This started out as an M1 Carbine I got off the EE. It had a mix-mash of parts, some of which were not USGI (commercial barrel band and front sight), and it had a 19" sleeved-type non-restricted barrel on it. These are USGI barrel stubs that are soldered and pinned to another barrel - kind of a "poor man's" barrel job. They work OK, but are not as nice as a new, purpose-made Criterion. I also wondered about the long term performance and headspace issues if the insert migrates forward after many rounds.
Although it was working well enough when I got it, I wanted to improve it. I had a few Quality Hardware parts in the spares bin and I was able to order a new-old-stock QH bolt from an Italian seller. In the end, this is what I ended up with. Technically, M1A1 rifles were all either Inland or Winchester (very few Winchesters) when they left the factory, but in service and during rebuilds, it was not uncommon to drop another barrelled action into an M1A1 stock, as they are all interchangeable.
Receiver: QH, it was blued when I got it, so I suspect Bundeswehr use. Note that all QH's are spring-tube receivers.
Front sight: milled QH
Barrel Band: late mfgr QH
Trigger housing: QH
Slide: QH
Mag release: Inland
Hammer: SW
Sear: SW
Trigger: QH
Safety: smooth Type 2 button, QH
Rear sight: Milled Inland
Barrel: new 18.75" Criterion
Stock: Pedersoli M1A1 repro
In the end, I'm very happy with it - though it was too expensive - and being left-handed, it's a little less comfortable than a standard wood stock. Very handy though. Nick at Vulcan provided the new barrel, reamed to headspace, and freshly parkerized everything to match.
I also had to replace the reproduction hook portion and retaining bolt of the stock hinge with USGI parts so that the action would not be "sprung" in the repro stock, a common problem with the repro M1A1 wood. If anyone's looking for one of these stocks, be aware some fitting is required. I had to fit the band spring to latch into my barrel band (you need diamond files to cut into the spring steel), I had to shorten the front handguard to be a tight fit between the barrel band and the front of the receiver. I also had to slightly inlet the wood under the rear of the receiver to allow the action to fully seat.
Note that with the 18.75" barrel, I come in at about 26,1/8" OAL folded. In other words, JUST legal for a Non-restricted rifle. The Auto-Ordnance clones have only 18.6" barrels and I'm not certain you can install this stock legally - it would be iffy. And besides, USGI = cool.
Receiver markings. You can kinda make out the QH marking, though it's a bit obscured by the rear sight. According to the guy who sold it to me (a fellow CGNer), the "3" on the receiver heel is supposedly a German post-war marking, but I've not seen it referenced anywhere. I didn't re-parkerize the rear sight. The finish on it was good enough.
Correct QH bolt. I left the internals blued. The bolt would originally have been blued too, but at refurb they were parked. A bayonet lug and milled sight would be correct for a refurb, so I had the bolt parked accordingly.
A flip safety would be more appropriate for a refurb, but I'm a lefty and I prefer the push-button safeties, so that's what I used. This one is a smooth, unmarked push-button that came out of another QH.
The rear sight is an Inland. As far as I know, only a few manufacturers made these sights late in the war, I don't think QH made them at all, so I used the Inland sight I had because I really like the milled rear sights.
The Quality Hardware bayonet lug assembly. I was lucky to find this one, most are either Inland-made or sub-contractor made. QH ones are a tough find. A buddy had it and swapped it to me for an inland in nice shape. This one had surface rust on it, but looks new after it was re-parked.
The sling is a post-war (Korean or Vietnam era) USGI unit. Very appropriate for a rebuilt M1A1.
Another item to note, ALL the repro M1A1 stock hand guards I've seen had poorly-installed aluminum hollow rivets. I had a spare cracked M1 carbine 4-rivet handguard, so I punched out the crappy aluminum hollow rivets and threw-away the poorly made blued steel retainer clip and replaced them with re-used original solid steel GI rivets and a GI parkerized retainer clip. HUGE improvement in looks.
If you've never handled or shot an M1A1, I strongly recommend looking for an opportunity. These rigs are just too handy to be believed. And when Non-restricted, it's hard to imagine a better bush carbine.
Although it was working well enough when I got it, I wanted to improve it. I had a few Quality Hardware parts in the spares bin and I was able to order a new-old-stock QH bolt from an Italian seller. In the end, this is what I ended up with. Technically, M1A1 rifles were all either Inland or Winchester (very few Winchesters) when they left the factory, but in service and during rebuilds, it was not uncommon to drop another barrelled action into an M1A1 stock, as they are all interchangeable.
Receiver: QH, it was blued when I got it, so I suspect Bundeswehr use. Note that all QH's are spring-tube receivers.
Front sight: milled QH
Barrel Band: late mfgr QH
Trigger housing: QH
Slide: QH
Mag release: Inland
Hammer: SW
Sear: SW
Trigger: QH
Safety: smooth Type 2 button, QH
Rear sight: Milled Inland
Barrel: new 18.75" Criterion
Stock: Pedersoli M1A1 repro
In the end, I'm very happy with it - though it was too expensive - and being left-handed, it's a little less comfortable than a standard wood stock. Very handy though. Nick at Vulcan provided the new barrel, reamed to headspace, and freshly parkerized everything to match.
I also had to replace the reproduction hook portion and retaining bolt of the stock hinge with USGI parts so that the action would not be "sprung" in the repro stock, a common problem with the repro M1A1 wood. If anyone's looking for one of these stocks, be aware some fitting is required. I had to fit the band spring to latch into my barrel band (you need diamond files to cut into the spring steel), I had to shorten the front handguard to be a tight fit between the barrel band and the front of the receiver. I also had to slightly inlet the wood under the rear of the receiver to allow the action to fully seat.
Note that with the 18.75" barrel, I come in at about 26,1/8" OAL folded. In other words, JUST legal for a Non-restricted rifle. The Auto-Ordnance clones have only 18.6" barrels and I'm not certain you can install this stock legally - it would be iffy. And besides, USGI = cool.
Receiver markings. You can kinda make out the QH marking, though it's a bit obscured by the rear sight. According to the guy who sold it to me (a fellow CGNer), the "3" on the receiver heel is supposedly a German post-war marking, but I've not seen it referenced anywhere. I didn't re-parkerize the rear sight. The finish on it was good enough.
Correct QH bolt. I left the internals blued. The bolt would originally have been blued too, but at refurb they were parked. A bayonet lug and milled sight would be correct for a refurb, so I had the bolt parked accordingly.
A flip safety would be more appropriate for a refurb, but I'm a lefty and I prefer the push-button safeties, so that's what I used. This one is a smooth, unmarked push-button that came out of another QH.
The rear sight is an Inland. As far as I know, only a few manufacturers made these sights late in the war, I don't think QH made them at all, so I used the Inland sight I had because I really like the milled rear sights.
The Quality Hardware bayonet lug assembly. I was lucky to find this one, most are either Inland-made or sub-contractor made. QH ones are a tough find. A buddy had it and swapped it to me for an inland in nice shape. This one had surface rust on it, but looks new after it was re-parked.
The sling is a post-war (Korean or Vietnam era) USGI unit. Very appropriate for a rebuilt M1A1.
Another item to note, ALL the repro M1A1 stock hand guards I've seen had poorly-installed aluminum hollow rivets. I had a spare cracked M1 carbine 4-rivet handguard, so I punched out the crappy aluminum hollow rivets and threw-away the poorly made blued steel retainer clip and replaced them with re-used original solid steel GI rivets and a GI parkerized retainer clip. HUGE improvement in looks.
If you've never handled or shot an M1A1, I strongly recommend looking for an opportunity. These rigs are just too handy to be believed. And when Non-restricted, it's hard to imagine a better bush carbine.
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