Dating a carbine by its serial number alone is difficult and not always accurate given the circumstances inherent with manufacturing and the logistics situation.Some people estimate a carbines date of manufacture by adding the quantities manufactured month to month.Contracts had a completion date but there was no requirement for completing one contract before starting another.
M-1 Carbines Manufactured Dates By S Serial Numbers In OrderThere was no requirement as to using the serial numbers in order.
M-1 Carbines Manufactured Dates By S Serial Number Alone IsA few manufacturers used some serial number blocks out of order. Some of these blocks were split up and used before or after other blocks. A few of the manufacturers used subcontractors to manufacture their receivers. One manufacturer separated out smaller blocks of serial numbers for use by subcontractors who would use these. The serial number was placed on the carbine receiver during the manufacturing process of the receiver, not when the carbine was finally assembled. Serial numbered receivers that failed to pass inspection were set aside as rejects if the defect(s) could not be brought up to minimum standards. If a receiver was scrapped and not used, its serial number may or may not have been reused. No documentation from Ordnance, or any of the prime contractors, has been found that indicates the date and serial number of carbines as they were assembled or when they passed. The ebb and flow of mass production created parts surpluses and shortages for all the prime contractors, barrels included. During the first half of production the barrels were often mounted on a receiver within 1-2 months of when the barrel was made. As time goes on more and more carbines are having parts replaced. Parts wear out, carbines are disassembled for the sale of the parts individually. Many people have reconstructed many carbines with what they believe should have been on the carbine when it left the factory. Documents found in the past have identified several prime contractors who assigned subsets of their serial numbers to their subcontractor(s). There are a variety of reasons things may have been changed or simply ignored. Rather than assume the documents were followed to the letter, the serial numbers in tables C-F are presented with the lowest and highest reported to date. We would like to encourage you to share information you may have that will help reconstruct what was actually done versus planned. What followed was not always consistent and sometimes varied.
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