winchester m1 carbine help

[rhj]

Sirs:
I bought this about 30 yrs ago(not a long arms collector)
the serial #65xxxxx and seems to have all winchester parts.
Could you possibly estimate a date...late44...early45?
Also, in very good condition what is approximate value.
Thank you very much for your help.
rhj

[vitts]

Let me start by saying I am certainly no carbine expert. My friend is a collector and we have made several trips to the CMP for their recent carbine sales, the last one being the winchester rifles.

The adjustable rear sights were added post war(replaced a simple flip sight), the bayonet lugs were also added post war as the ww2 guns had no provision for a bayonet.

The other general rule of thumb is that if you find a rifle with all matching small parts, winchester,inland , or any of the other manufactureres gun it will most likely have been put together by a private collector type. The reason for this theory is that all guns coming back from the war went through the arsenal for reconditioning and were put back together with whatever parts were within reach.

None the less you have a nice looking rifle and They have been selling in the $600- $1100 range with an all matching gun being at the higher end.

[jdbwoodsman]

6.5 million Winchester

Your Winchester was manufactured in the summer of 1945.... probably June/July time frame. It was in that era that the bayonet lug barrel band began to be installed on the Winchester carbines. Records show at 6.5 million is exactly when. Also, the adjustable sight is correct for your Winchester M1 carbine. The type 3 adjustable sight started showing up in the first quarter of 1945 at 6.2 million...probably March so that too is proper on your Carbine.

Your Winchester is pretty nice looking and I'd love to see more photos to include the stock cartouche and other angles of the carbine to make a better determination of value, but it could be upwards of $16 - $1800.

[vitts]

Well my apology to you for mistating the info on your carbine. I thought it was in late 45 (post war) that the lug and adj. sight were put on.. I stand corrected.

And it is a very nice rifle!