WHO MANUFACTURED M-1 CARBINES DURING WWII?
Here is a list from the 1993 issue of Gun Digest, along with production numbers. The name on the receiver is in all caps
Rock-Ola Music Corporation (ROCK-OLA) 228,500 Standard Products (STANDARD PRODUCTS) 247,155 International Business Machines (IBM) 346,500 Quality Hardware (QUALITY HARDWARE) 359,622 National Postal Meter (NATIONAL POSTER METER) 413,017 Underood-Elliot-Fisher (UNDERWOOD) 545,616 Saginaw (SAGINAW DIVISION, GENERAL MOTORS) 739,136 Winchester (WINCHESTER in trademark script) 828,059 Inland (INLAND DIVISION, GENERAL MOTORS) 2,625,000IF A CERTAIN MANUFACTURER ONLY MADE A FEW HUNDRED THOUSSAND CARBINES, WHY ARE THE SERIAL NUMBERS IN THE MILLIONS?
During the War, the War Department (a.k.a. Department of Defense) would issue a contract to a manufacturer, and then assign them starting serial numbers to them. That way there was a contiguous series of unique serial numbers that went across company bounds.
WHAT ABOUT SINGER SEWING MACHINES?
Singer was sub-contracted by Underwood to manufacture M-1 Carbines, these models with have Underwood receivers with a "B" stamped on them in addition to the name.
WHAT ARE 'STRIKE-THROUGH' RECEIVERS?
It was not uncommon for M-1 Carbine manufacturers to produce parts for another manufacturer. In the case of some receivers, they would be shipped from a manufacturer and then the name would be "struck through" with a line and the name of the second manufacturer stamped in. These are desirable as collector's items since there are very few of them. Usually these reveicers have Inland stricken through and Rock-Ola stamped on them.
WHAT ABOUT THE 'UN-QUALITY' RECEIVER STAMP?
To avoid the extra effort in having to strike-through and restamp the receivers; when Underwood made receivers for Quality Hardware, they merely stamped them "Un-Quality". This is another desirable collector's item.
ASIDE FROM THE ABOVE, WHAT CARBINES HAVE A HIGH COLLECTOR VALUE?
Any Carbine with a 4-digit serial number or Winchester paratrooper models issued with folding stocks.
Collectors also look for the manufacturers with lower production numbers. Though a lot of time the choice dictated by individual preferences. All of the wartime carbines are made to the same specifications and there is very little performance difference between them.
WHO MANUFACTURED M-1 CARBINES AFTER WWII?
Plainfield Machine Corp, produced M-1 Carbines from 1960 to 1977, when they were bought out by Iver Johnson Corp, who has manufactured them at least until a 50th Anniversay model in 1993. Universal also made M-1 Carbine copies, but theirs were slightly different and some of the GI parts won't fit them (such as stocks).
These postwar carbines also come with various stocks (normally they do not have the oiler/sling slots) on different models. Most of the models with the shorter stocks will also have metal handguards
WHAT IS THE 'ENFORCER' MODEL? WHERE CAN I FIND A KIT TO MAKE ONE?
Universal and/or Iver Johnson manufactured a variant of the M-1 Carbine with an 8-inch barrel and a pistol-grip stock, and billed it as their "Enforcer" model. Unfortunately, kits are not available since that would make your carbine an illegal short rifle (and they are pretty compact with a folding stock). The Enforcer model is beleived to have been sold originally as a handgun.
WHAT IS THE CALICO KIT?
This is a metal kit consisting of a tripod, brackets, and barrel coolers that is built around 2 M-1 Carbines laid side-by-side. It uses handles to aim and a small hand-cranked wheel to fire each carbine in sequence.
[Any information from the net would be greatly apprecaited]