Marine M1903 Parked Finish on M1 Carbine?

[cplnorton]

Ok, long story short I heard of a bringback M1 Carbine for sale from an estate. I went to go look at it. It was supposed to be sent home with a grenade launcher on it, in a canvas carbine case. The Grenade launcher was sold before I had a shot at it. I know the person who was offering it up for sale. They would not lie. But I was more concerned with families who get confused. Many times vets buy carbines later in life, and the carbine LIKE they carried in the war, becomes the ONE they carried in the war. So that is what I was concerned about.

Anyways, it's a 1.36 million Underwood. It was pretty much all matching and correct. The rear flip is obviously changed and I posted pics last week and the consensus was it was a repo. The type I band no one knew for sure, but Tuna commented that it was supposed to be blued, and it is parked.

The case I got with it, had a man's name on it. And he said that is who brought it back. When I ran his name, I found out he was a Marine who enlisted in the 1950 period, and landed at Inchon and fought through the Chosin Resevoir. He was also part of a famous company at the Chosin. He was Fox Company, 2nd Battalion 7th Marines. He is also featured several times in the book The Last STand of Fox Company.

Anyways the rest of the carbine seems all correct to the book. I see no parts that aren't correct except for the rear sight, and possibly the band might have been changed. There are no stake marks on the receiver at all. I some what suspect it might have had an adjustable sight and type III band. But I'm not 100% sure on the band.

So the finish looked off to me, and not like the other early Underwoods I had. But I couldn't place it. And it didn't look like normal rebuilds I run across as the finish was so light.

So I didn't put 2 +2 together until today when I was putting in a safe and put it beside a Marine rebuild 1903 from the 1941 period, and then I had a sort of an ah-ha moment.


First, the rifle.



The supposed case it was sent back in.



Rollin Hutchinson was in 2/7 Fox Co and landed at Inchon and fought through the Chosin. He was WIA twice and lived his whole life in Toledo Ohio. The rifle was found in Toledo Ohio. And was sold by his family as the one he brought back.



It's a lengthened 1944 Carbine Case.

[cplnorton]

This is what I noticed when I put it side by side with my 1941 Marine Rebuild 1903 with the light colored distinct Marine parked finish.

[cplnorton]

Finish even appears the same on the bolts. Marine rebuilds often have dark colored sights and bolts form WWII

[cplnorton]

[cplnorton]

The rifle had a grenade launcher on it that was sold to another individual before I had a chance at it. When I looked up the Marine's MOS that was on the bag, he was a 0334, which is a anti-tank assaultman. I believe they did make a anti tank grenade for the carbines during Korea.

Also I noticed the muzzle of the rifle is beat up, like it got pounded at the end of the barrel. A good friend told me that is where most of the force of the grenade launcher hits. And then the stock is also cracked in the slingwell. I've never seen one break in this area. But I did read the grenade launchers broke stocks a lot. This is the cracks in the slingwell.




I suspect this might be a Marine Rebuild M1 Carbine. It is all correct from what I can tell and the finishes all match too close to be a total pieced together carbine. I suspect this might be a pretty original carbine that was rebuilt, with attention to get the correct parts back with the rifle. Sort of like how some of early 1911 rebuilds seem to keep all the correct parts but just refinished. Again it all matches too close I think to be a total restoration.



I also suspect this might have had an adjustable sight, and possibly a bayonet lug. Maybe the vet decided to swap them out and make it look more correct. I do not know. This is how my friend received it, and the band I do think might be original. This is the pic of the barrel. I can't decide if there is a shadow or not. The front sight pin has for sure been removed. But they might have done it when refinished and put the band back on. I do not know.

[cplnorton]

The only other important info I can think of is the Marine was a Resevist. He was at the local Toledo Reserve unit and was called up to Korea without ever even attending Boot Camp. He was at the Chosin and then sent to a hospital on Guam I believe. He then returned stateside and was discharged.

So what do you guys think. Am I just crazy, or is that Marine parkerization on a M1 Carbine? I know we have never figured out a way to tell a Marine M1 Carbine. I'm wondering if this might be a way.

[Tuna]

cplnorton, PM sent.

[cplnorton]

At one time I owned an original 1.4 underwood. I finally found pics, this is the receiver side by side with my old pic. The metal does look much smoother than my other one.

[Sunray]

The troopies were not allowed to keep their issued weapons after any war. If it actually is a so-called 'Vet Bring Back' service weapon, it's stolen. No rear sights like that in Korea either. Buy the rifle, not the story.

[joem]

All in all it's a very nice carbine and wish it was mine.