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Posted: 12/18/2011 4:30:55 PM EDT
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About 3 years ago I bought an M1 carbine for $80. The guy told me beforehand that he had gotten it at an estate sale, it was missing the upper hand guard, and he didn't know a damn thing about it except that it didn't cycle, but shot fine (he had never fired it- he owed me for a deal I scored for him on some reloading equipment and he knew that I wanted an M1)
And he was right about it. I shot it about 3 times, assumed it needed a new gas piston, put it away, and intended to fix it later. Well, now is later, so I pulled it out of the safe, disassembled it, and... I found the old gas piston 
Somehow it managed the nut and piston both had managed to fall out of the gas block, and into the slide... where it had been fired several times and wedged into place sideways! I have a wrench on the way and I'll track down a new piston and nut somewhere, but that has to rank right up as a headscratcher. Those things normally screw in real tight, so I'm not sure how it came loose and got wedged in like it did. I will attempt to post pictures tomorrow before I knock the old piston out. Incidentally, I don't know much about their makes, aside from there being a whole lot of them. This one has no bayonet lug, and I bought it under the assumption that for 80 bucks it would be a junky postwar commercial one- at worst a wallhanger if it couldn't be fixed, and most likely a decent plinker for smaller shooters. The metalwork is a little rough around the receiver- fair amount of tool marks. Serial is marked ahead of the (adjustable) rear sight. 14000 range. I can't quite make out the name of the company on behind the rear sight- All I can make out on it is what appears to be (something)GRO INC The stamping is light- there's very little metal wear. It does have a round bolt, and is marked US CARBINE CAL 30 M1 ahead of bolt on the receiver. Again, it has no bayonet lug. Front sight is mounted about halfway between where the barrel steps down and the muzzle. Any ideas as to make? I thought I'd just share my little oddity of gun malfunctions, but any insight as to the make would be appreciated as well. |
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Pictures would probably be better.
Does it look like this: 
Standard Products, Port Clinton, OH made about 247K M1 carbines between Apr and Jul of 1944 with that roll mark. Their serial numbers are 1,982,520 to 2,352,519. Sound about right? Check the barrel right behind the front sight. There should be a manufacturer and date there. |
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Actually just found it, National Ordnance. Date appears to be around 1970ish.
For the $80 I spent on the gun and the $30 for the piston, nut, and wrench to fix it, not too shabby, even for a later commercial knockoff. I'm just befuddled as to how the thing came loose like it did. |
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