US M1 Carbines: Wartime Production, 4th Editon

Great book. Every part of the rifle is discussed and many parts have detailed charts that show make/SN range for each part used. Excellent reference. It would have been nice to have more pictures than line drawings... but the drawings are easily recognizable as to the part. Great book. Worth the price.

This book is great for those who want to learn how the M1 Carbine was created in mass numbers in such a short time or where the parts and accessories for an M1 Carbine came from. The author does try to "originate" a carbine by encouraging owners to pursue parts and accessories from a single manufacturer to get a "like WWII condition Carbine". Many enthusiasts would disagree and tell you to keep your rifle as is. The ones imported from other countries have just as much history in them than the ones in WWII, and in fact maybe more history. This is a great read for collectors and historians alike and a must own for any Carbine owner.

There is no 1 book that covers everything to do with the M1 Carbine. This book clearly was not written for the purpose of covering the M1 carbine from A-Z. The focus of the author is on each individual part, the variations, and the markings the original manufacturer put on their parts at various points in time. This book is about documenting the parts of your M1 Carbine, knowing who made what, and which carbine it was likely on. For a buyer, it will tell you what you are looking at in the way of original parts. M1 carbine parts were shared amongst manufacturers, in an effort to get the rifles out to the troops. Typically they are a mixture of parts from several manufacturers. Without this book, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference. For people starting to get to really know the history of their M1 carbine, this is where you start, with this book. Then move on to intermediate and advanced. Collector's usually own more than a few books. Many of them have this one as a quick reference aid. No other puts it so clear, simple, and easy to find. If you are looking for a book for shooting the M1 carbine, try The M1 Carbine Owner's Guide by Ruth and Duff. If something breaks and you want to replace it with an authentic part, then look inside this book. I recommend it to everyone just starting to get to know their U.S. M1 carbine. Post WWII commercial variations are not included. Original WWII M1 carbines, their parts, and manufacturers, are detailed. It does a great job of it. Simple and to the point. As to the restoration issue, the first reviewer is absolutely correct when he says piece by piece rebuilding an M1 carbine destroys it's history and value. Those who seek to do so should do a fair amount of research first. The conclusion you come too will likely stop you from using this book for that purpose.

This book has helped me greatly in restoring my Quality Hardware carbine back to "as manufactured" condition. The book works more as a quick reference, rather than other M1 books which may or may not have a lot of reading just to find parts differences. After getting this book I realized my Q.H.M.C. carbine had only a few original "as manufactured" parts on it and the rest of the gun was a mixmaster of assorted maker parts. With this book I have been able to quickly see what stampings are on a part I need, different variations and improvements within a certain part,and tips to tell the difference between authentic and repro parts. Drawings are included to aid in parts identification and I.D. different types (type I,II,III,IV, etc.)within a part. Other areas of the book touch on receiver differences and militaria accessories for the M1. If your not into the historical restoration and just want a "shooter", then this book is not for you. My copy is well used and getting greasy, I will definitely get Riesch & Poyer's reference book for the M-1 Garand.