U.S. M1 Carbine Rock-Ola Serial Number: 4,563,428 Württemberg-Baden, Stadtkreis, Göppingen Polizei

Background Purchased beyond recent memory. Göppingen is a stadtkreis (like a county) located northwest of Ulm and southeast of Stuttgart. It was located in the American Occupation Zone, in the area designated by the American Military Government (OMGUS) as Wurttemberg-Baden. The American military government assigned to Wurttemberg-Baden directed the M1 carbines provided to the police agencies in this area should be marked on the bottom of the trigger guard with the letters WB, the type of police, and the agency identifier. In the case of Göppingen, this would be WB-S-GOPP. Any additional markings were left up to the individual agencies. This carbine is an excellent example of the use of the last two digits of the receiver serial number stamped into many parts to identify which parts go with which carbine. This has been observed on M1 carbines that went to Bavaria early during the occupation. It appears they were unaware, in the beginning, the parts of the M1 carbine were interchangeable, thus the reason for the markings. This carbine has no Bavaria agency name. The carbines used by the various stadtkreis in Wurttemberg-Baden usually do not have the parts numbered. However, this is the only example of a carbine used by Göppingen. Barrel Group Barrel   Rock-Ola undated Front Sight type II PO-Q (Prestole Division, International Harvester, of Toledo, OH for Quality Hardware) Barrel Band type IA unmarked Barrel Skirt   short Slide type II N 9 (National Postal Meter) Barrel has "WB 18 Polizei Göppingen" in large letters on left side. It is not yet known what the 18 stands for. Barrel band swivel has the last two digits of the receiver serial number, as does the top of the slide handle. No import mark. Stock Group Stock type II TN (Trimble Nurseryland Furniture Co. of Rochester, NY for National Postal Meter) Handguard type I RSG (Rock-Ola for Saginaw, Saginaw, MI) Buttplate   National Postal Meter Stock is a highwood with an oval sling cut with cannon cartouche on right side of buttstock. Bottom of handgrip has the number 13. Entire serial number stamped inside the handguard and stock foregrip. Last four digits of serial number are stamped inside the sling well. Receiver Group Receiver type II Rock-Ola Rear Sight type I TN on leaf (unknown subcontractor for National Postal Meter) Recoil Plate type II LN Lyman Gun Sight Co. of Middlefield, CT for National Postal Meter) Left side of receiver was drilled and tapped for a scope mount at some point. Top of recoil plate, recoil plate screw head, left side of rear sight have last two digits of receiver serial number. Bolt Group Bolt type III Rock-Ola Ejector type I   Extractor type III R (Rock-Ola) Extractor Plunger type II   Firing Pin type II Rock-Ola Bolt has last two digits of receiver serial number stamped on cam. Trigger Group Trigger Housing type IV Rock-Ola Trigger type II RI (Reece Button Hole Machine Co. of Torrington, CT for Inland Sear type II Rock-Ola Hammer type III LT-Q (Ludlow Typograph Co. of Chicago, IL for Quality Hardware) Safety type II unmarked Magazine Catch type III BR (Jasper Blackburn Co. of St. Louis, MO for Rock-Ola) Top of trigger housing at rear, mag catch, safety, and trigger have last two digits of receiver serial number. Hammer has the letter R stamped above the subcontractor markings. Bottom of trigger gaurd has been grown down in an apparent attempt to remove the markings present there. What remains is "-S-GO PP". these markings are consistent with those required by the American Military government (OMGUS) for Wurttemberg-Baden, which should be WB-S-GOPP. Return to The Armory