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M1 & M2 Carbine Serial Numbers


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Was wondering if there was anyway to look up the serial numbers of these to see who they might have been issued to. I don't recall ever seeing any published or offered, however, I've seen em for everything else including Garands. Perhaps I just wasn't looking hard enough?
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Was wondering if there was anyway to look up the serial numbers of these to see who they might have been issued to. I don't recall ever seeing any published or offered, however, I've seen em for everything else including Garands. Perhaps I just wasn't looking hard enough?

 

 

Units they were issued to? You are asking the all but impossible question. Weapons move from unit to unit during their service life. The serial number records are kept at the unit level and if a firearm is shipped off for rebuild it comes off the unit property books and that is the end of its paperwork trail with that unit. Next unit picks it up on their books after the rebuild is complete. Many times even if the weapon is sent in for repair it does not return to the same unit, the sending unit receives a one for one exchange. The Army does not maintain a central data base for the question you ask, it is not something they really care about. The only time they really get excited about what unit a particular firearm belongs to is when during a unit inventory they come up short or have extras.

 

Springfield Research at one time did have a project like this but it was mostly Trapdoor Springfields which during their time might spend their entire service life in the same unit.

 

Similar thread on this forum with basically the same answer as I gave you here - http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/ind...showtopic=58550

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I was actually looking over their website before asking this question. I certainly do realize the futility of iit, however you can luck out now and again. I bought an almost mint Remington 1858 Army revolver with a few hundred bucks left in it, checked the SRS books that they had published, and found that by serial number, this exact gun had been surrendered at the end of the Civil War by a Texas Cavalry unit. Further research leads me to believe it had been captured the year before from a Union supply train which they had raided. Of course this gun went immediately into my vast and almost complete Civil War Fireamrs collectio (there are some Confederate guns that have still elluded me). The books cover up to 1903 Springfields I believe (don't have em in front of me), so I figured why not ask. If records can be found on guns from 150 years ago, one would hope they're available for guns that are only half that age.
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If records can be found on guns from 150 years ago, one would hope they're available for guns that are only half that age.

 

 

Simple answer to that, they did not use the same system in WWII or since as they did 150 years ago.

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Just for examples sake, you can find photos from WWII showing Ordnance companies inspecting and refurbishing weapons gathered from the battlefield or turned in by the owning organizations. Once repaired those firearms were reissued whether they went to their original owning unit or not is just a guess. Unit turns in a request to replace five lost carbines, ordnance issues them five carbines, whether they were new, battlefield repairs or turn-ins did not matter. The unit asked for five and got five, that was all they were interested in.
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  • 8 months later...
Just saw an article in the latest Springfield Research Service newsletter showing an M1 carbine that was issued originally to the 10th Marines I believe it was. So...it would seem that SRS has some M1 Carbine numbers now in their database. The gun pictured had clearly been through an arsenal overhaul at some point as it had the later adjustable rear sight and bayonet lug, but at least the receiver was with the Marines during WWII. Just figured I'd give everyone a heads up.
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Just saw an article in the latest Springfield Research Service newsletter showing an M1 carbine that was issued originally to the 10th Marines I believe it was. So...it would seem that SRS has some M1 Carbine numbers now in their database. The gun pictured had clearly been through an arsenal overhaul at some point as it had the later adjustable rear sight and bayonet lug, but at least the receiver was with the Marines during WWII. Just figured I'd give everyone a heads up.

 

Was there a SN for the gun pictured? The reason I ask is that the adj sight was used in early to mid 44 and bayo lug in very early 45. I don't know whether this helps of hurts...

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The SRS letter which there's a copy of with the article states: US M1 Carbine, Inland, serial number 303681 was issued to the 10th Marines during WWII and returned to the supply depot on Oct. 12, 1946. It was then sold through the CMP to the current owner.
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Wow, that's neat info. That gun would have been made around April '43 so it would have had all the early features. Funny I have an Inland in the 380 thou range. It came out through the DCM in '64. I got it from the original owner and he had all the paperwork including the Railway Express receipt. With the exception of the stock it was as built.
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if you want, send me the serial number and I'll email it to SRS to find out if they have any information on your gun. I'm a subscriber and pay an annual membership so that whenever I buy a Civil War carbine or pistol, or a Trapdoor, or a Krag rifle, I send them the number and they let me know if they have any records. Looks like I can now do research on M1 Carbines as well. I'm sure they probably have some M1 Garand numbers as well as 1903 Springfield and 03A3 numbers too.
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  • 2 weeks later...
if you want, send me the serial number and I'll email it to SRS to find out if they have any information on your gun. I'm a subscriber and pay an annual membership so that whenever I buy a Civil War carbine or pistol, or a Trapdoor, or a Krag rifle, I send them the number and they let me know if they have any records. Looks like I can now do research on M1 Carbines as well. I'm sure they probably have some M1 Garand numbers as well as 1903 Springfield and 03A3 numbers too.

 

 

Billie32, I sent you a PM to take advantage of your kind offer. I might have gone overboard with numbers. Sorry. Did you receive it?

 

Bob D

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  • 2 months later...
if you want, send me the serial number and I'll email it to SRS to find out if they have any information on your gun. I'm a subscriber and pay an annual membership so that whenever I buy a Civil War carbine or pistol, or a Trapdoor, or a Krag rifle, I send them the number and they let me know if they have any records. Looks like I can now do research on M1 Carbines as well. I'm sure they probably have some M1 Garand numbers as well as 1903 Springfield and 03A3 numbers too.

 

 

Billie32, I sent you a PM to take advantage of your kind offer. I might have gone overboard with numbers. Sorry. Did you receive it?

 

Bob D

 

 

Bob,

Haven't received any email. My direct email is oysterbayindustries@yahoo.com

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if you want, send me the serial number and I'll email it to SRS to find out if they have any information on your gun. I'm a subscriber and pay an annual membership so that whenever I buy a Civil War carbine or pistol, or a Trapdoor, or a Krag rifle, I send them the number and they let me know if they have any records. Looks like I can now do research on M1 Carbines as well. I'm sure they probably have some M1 Garand numbers as well as 1903 Springfield and 03A3 numbers too.

 

 

Billie32, I sent you a PM to take advantage of your kind offer. I might have gone overboard with numbers. Sorry. Did you receive it?

 

Bob D

 

 

Bob,

Haven't received any email. My direct email is oysterbayindustries@yahoo.com

 

Billie32,

 

Thanks for the reply. I sent a list of SN on the PM of this board back in early Oct. At least I thought I did. Someone probably ended up scratching their head wondering WTH is this? If it's OK with you I'll send a few on your direct email.

 

Bob D

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