US Paratrooper M1A1 Carbine

INLAND

Handguns

Category : B

Caliber : .30M1 Carbine

 

Of the six million 30M1 carbines manufactured, only 140,000 of them were M1A1 carbines, less than 2.5%.

The M1A1 is the compact version with a folding stock specially designed for paratroopers and was initially only issued to the 101^st and 82^nd Airborne Divisions.

INLAND Manufacturing Division of General Motors produced all Paratrooper M1A1 and this extraordinary example is part of the first run that came off the production line in August 1943.

A 100% original model, recovered on Normandy soil at the end of the war, this example is characterized by its flip sights, type 1 barrel bands, and high wood right forend.

All the metal parts are parkerized, the stock is made of American walnut (juglans nigra) and on the folding stock the back of pistol grip is stamped with a circled P proof mark while the underside of the pistol grip bears the OI marking and the cast steel butt plate is clearly marked B257614 with sunburst logo followed by number 5.

The cheek piece is made of solid dark brown leather fixed by dull finish rivets on a stamped steel support that retains the rare original little oiler.

There are several spots of old oxidation on the receiver and the bolt, surface conditions that don't alter the operation extreme reliability while the barrel, certainly protected by grease, has retained an absolutely perfect bore.

 

This M1A1 Paratrooper carbine is absolutely complete and remains in a rare state of conservation.