M1A1
Posted: Thu Jul 18, 2013 7:25 am
Having just discovered the Mosin-Nagants recently it occured to me that I have seen one my whole life, in my grandfather's gun cabinet. It was a T53 capture from Vietnam. I remember the bayonet specifically because as a child as it fascinated me. Well, I asked him about it at dinner last night and he told me "you can have it, I don't want it". I think my heart rate doubled after that.
After dinner we went down to the barn (his guns moved there a decade ago at the demand of my grandmother) and did a search. Unfortunately it appears to have "walked off". This is extremely dissapointing because wherever it ended up I'm sure someone didn't know the real value in what they had.
So.. there was one left, his M1A1 carbine. He said go for it, so I am now the proud holder of my grandfather's service weapon from VIetnam. He told me he carried it for 2 years. I know he was a SF advisor to South Vietnamese units and from what little I've gotten out of him over the years this weapon, and he, saw a lot of action. Needless to say, second to my son, this just became my most treasured posession.
I will post pictures later tonight however I do have some questions I wanted to run by everyone. First, this has the folding stock making it an M1A1 as far as I can tell. It is marked "Winchester" in front of the sights, and the serial # is the the 6 millions. I was able to verify that the serial # is correct and was towards the end of WWII. Now the discrepencies I can find are that Inland was the sole manufacturer of the M1A1. Since it is marked Winchester does this mean that it was probably arsenal rebuilt following WWII ?
Other Items include a bayonet lug on the barrel, a "switch" safety instead of the push button, and it has the improved rear sights instead of the flip up ones. The stock and the folding stock appear origninal to WWII, the leather is dark along with the rivets. This is a beautiful gun in very good condition.
One last thing, he did tell me that this was automatic however I cannot find a selector switch. Hopefully some of you can help me identify some of this when I put up pictures. Stay tuned, more to come !
After dinner we went down to the barn (his guns moved there a decade ago at the demand of my grandmother) and did a search. Unfortunately it appears to have "walked off". This is extremely dissapointing because wherever it ended up I'm sure someone didn't know the real value in what they had.
So.. there was one left, his M1A1 carbine. He said go for it, so I am now the proud holder of my grandfather's service weapon from VIetnam. He told me he carried it for 2 years. I know he was a SF advisor to South Vietnamese units and from what little I've gotten out of him over the years this weapon, and he, saw a lot of action. Needless to say, second to my son, this just became my most treasured posession.
I will post pictures later tonight however I do have some questions I wanted to run by everyone. First, this has the folding stock making it an M1A1 as far as I can tell. It is marked "Winchester" in front of the sights, and the serial # is the the 6 millions. I was able to verify that the serial # is correct and was towards the end of WWII. Now the discrepencies I can find are that Inland was the sole manufacturer of the M1A1. Since it is marked Winchester does this mean that it was probably arsenal rebuilt following WWII ?
Other Items include a bayonet lug on the barrel, a "switch" safety instead of the push button, and it has the improved rear sights instead of the flip up ones. The stock and the folding stock appear origninal to WWII, the leather is dark along with the rivets. This is a beautiful gun in very good condition.
One last thing, he did tell me that this was automatic however I cannot find a selector switch. Hopefully some of you can help me identify some of this when I put up pictures. Stay tuned, more to come !
A lot of the early SF advisors in VN carried and loved the M1A1 Carbine, as well as some the M2 Carbine. This was before the XM177E2 was on the scene, the carbines were excellent in the jungle, and the troops the advisors were with often carried the M1 Carbine, so it made sense logistically and operationally. (Same weapon, didn't draw unwarranted attention in a firefight.) I'd say you got a helluva trade-up, Paitient957! 
An Outstanding family hairloom to be passed from generation to generation.