Resident Wisemen, What is my M1 Carbine (and rear sight situation)

BBq_Woa!

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Hey folks,
I have an M1 Carbine, which I am a bit curious about.. mainly because of the rear sight..

The flat section that the rear sight usually goes on (flip, etc) is simply the flat section.. and instead of posessing a slot for rear sight installation, it is flat, with small ribs going side to side..
(EDIT) - I just looked at the side of the flat section, the metal is noticably two tone, showing that there is a peice in the slot that the rear sight fits into, then both the peice and the surface are blended with the above mentioned ribs or "grooves"
I'll try to get some pics posted, but i'm sure you can understand what I'm describing..
Also,
above the foreward position of the operating rod, is an open, fixed rear sight..
(mounted on the receiver just behind the top hand guard.

Here are the identifying numbers/names
receiver top rear- National Postal Meter153582X
bolt- 582X
operating rod - 582X
Front top of barrel - Underwood 7-43 and a pic of a flaming.. ball?
magazine release is button type, safety is a cross bar button.

What's the deal with this thing? is it from the Korean ware or something?

whats with the lack of a rear sight and this foreward mounted open rear iron site?

thanks, and sorry for my blatent ignorance about this.
 
Last edited:
bearhunter said:
West German Police carbine, they modified the sights. bearhunter


Since the "slot" is still visable, is it possible to pick up a WWII flip rear sight get the insert out of my gun, install the flip sight? And I suppose take off the new rear site behind the top hand guard?
 
As is, its a legitimate variation. You could probably refit a rear sight. Could the receiver ring be restored to original condition?
 
tiriaq said:
As is, its a legitimate variation. You could probably refit a rear sight. Could the receiver ring be restored to original condition?

It could be, but it would be hit or miss getting all the solder out that the Cher-mans used. And you don't want to heat the receiver up too much to get it off, otherwise different problems arise.

As much as I love M1 carbines, I have never been able to bring myself to owning one of the north german 'upgrades' with that mauser-ish rear sight. The Bavarians left them as they got them, only stamping the last digits of the serial all over the place, but the other polizei just *had* to change them I guess....:(

Hey BBq, other than the little metal wedge slid into the rear slot, are the rear sight wings cut into with ribs?
 
I have a "Barvarian carbine" too,and was woundering if you could just replace the rear sight with out removing the front receiver sight,kind of like a co-witness (right term?)sights on some ARs??
figure they will go up in value,only so many converted, so don't want to do any thing I can't change back,But would like to give the U.S. rear sight a go.
Oh,yeah heard 2 storys about the rear sights,
1) made that way because thats the kind they trained on during the war,Kar98. and
2)something about not being allowed mil type weapons after the war(some of the agency where used by the nazis more then others) so they had to make small changes to get by this rule.
FWIW,just things I read on the internet.:dancingbanana:
 
Legitimate variation

The German Police carbine is a legitimate version of the carbine. The modifications were done post war.

Of course, it is your carbine and you can do what you want to it, but consider this. You are destroying part of the history of that piece. Sure, you may think that you are restoring is back to original spec, but it will always be a Bubba'd German Carbine.

Put it this way, I am a collector and I would consider a nice original example of the German modified carbine if I came upon one, there would be a place for it in any M1 Carbine collection. If you screw around with the sights, I for one would pass it over as a collector. So you may be hurting its future value, big time.

My suggestion would be to please leave it alone. That way you also have an excuse to go and buy another carbine, but with Mil spec peep sights if you don't already have one.
 
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