The new Inland M1 Carbine (discussed on Wednesday’s blog article) is a true copy of the original M1 Carbines manufactured during World War II. Indeed, all parts going into Inland Manufacturing’s new iteration are compatible with U.S.G.I. Government Issue) examples made by Winchester, the original Inland division of General Motors, Rock-Ola, IBM, and others. M1A1 Serial Numbers Inland Manufacturing Division of General Motors was the only manufacturer of the M1A1 and manufactured approximately 140,000 by the close of the war. The M1A1 was manufactured in two main production runs, both of approximately 70,000. The first was produced and delivered from late 1942 through until October 1943. Understanding Serial Numbers - Understanding Dates of Manufacture. Dating a carbine by its serial number alone is difficult and not always accurate given the circumstances inherent with manufacturing and the logistics situation during the time the carbines were manufactured. An Inland M1 Carbine purchased at gun show ago many years having copy aftermarket stock I have. Remainder other parts look original. Barrel stamped 7/44, with bayonet attachment, round bolt, sling have Korean letters and on receiver is serial number 2968XXX. Factory and reloaded ammo works and fires well. Two other M1 Carbines Standard. The bolt on all early to mid production M1 carbines have a flat top. In order to save time in production, later M1 carbines, from mid 1944 onward, utilised a round top bolt, which meant less machining. It should be noted, that all WWII production M1 carbine bolts were blued and not parkarized. M1 carbine early bolt; M1 carbine late bolt.

My dad gave me an M1 Carbine a number of years ago. He was mayor of my hometown at the time, and was able to get them through a police auction where I believe the police were able to buy the weapons from military surplus. He refinished several of them, redoing the stock (stained, lacquered) and re-bluing the metal parts, so it resembles a sporting rifle now more than the original military finish. He redid one for each of my brothers and I for Christmas. The rifle says it was made by the Inland Mfg. Division of General Motors and I think has a date of 9-44 on it. My dad said they were all full of sand when he opened them up, and had been banged up a bit. I think he gave $200 for them, which has to be a steal. I'll try to get some photos of it.
I was wondering if it's possible to find out anything about the gun from the serial number? 5508960
I would absolutely love to know if it was issued, where it's been etc.
Thanks!!!!

Inland Division of General Motors
-Main Manufacture & Identification Codes: 'I' 'IN'
-Main Plant Location: Dayton, Ohio.
-Average Cost to Government per completed rifle, $37.75.
-Approximately 2,632,097 total Carbines were made by Inland: About 43% of all M1 Carbines made.
---M1 Carbines: 2,428,486 | 86.91%
---M2 Carbines: 202,800 | 7.73% (Only Inland and Winchester Manufactured these)
---T2 Carbines, Unknown. (Only Inland and Winchester Manufactured these)
---T3 Carbines, 811 | .03% (Only Inland and Winchester Manufactured these)
---M1A1 Carbines, 140,000 | 5.33% More info on M1A1 here (Only Inland made these)
-Serial number blocks assigned by the government:
---- Serial number 1 - 5, October, 1941 - April, 1942 (Tool room prototypes)
---- Serial number 5 - 100, April, 1942 - May, 1942
--1st block, Serial number, 11 - 999,999 | May, 1942 - December, 1943
--2nd block, Serial number, 2,912,520 - 3,212,519 | September, 1943 - Late January, 1944 (Includes Saginaw (S.G.) receivers)
--3rd block, Serial number, 4,879,526 - 5,549,821 | January, 1944 - August, 1944 (Includes Saginaw (S.G.) Receivers)
----Serial number, 5,549,822 - 5,550,376 | August, 1944 (Inland ran into Winchester serial number block)
Numbers

----Serial number, 5,557,000 - 5,557,990 | August, 1944 (Inland ran into Winchester serial number block)
--4th block, Serial number, 6,219,689 - 6,449,883 | August, 1944 - November, 1944
--5th block, Serial number, 6,629,884 - 7,234,883 | November, 1944 - January, 1945 (Some M2 Production, Fully automatic Carbines) M2 / T3 Specific forum can be found here
--6th block, Serial number, 7,369,661 - 8,069,660 | January, 1945 - August, 1945 (M2 Production, Fully automatic Carbines)
----Serial number, 0001 - 0800 | Late 1944 - 1945 (T3 Production, sniper model Carbines) M2 / T3 Specific forum can be found here
----Serial number, 00001 - 00900 | Late 1944 - 1945 (T3 Production, sniper model Carbines)
-Primary stock & hand guard supplier: S.E. Overton and Hillerich & Bradsby
-Barrel suppliers: Inland, Brown-Lipe-Chapin for Inland.
-Parts made directly by Inland:
Bolts, Receivers, Barrels, Magazine Releases, Hammers, Gas Nuts, Gas Cylinders, Firing Pins and Trigger Housings.
Side Notes:
- Inland was the forerunner for all to follow. Other contractors were gearing up to manufacture the Carbine and Inland provided most of the tooling and production procedures that would enable the others to begin full production.
- Any Inland Receiver with a 'X' after the serial number means that serial number was used by Winchester, its a duplicate so to make it different Inland put an 'X' after the serial number.
-All matching vs how it left the factory:
****** There is a difference between an all matching carbine and how it left the factory, a lot of M1 Carbine contractors shipped parts to other Contractors. Just because its all matching doesn't necessary mean that is how it left the factory. So don't get super disappointing if your Carbine is not all matching, its possible its exactly how it was when it left the factory!!! An example say Underwood was low on sears, Inland would ship some Sears to them. Sometimes marked or unmarked. Here is some known shipments to Inland, how ever there could be more shipments that occurred that are unknown but this is a good reference. (most parts were shipped together in groups, magazine catches with sears, etc)
(Organized by year. 1942 - 1944)
-Underwood shipped approximately 16,000 Firing pins to Inland in 1942.
-Winchester shipped approximately 1,200 firing pins to Inland in 1942.
-Rock-Ola Shipped approximately 10,000 sears to Inland in 1943.
-Underwood shipped approximately 4,000 Rear (Flip sights) to Inland in 1943.
-Winchester shipped approximately 4,000 hammers to Inland in 1943.
-National Postal Meter shipped approximately 25,000 Rear (Flip sights) to Inland in 1944.
-National Postal Meter shipped approximately 1,000 Rear Sight Leafs to Inland in 1944.
Example: You have an all matching Inland except hammer that's marked 'W' for Winchester, there is a good chance it left the factory just like that!!!
Please feel free to PM me or post for any errors or any further information.
-Thanks.
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--Some history of Inland:

Inland M1 Carbine Serial Numbers Dates Of Manufacture

'The Inland Manufacturing Division of General Motors was organized in 1922 for the manufacturing of wood wrapped steering wheels. The division used the buildings and technology of the defunct Dayton Wright Airplane Company. The division was unique as the only division created within the corporation, not acquired by purchase.
By 1924, the wooden steering wheel had been replaced with the hard rubber steering wheel and the division gradually transformed from a wood working operation to a rubber processing operation.
A wartime shortage of men and women to fill jobs led to the enactment of a “buddy” shift. The first business in Dayton to adopt the new buddy shift was Inland Manufacturing. In February 1943, Inland hired a number of high school boys to work at Inland after school until 7 p.m., at which time men and women who had full time jobs during the day would take over and work until 10 p.m.

Inland M1 Carbine Serial Numbers Dates 2020

Inland Division of General Motors was one of nine contractor-established manufacturing facilities that tooled up and turned out M-1 carbines during WWII, a five-pound rifle considered the nation’s best ordnance effort of the war. By the end of the war, Inland had produced over two and a half million carbines. Inland also produced a one-pound pistol called the “Little Monster”, which had been designed to be airdropped to resistance fighters in Europe.
During the war Inl