftermarket soft case, and a plastic hard case.
Make: Winchester
Model: M1 Carbine
Serial Number: 6577347
Year of Manufacture: April to June 1945 (page 32 of Scott Duff's book, The M1 Carbine Owner's Guide). No Barrel Date
Caliber: .30 Carbine
Action Type: Semi Automatic, Detachable Magazine
Markings: There is no import mark. The top front of the receiver is marked "U.S. CARBINE / CAL. .30 M1" and the top rear is marked "Trade Mark / Winchester / 6577347". The top of the undated Winchester barrel is marked with a "W" and a Winchester "PW in an oval" proof mark. The right rear of the trigger group is marked "W". The hammer is unmarked . The magazine release is marked "M". The safety is marked "M inside a C". The bottom of the operating slide is marked "7161843 / 96567". The bolt is marked "W". The front sight is marked ".U.". The Type II rear sight is marked "PI". The Type III barrel band is marked "JM". The inside of the handguard is marked with a faded illegible stamp. The top left edge of the handguard is marked "SA". The recoil plate is marked "W". The rear of the magazines are marked "AI", "SW", "circled IW", and "BW".
Barrel Length: 18"
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade set between two protective wings. The rear sight is a fully adjustable Type II aperture sight.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The wood stock has a pistol grip, Type III barrel band with sling loop & bayonet lug, sling well, sling pass through, and a metal buttplate. The wood shows a few small draglines and compression marks. The LOP measures 13 1/4 inches from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The stock rates in about Fine overall condition as refinished.
Type of Finish: Gun Paint
Finish Originality: Refinished
Bore Condition: The bore has deep rifling. The muzzle and grooves are light gray due to fouling and light erosion. The bore shows an M.E. of 2.2. In this writer's opinion, this bore rates 7 out of 10.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 97% of its metal finish as refinished. The metal shows scuffs, light scratches and operational wear. The barrel shows a few small spots of thinning under the band. The markings are well defined. Overall, this rifle rates in about Very Good Plus condition as refinished.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this rifle. We have cleaned this firearm and performed a mechanic's check but expect many will want to clean the firearm again depending on their standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: The rifle comes with four 15 round magazines, a dual mag pouch, an aftermarket soft case, and a plastic hard case. The magazines appear to function correctly. The 15 round magazines are not available to residents of California or any other state with magazine capacity restrictions.
CA LEGALITY: CA Classified C&R: YES. CA PPT: YES.
RIFLE