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Posted: 8/25/2026 10:58:56 AM EDT
[Last Edit: WildBoar][Edited]
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I recently came into an M1 Carbine. Its a Blue Sky import but its in very nice shape. .barrel and bore look great. Blue sky wasn't stamped with the force of Godzilla so barrel isn't oval. I'm ok with it being a BS import. Got a decent deal on it. I just wanted a shooter and something like what my grandpa carried in WW2. Its got the typical refurbishments like the type 3 band and lug, adjustable rear sight and lever safety. He was in from North Africa all the way to re occupation of Berlin. So I figure he probably changed units a few times and probably turned in and was reissued a weapon each time. In pics I see the non bayo lug and possible the flip sights. But those are early war pics. Is it possible that he had a type 3 band and adj sights in 45? Leaning to making it look like what he had in the pics. Is it hard to change out barrel bands and sights? Just want it to look closer to what he had. I want to surprise my dad with it for Christmas. Pics of him with his carbine in 43 
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The front sight is easy. Easier if you have the puller. Press out the cross pin and use the puller to pull the sight off the barrel. The T3 band can then be removed and replaced. Most repro T1 bands are garbage and do not work well. A T2 works much better and repro's are abundant, usually made from cut down T3's. Chances are when you pull the T3 off it will damage (scratch) the finish on the barrel. The rear sight is also simple. It presses out from one side (forgot which). Repro flips are everywhere. Most adjustable sights were also staked in place. The safety is simple as well. Just held in by a plunger. Repro push button safeties are everywhere as well. Heck back in high school (80's)I made a push button safety out of a bolt shank for my carbine. What you replace the old parts with is up to you but I would base it on the serial number and maker of the rifle at least. |
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Originally Posted By svt40: The front sight is easy. Easier if you have the puller. Press out the cross pin and use the puller to pull the sight off the barrel. The T3 band can then be removed and replaced. Most repro T1 bands are garbage and do not work well. A T2 works much better and repro's are abundant, usually made from cut down T3's. Chances are when you pull the T3 off it will damage (scratch) the finish on the barrel. The rear sight is also simple. It presses out from one side (forgot which). Repro flips are everywhere. Most adjustable sights were also staked in place. The safety is simple as well. Just held in by a plunger. Repro push button safeties are everywhere as well. Heck back in high school (80's)I made a push button safety out of a bolt shank for my carbine. What you replace the old parts with is up to you but I would base it on the serial number and maker of the rifle at least. Good idea. Its a Winchester. Ill get serial when I pick it up |
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A lot of the older forums have gone. Jouster was great 15 years ago. Pick up the book U.S. M1 Carbines, Wartime Production. BOOK Lots of info, tool info, etc. Note - if the rear sight was stacked well - it does not want to come out. CMP is still active CMP Carbine Collectors Club Another site |
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Your life is an occasion, rise to it
In time we will be dancing in the streets all night.
| Late war Winnies could have come with a T3 barrel band. IIRC 6M-ish or higher. The easy way to tell is to find the proof P on the barrel. If you can see it with the T3 band in place then it came with a T3. If it had a T1 or T2 originally and the T3 was added during the rebuild of 1947 then the proof P would be hidden under the band. |
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I have two Carbine, Caliber .30, M1 rifles, and shoot them just like I bought them. I consider the arsenal upgrades and field replacement parts as part of their history and character, same as the patina. One is an Inland Blue Sky stamped import and it is very accurate. |
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I built up a barreled receiver from scratch after getting one fro mthe CMP many moons ago. All of the parts are available online, you just have to decide what your budget is to get them. I am not sure I would replace the T3, as it has already been said, some late war had them, and it may not be worth the effort if it gets damaged removing it. The rest of the parts, sights, safety, those are all easy to replace. Good luck! Your dad I am sure will love it, good for you to do this for him. |
A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both. - Dwight D. Eisenhower
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Originally Posted By aztrooper: I built up a barreled receiver from scratch after getting one fro mthe CMP many moons ago. All of the parts are available online, you just have to decide what your budget is to get them. I am not sure I would replace the T3, as it has already been said, some late war had them, and it may not be worth the effort if it gets damaged removing it. The rest of the parts, sights, safety, those are all easy to replace. Good luck! Your dad I am sure will love it, good for you to do this for him. Thanks. I also found an original WW2 saddle bag for it like he had on his motorcycle in the war. Dads also getting an early Springield M1A I got a deal on. 4 digit serial, wood handguard, etc. He had an M14 in the Corps and his first month in Vietnam. I don't know how much time I have left with him so I want to make this holiday awesome for him |
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There were ord u its that traveled around updating weapons in use. Late sights were added when they could. Attached File |
“You either know and understand history or you trust the government. You can’t do both”
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Originally Posted By scottrh2: There were ord u its that traveled around updating weapons in use. Late sights were added when they could. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/103595/IMG_2362_png-3820975.JPG Awesome info, thanks. |
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Originally Posted By svt40: Late war Winnies could have come with a T3 barrel band. IIRC 6M-ish or higher. The easy way to tell is to find the proof P on the barrel. If you can see it with the T3 band in place then it came with a T3. If it had a T1 or T2 originally and the T3 was added during the rebuild of 1947 then the proof P would be hidden under the band. Its after 6,500,000 Researching looks like it very well may have had it the sights and type 3 band.. Receiver, barrel and type 3 band are all Winchester. I can see the proof (faintly) with the band on. Rotary safety may be correct but this particular safety isn't a Winchester one. Type 3 sights are made by International Register Co. Allegedly used on late Winchesters and extensively on rebuilds. Its got a Saginaw slide and Inland Hammer. Don't care though. I figured it a mostly rebuild being a Blue Sky import. I am not going to change a single thing if this one could represent what he may have carried near the end of the war and into the Berlin occupation. All I remember him saying he carried a Winchester so this being a Winchester is a lucky win. |
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Sounds like a very nice carbine. Should show us some pics to drool over. The safety would still not be correct as all WWII carbines had the push button safety. All carbines late in the war got the adjustable sight but only Inland and Winchester got the T3 barrel band IIRC. |
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Originally Posted By svt40: Sounds like a very nice carbine. Should show us some pics to drool over. The safety would still not be correct as all WWII carbines had the push button safety. All carbines late in the war got the adjustable sight but only Inland and Winchester got the T3 barrel band IIRC. So the lever safety wasn't used until after the war? I thought they started those in March of 45 . But this one is probably before then I can always find a push button I am sure. Also has a flat bolt, was thinking about grabbing a Winchester round one but I will need to find a way to headspace it. Is that doable? |
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Originally Posted By svt40: Sounds like a very nice carbine. Should show us some pics to drool over. The safety would still not be correct as all WWII carbines had the push button safety. All carbines late in the war got the adjustable sight but only Inland and Winchester got the T3 barrel band IIRC.    
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Originally Posted By WildBoar: So the lever safety wasn't used until after the war? I thought they started those in March of 45 . But this one is probably before then I can always find a push button I am sure. Also has a flat bolt, was thinking about grabbing a Winchester round one but I will need to find a way to headspace it. Is that doable? Round bolts were conserved for M2 use well into the 1950s. |
“You either know and understand history or you trust the government. You can’t do both”
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Originally Posted By scottrh2: Round bolts were conserved for M2 use well into the 1950s. Appreciated. I made the mistake using ai to look up stamps and serials. Info seems to be all over the place. Claude an Gpt kept saying the round bolts started around 43 and 44 and being later serial the bolt could have been round from the factory. If this model came with the type 3 band. But like I said, the info I get seems to conflict with what people are saying. If the bolt is supposed to be flat I'll leave it. Its definitely a Hienz 57 though. Just trying to make it appear correct for its serial range. |
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I’ll just put this here. Round will work, your choice. Attached File |
“You either know and understand history or you trust the government. You can’t do both”
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I appreciate the info. Any guesses as to which late a Winchester would have come with? Either or was the round bolt only developed for the M2. Was the M2 in production in 44 and 45? Or are the dates Im getting pretty innacurate If a flat bolt is what it came with ill leave it be Im going to have to get some books |
| Yes, M2s were being built in 1945 using round bolts. I have a “hand strike” Inland M1 from 1-45ish. Inland flat bolt. I would “suspect” they tried to save the limited round bolts for the factory M2s until the supply of round ones allowed any carbine to get a round bolt during rebuild if warranted. Not sure that I’ve ever seen that the round bolt was actually any stronger than a flat one. |
“You either know and understand history or you trust the government. You can’t do both”
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