Question about Carbine import markings

[WebSmithEddy]

Tomorrow I’m going to take a look at an Inland Carbine that is at a local pawn shop. One thing that I want to look for is import marks. I’m familiar with Carbines that have Blue Sky, Century, and Arlington markings, but I’m not familiar with more recent imports that have come through Royal Tiger, Classic, Midway, etc. For those of you who have seen or purchased some of these more recent imports, where are the markings located and what company or companies are the importers?

I'm pretty sure that this is NOT a recent import, but I want to make sure I don't miss anything.

TIA

[W5USMC]

Page down on the link below.
http://www.uscarbinecal30.com/imports.html

[milprileb]

Thank you for posting that link. Besides an education on the subject, I remember a lot of the advertisements but at the time, I was a kid whose allowance was totally inadequate !!

[6 Ring]

I have not spent much time on Jim's web sites. As usual, great information. I lived in Savannah for 30 years and never saw a carbine with a Savannah import stamp. So I have learned my one thing today.
I did talk with Tony, some 20 years ago, and his father imported one group of carbines and he said the BATF inspected them and they took several T-3s and/or M2s as machine guns out of the lot. That is what Tony remembers his father saying.

[WebSmithEddy]

Originally Posted by W5USMC

Page down on the link below.
http://www.uscarbinecal30.com/imports.html

Thanks for the link, It was very helpful.

The pawn shop owner and I were too far apart on price. No biggie. When I saw the asking price, I wasn't optimistic.

Thanks again.

[Wakko]

Some shops think that just because it's an Em Wun CAR-bean that it's $1500 and up.

[BigJim1957]

The M1 Carbines that were imported from Italy and sold by Midway USA will be marked with laser etching on the bottom of the barrel just behind where the front-sight is located, just like this:

PW ARMS
REDMOND, WA

[WebSmithEddy]

Originally Posted by Wakko

Some shops think that just because it's an Em Wun CAR-bean that it's $1500 and up.

For today's market, it wasn't terribly overpriced for Carbines in general, just overpriced for the condition it was in (IMHO). They were asking $1,200. Although I know that people are paying that and more, sight unseen, for some of the recent returns.

It was an Inland with a '44 barrel. I couldn't find an import mark, but they didn't allow me to take the receiver out of the stock, so there could have been a hidden one. And, there could have been other issues that I couldn't see. This was a pawn shop, not a gun shop, so I doubt that a gunsmith had looked it over.

The stock was terrible. Lots of holes and gouges and a big chunk missing near the recoil plate. And there were several brass pins through the forestock.

The bore looked ok, but there was some surface rust inside the muzzle.

It had a scope mount on it, but I don't think that the receiver was drilled. I think that it was one of the kind that they mount using the dovetail, but I can't be 100% sure since I wasn't allowed to remove the mount. And, the original rear sight was included in the deal. But, the serial number was completely obscured by the mount. It had a 30-round mag, but I couldn't tell if it was aftermarket or GI.

If I didn't already have a really good Carbine, I may have tried to bargain them down, but I think that it was more in the "truck gun" category, so it wasn't worth the effort. Especially since I couldn't inspect it more. That being said. I have nothing against the pawn shop. I've dealt with them many times in years past. While I understand it, their policy not to allow any disassembly makes it hard to commit to a purchase for me.