U.S. M1 Carbine
National Postal Meter
Serial Number: 4,126,242

Austria Gendarmerie, Lower Austria

Background

Purchased by the current owner from a gun store in Knoxville, TN May 1995.

Barrel Group

Barrel type IIB Buffalo Arms 10-43
Front Sight type RP (Rock-Ola)
Barrel Band/Swivel type III JM (G.I., used as replacement)
Barrel Skirt    
Slide type V PI inside and 7060091 outside bottom(Inland)
Operating slide stop type  

Last 4 digits of receiver serial number on slide. "INTRAC Knox TN" engraved on bottom of barrel behind front sight.

Stock Group

Stock type III JL B (Jamestown Lounge Co. of Jamestown, NY for IBM)
Handguard type TN (Trimble Nurseryland Furniture Co. Rochester, NY for National Postal Meter)
Buttplate   Saginaw Gear, Grand Rapids (Pross Mfg Co.)

Last 4 digits of receiver serial number in slingwell and inside handguard.

Receiver Group

Receiver type II National Postal Meter
Rear Sight type III I.R. CO. 7160060 (International Silver Co.)
Operating Spring Tunnel Housing integral  
Recoil Plate type Rock-Ola

Several of the last 4 digits of the serial number have been stamped twice. This is not something the Austrians have been observed to do, INTRAC and Tennessee Guns did not do, and the carbine is in the exact configuration as when the owner bought it.

Bolt Group

Bolt type II SG left lug (Saginaw Gear)
Ejector type  
Extractor type W (Winchester)
Extractor Plunger type  
Firing Pin type .U. (Underwood)

Bolt has last 4 digits of receiver serial number electro-penciled on top.

Trigger Group

Trigger Housing type VI (M2) Inland
Trigger type  
Sear type  
Hammer type III AM B (Art Metal Works Newark, NJ for IBM)
Trigger Housing Pin type  
Safety type IV HT (rotary replacement safety used late 1945 or post war)
Magazine Catch type IV (M2)  

Trigger guard has last 4 digits of serial number on rear "T", bottom of trigger housing forward of trigger guard is stamped LGKNÖ with 1779 underneath the letters. The 1799 is the inventory number assigned by the Austrians.

Sling

Leather sling manufactured by Stolla of Vienna (Wien) with the Gendarmerie purchasing office stamp indicating the date 1962.

Additional

Tag affixed to the barrel band in place when the carbine was originally purchased. Face of the tag indicates Gendarmerie Post in the city of Gmünd in the court district (Gerichtsbezirk) of Gmünd, Lower Austria. Rear of the tag has the name Ramharter. Gmünd is located in the northwest corner of Lower Austria, bordering Czechoslovakia.

Information and photographs courtesy of R.A. Davis III.

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