U.S. M1 Carbine Quality H.M.C. Serial Number: 1,662,061 Hessen Border Police Background The U.S. Office of Military Government (OMGUS) for Hessen designated the letters HE-B stamped in the top of the recoil plate as the markings to be used by the Hessen Border Police during the occupation of Germany. The Hessen Border Police was formed by OMGUS in 1945. In 1949 the responsibilities of the Border Police were transferred to the new German Federal Customs agency. The finish on the receiver and other parts has been buffed to a bright blue. Unlike the police in other American Occupation Sectors, the police in Hessen normally did not use all or part of the carbine serial number to identify which parts went with which carbine. Instead, if a part was marked to keep it with the carbine it was on they chose a one or two digit number with the chosen number placed on the various parts. The number 5 was used on this example. The barrel has the import mark of Century Arms, St. Albans, VT. In the mid 1970's Century Arms imported thousands of U.S. carbines that had been used by the police in West Germany. U.S. laws at the time prevented the carbines from being sold to anyone other than law enforcement. Police agencies eventually replaced their carbines. Some of these agencies auctioned their carbines. They were purchased by retailers and/or civilians. Barrel Group Barrel type 1A Buffalo Arms 9-1943 Gas Piston     Front Sight type II J-Q (O.D. Jennings Co. of Chicago, IL for Quality Hardware Mfg Co.) Barrel Band type 1A Band marked UI (Union Hardware Co. of Torrington, CT for QHMC) Swivel marked QU (Union Hardware Co. of Torrington, CT for QHMC) Handguard Lip long   Barrel Skirt long   Slide type IV N (National Postal Meter of Rochester, NY - provided QHMC with 1,075 operating slides as collateral support 12-14-43) Number 5 etched left side of front sight and on inside of slide arm. Century Arms St. Albans, VT import mark stamped on left side of barrel. Stock Group Stock type III Mark not visible but characteristics were specific to Winchester Repeating Arms Co. of New Haven, CT. Handguard type I RMC (RockOla Mfg Corp of Chicago, IL - mfg handguards & stocks for QHMC) Buttplate   (The A.C. Gilbert Co., of New Haven, CT for Winchester Repeating Arms Co.) Receiver Group Receiver type I Quality H.M.C. Spring Tube type I Q (QHMC) Recoil Plate   Rock-Ola Rear Sight type III I.R. CO. (International Register Co. of Chicago, IL for QHMC, also used as replacement rear sight) Receiver finish is buffed to a bright blue. HE-B (Hessen Border Police) Bolt Group Bolt type I U (Underwood of Hartford, CT - provided QHMC with 1,000 bolts as collateral support 10-1-43) Ejector type I   Extractor type III WQ (Wadsworth Watch Case Co. of Dayton, KY for QHMC) Extractor Plunger type II   Firing Pin type I W (Winchester Repeating Arms Co. of New Haven, CT.) Number 5 etched on bottom of right bolt lug. Trigger Group Trigger Housing type IV ST (Standard Products of Port Clinton, OH) Trigger Housing Retainer Pin type II   Trigger type II R.I. (Reece Button Hole Machine Co. of Boston, MA for Inland) Sear type I GE-Q (Gerrard Co. of Chicago, IL for QHMC) Hammer type III KR2 (Kal Machine Works of Chicago, IL for RockOla) Safety type IV (rotary) unmarked Magazine Catch type II W-I (Wadsworth Watch Case Co. of Dayton, KY for Inland) Number 5 etched on left side of trigger housing and rear of hammer. Return to The Armory