U.S. M1 Carbine
Saginaw
Serial Number: 3,365,5xx
BAVARIA RURAL POLICE

Background

On sale on an online auction, the seller represented the owner. No background information.

Barrel Group

Barrel type 2B Saginaw/General Motors
Front Sight type 1  
Barrel Band/Swivel type 2 AI (Inland)
Gas Piston Nut    
Barrel Skirt    
Slide type 1 E, on bottom
Operating slide stop type 2  

Slide has last 4 digits of receiver serial number.

Stock Group

Stock type 2 LB under handgrip
Handguard type 1 not marked
Buttplate   smooth

Digits 1150 imprinted inside barrel well of stock. Slingwell has last 4 digits of receiver serial number. No mfg mark in slingwell. Initial LB in script on bottom of handgrip (wartime replacement stock). Buttplate is smooth, not U.S. G.I..

Receiver Group

Receiver type 2 Saginaw SG
Rear Sight type 1 unmarked (several mfg did not mark)
Operating Spring Tunnel Housing part of receiver  
Recoil Plate    

"Bavaria Rural Police" milled in top of receiver along left side by bolt. Left side of receiver is scrawled engraved by hand "Century Arms Inc. St Albans, VT". Forward of the bolt over the U.S. M1 Carbine markings there is a V notch rear site. Bavarian police added this on some M1 carbines as officers were used to the V sight on German rifles.

Bolt Group

Bolt type 2 AT (Inland)
Ejector    
Extractor    
Extractor Plunger    
Firing Pin    

Bolt does not have the last 4 digits of the receiver serial number etched on top, contrary to other Bavarian marked carbines.

Trigger Group

Trigger Housing type 2 Rock-Ola
Trigger    
Sear    
Hammer type 3  
Trigger Spring    
Trigger Housing Pin type 2   
Safety type 2  
Magazine Catch type 2A  
Magazine Catch Plunger    

Rear T of trigger housing has last 4 digits of receiver serial number.

Additional Information

The stock is non-standard G.I., yet it's listed as a replacement stock used during the war. The numbers on it bear witness that the stock was received by the Bavarians with the rest of the rifle. The exception being the bolt, which has no marks. The 4 digits in the barrel well of the stock likely indicate the stock was removed from another Bavarian rifle before being placed on this one. Interesting that someone would black out the milled police marking on the receiver, yet leave obvious the hand scrawled importer mark, righ next to it.

Pictures & Information courtesy of:

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