U.S. M1 Carbine
IBM
Serial Number: 39077xx

Wuerttemberg Landespolizei
&
Austrian Gendarmerie in the Lands of Salzburg

Background

This carbine was imported by INTRAC of Knoxville, TN, from Austria, as evidenced by the import mark under the barrel behind the front sight. It appears in several of the Centerfire Systems catalogs in 1995 and 1996, as one of the carbines they obtained from INTRAC.

The bottom of the trigger housing has the initials and inventory number of the Austrian Gendarmerie in the lands of Salzburg. Close examination of the top of the receiver below the serial number reveals it has been machined and refinished, partly removing part of the first digit of the serial number. Close examination of the bottom of the trigger guard reveals it has also been lightly machined, with the center showing the remnants of several letters. These alterations are consistent with someone having removed the markings of the Wuerttemberg Landespolizei of Germany. The letter remnants are consistent with the markings WB-LP-XXXX, where the X's would be numbers. The full serial number on the stock and handguard was not an Austrian M.O., but it was a Wuerttemberg-Baden M.O. on some of their earlier carbines (1945-1946). A number of carbines have been found to have the Wuerttemberg-Baden markings removed from the receiver when the carbine was later marked and used by the police in Bavaria. The removal of the markings on the bottom of the trigger guard has not been observed before this carbine. More may have had this alteration and just haven't been discovered because of a professional job of removing the markings. Sometimes the Austrians did not place the last four digits of the receiver serial number in the usual places they placed them, if the carbine had previously been used by a German agency who had placed any part of the receiver serial number on the various parts an in the manner used by the German agency. This appears to be the case with this carbine, as the receiver serial number digits and placement are consistent with what was done by the Wuerttemberg-Baden Landespolizei.

Barrel Group

Barrel   IBM (no mfg date)
Front Sight type I N (common to several manufacturers)
Barrel Band type II KI (Keeler Brass Co. of Grand Rapids, MI for Inland)
Gas Piston Nut    
Barrel Skirt    
Slide   SG (Saginaw Gear)
Operating slide stop    

INTRAC Knox, TN bottom of barrel behind front sight. Slide does not have any of the digits of the receiver stamped into it. This is consistent with the M.O. of Wuerttemberg-Baden.

Stock Group

Stock type II highwood OI (Overton for Inland)
Handguard type I RS (G is not visible, RSG mfg by Rock-Ola)
Buttplate    

Stock has entire serial number stamped in slingwell, handguard has the entire serial number written into the bottom side of the wood with a pencil, with the first digit misread on both (see receiver). Handguard has the letters RS visible, this was most likely RSG which was manufactured by Rock-Ola.

Receiver Group

Receiver   I.B.M. Corp.
Rear Sight type III H (inside a shield, marking/sight used by various mfg's)
Operating Spring Tunnel Housing part of receiver  
Recoil Plate type III DI (Dayton Mold Co. of Dayton, OH for Inland)

Top of receiver below the serial number has been machined, partially obliterating the first digit of the serial number. The markings in this area that were removed were from the Wuerttemberg Landespolizei.

Bolt Group

Bolt type II U (Underwood)
Ejector    
Extractor    
Extractor Plunger    
Firing Pin    

Last four digits of receiver serial number electropenciled into top of bolt.

Trigger Group

Trigger Housing type I or II Rock-Ola
Trigger    
Sear    
Hammer type II KR (Kal Machine Works of Chicago for Rock-Ola)
Trigger Spring    
Trigger Housing Pin    
Safety type IV  
Magazine Catch type III underlined M
Magazine Catch Plunger    

Outside bottom of trigger housing has LGKSb (LandesGendarmerieKommando Salzburg - Austrian rural police in state/province of Salzburg) stamped along with the numbers 0711 stamped under the letters. The 0711 is the inventory number used by the Austrians. Bottom of trigger guard has remnants of the letters for the Wuerttemberg Landespolizei, which were WB-LP-XXXX, with the X representing a number. This area has been polished down but the center was missed, leaving the partial letters. The trigger housing does not have the customary last four digits of the receiver imprinted on the rear at the top. It is not uncommon to find the Austrians left the German serial number markings, or lack thereof, without applying their own. Wuerttemberg-Baden did not place these digits on the trigger housing of the carbines they used.

Photographs and information submitted by:

Return to The Armory