U.S. M1 Carbine
Standard Products
Serial Number: 2,078,643

Bavaria Police Agency (name removed)

Background

Obtained at a local gun show in Phoenix, Arizona by a private buyer in 2006. The carbine is in excellent condition and almost completely configured with the parts consistent with it's time of manufacture, indicated by the serial number as probably occuring between August and September 1943. Standard Products began production in April and May 1943 and was assigned only one serial number block, 1,982,520 through 2,352,519. Standard Products completed production in April 1944, with a total M1 carbine production of 247,160.

The Bavaria police agency name has been removed from the top left side of the receiver to the left of the bolt. The barrel is a replacement barrel, possibly manufactured by ERMA Werke of Dachau, Bavaria. The barrel was likely installed by a police armorer somewhere in the vicinity of Ulm, Baden-Wurttemberg. When the barrel was installed, by German law the weapon was required to be tested and inspected by a German government Office of Bombardment to ensure it's safety. This facility placed proof of inspection in the form of a Nitro proof mark (for nitro based gunpowder) followed by a date code, in this case 662 (June 1962) and a mark representing which office did the testing. The mark on this carbine is a stag horn, used by the Office of Bombardment at Ulm.

This carbine does not have the importer marking required by U.S. law effective January 1969. The removal of the Bavaria agency name was done by European gun brokers after the carbines were sold by Bavaria. This helps date the time frame of importation to the United States as occuring between June 1962 and January 1969. Other importers yet to be identified may have imported this carbine, but it is known Interarms aka Interarmco of Alexandria, VA imported carbines with German marking from Europe circa 1965-1968. Interarms also sold carbines wholesale to American law enforcement.

On the rear of the top of the receiver below the serial number are crudely engraved the letters AHP above four numbers consistent with a police agency inventory number. It is believed the AHP stands for the Arizona Highway Patrol.

The Eagle sitting on the letter N is a German Nitro Proof Mark. In 1952 West Germany reinstituted government run firearm inspection and safety standards by opening the first post-war Office of Bombardment (Die Beschussämter in Deutschland) in Ulm, Baden-Wurttemberg. Those firearms using nitro based gunpowder that passed the testing and inspection were stamped with the Nitro proof of testing mark seen on this barrel.

To the right of the Nitro mark, the numbers 662 indicate June 1962 is when the rifle was tested. To the right of these numbers, the antlers identify which Beschussämter facility conducted the testing. The antlers represent the testing facility in Ulm, located in the Lands of Baden-Württemberg.

The barrel immediately forward of where it ataches to the receiver is marked 7.61, signifying the bore diameter.

It is likely the barrel was fitted to the receiver by a police armorer at a facility in Bavaria near Ulm, which would require the inspection. By 1962 proof houses existed in Dachau, just outside Munich, and in northern Bavaria in the district of Lower Franconia. If the police arsenal was closer to one of these other two facilities, it would have been required the inspection to happen at the closer facility.

The only German company known to have manufactured barrels for the M1 carbine was ERMA Werke at Dachau in Bavaria.

The slide has last 3 digits of receiver serial number stamped on top of the slide lug by the slide release. Also the number 19, which with the S, identifies the slide as having been manufactured by Standard Products in their first half of M1 Carbine production.

German Nitro proof mark on top of left side of receiver ring. The recoil plate has the last 3 digits of the serial number stamped forward of the screw, on top of the word "Standard" of the Standard Products marking.

Letters "AHP" electropenciled by hand on receiver below the serial number, with the numbers 5539 etched below the letters, on the recoil plate. These 4 numbers are consistent with an inventory number used by a police agency. In this case the agency is believed to have been the Arizona Highway Patrol.

A.I. on bolt, this company manufactured bolts for Inland, Saginaw S.G., and National Postal Meter. No numbers stamped or etched on bolt.