https://www.worldmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/discover/World Militaria Forum - All ActivityenI don't know but I would think that it's probably because a lot of what China produces is cheap crap and therfore people would assume that guns produced there would be as well. I have heard that they are tough and reliable, also I have a Jane's infantry weapons book from the 90s and according to it the SKS has a longer barrel then the AK. so it has a slightly higher muzzle volacity and effective range than the AK.Sat, 18 Jul 2026 03:58:38 +0000hello, Glad to share the info. I had never even heard of the book until it showed up in the shop. Used copies are about $200, hence I just borrowed it and did not ask to buy it for myself. If you can find the book for under $200, I would recommend snagging it. Vol II deals with post WWII modifications so I would pass on it. I think there is a Vol III but I have no idea what is in that. I am strictly a WWII guy so Vol I is the only one I am interested in. It is a wealth of information. It is out of print hence the steep price. I suppose your carbine could either be a post WWII rebuild but it could be a WWII field carbine, i.e. a part was damaged or just simply swapped out during a cleaning session. But maybe Underwood and Winchester had an 'informal' agreement to help each other out in a pinch. I could see this. I have been a DoD contractor over 20 years, and I have seen all sorts of collaboration between contract companies. It helps to be friendly with the competition. One will likely never know for sure. I knew M1 carbines were massively complicated, but I had no idea the depth of the madness. Unless you have an early war all matching carbine, you really will never know if your carbine is 'pure'. FYI in the book it stated barrel dates went away I think sometime in 1943. My Rock-Ola barrel has no date which fits in with the timeframe. Most other parts appear to be Winchester but I have not taken it apart. But from what I know it does not really matter since Winchester was assembling carbines with left over parts from other contractors. At first, I regretted my purchase, but now I am okay with it as it could be an 'as issued' carbine. Will never know for sure but at least it fits the historical records. Cheers!Sat, 18 Jul 2026 02:15:12 +0000Sat, 18 Jul 2026 01:01:00 +0000Sat, 18 Jul 2026 00:58:30 +0000Fri, 17 Jul 2026 21:28:54 +0000Thanks so much!Fri, 17 Jul 2026 21:20:48 +0000Thanks to both of you! I should get that book. Very interesting. My carbine has Winchester barrel but 1943 Underwood receiver. from what Danimal03 says, if Winchester and Underwood were the ones rewarded, Winchester wouldn't have Underwood receivers. Do i understand that right? Good information. I always hear about these parts sharing programs such that a rifle could come out of the factory with parts from several different contractors. That said, and I hoped at one time to find evidence that mine is in that category, i think mine was post war rebuild with virtually all WW2 parts, i.e., flat bolt stamped SW, operating rod is Winchester, and gas cylinder stamped PI. As for the markings, thank you! I think did not describe correctly where the oval and W are on my barrel. The W is near the top. The oval is underneath the bayonet lug so you can see it unless remove the handguard and slide lug up. I think its the WP that you have on your barrel, but i can really only see the oval markings. as far as i can tell no bursting bomb near the muzzle. beautiful stamps on your barrel!Fri, 17 Jul 2026 20:10:16 +0000I was given an Argentinian bayonet that's says Modelo Argentino 1909 on it. The blade is in good shape, but the scabbard has a lot of rust. What is the best way to clean it up? Does CLP work?Fri, 17 Jul 2026 19:36:38 +0000There should be a PW in the oval which is the Winchester proof mark. See the attached photo from one of my early carbines.Fri, 17 Jul 2026 18:20:51 +0000The stamp on the back, according to the warrelics.eu site, designate the area within the department. I wonder what that S designates.Fri, 17 Jul 2026 15:38:39 +0000hello, I do not know the answer to your question. However, I recently bought a WWII Winchester carbine on a whim. I was actually annoyed with myself for not researching it beforehand. So fast forward a month. I moonlight in a high-end antiques shop. We are currently selling a high-end collection. In the collection is a book called 'War Baby Vol 1'. It is a book entirely on WWII M1 carbines. I read it. I highly recommend it but it is a little pricey. Anyway, in the book it was explained that in 1944 the US Government cancelled all carbine contracts except for Underwood and Winchester as an 'atta boy' for delivering so many carbines. Shrewdly Winchester bought up all leftover parts from the other contractors and assembled remaining carbines with these other parts. So in theory, a WWII mismatch of WWII parts from Winchester from late 1944 and onwards could be, 'as built'. I had no idea. I found this interesting. Mine was made around September 1944. Mine has a Rock-Ola barrel. No import marks. So, who knows but based on the book I would say there is a chance it could be a Winchester 'Frankenstein' carbine. Cheers! By the way, you may want to post this on the US Militaria Forum which is a sister site. I thought I was there when answering this. I then realized I was on the World Militaria Forum.Fri, 17 Jul 2026 00:03:06 +0000That helps. Thanks very much. By conscripted, that means rounded up among the population and made to work or Korean, I guess.Thu, 16 Jul 2026 23:31:41 +0000Indochina, not Indonesia.Thu, 16 Jul 2026 22:55:12 +0000This badge indicates that the wearer is working as a conscripted laborer【徴用労働者 ／*「徴」→山王】 at the naval arsenal.Thu, 16 Jul 2026 22:20:05 +0000When did Germany drop the spike helmet? I see Hindenburg wearing shortly before he died in photo. As far as I can tell, it seems to have disappeared from German uniforms after WWI, but I really don't know. I don't recall ever seeing a WWII picture where a German was wearing the spike helmet.Thu, 16 Jul 2026 21:55:14 +0000Hello everyone. I hope everyone had a great 250th Independence Day. Unfortunately, for me I had a power outage due to all those storms. Luckily it lasted only 1 day and I had a generator, so I saved the food. Yaay. Also, the beer stayed cold. LOL! I've had family and friends over, so I haven't been able to do much work. But I finally started the tracks for the Panther D. Hopefully they'll get done soon. Semper Fi. MannyThu, 16 Jul 2026 21:21:56 +0000I found this. https://www.ebay.com/itm/376584293919Thu, 16 Jul 2026 19:26:16 +0000An interesting worker badge.Thu, 16 Jul 2026 19:20:20 +0000Hi, Everyone! Just letting you all know that WMF will be going offline on Monday, July 20th, for a long-awaited site upgrade. This should be completed in a few hours, but with sftware, the end time is always open-ended. Please be aware that the site will be offline during the upgrade and that when it comes back on, it is going to look a little different, as this is a major software upgrade. We will be working in the days following to get the colour and layout fixed as quickly as possible. While there will be some cosmetic differences, it is a very exciting update as this new version of our software features advanced security features and a better mobile web experience, making it easier and more efficient for all types of devices. Thanks for your understanding and consideration during this time! The USMF Admin TeamThu, 16 Jul 2026 18:43:21 +0000Any info on this is appreciated. It's coming up as some kind of toyohashi naval arsenal badge. I found the below on https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/japanese-militaria/yokosuka-naval-arsenal-workers-badges-676765/Thu, 16 Jul 2026 15:26:54 +0000this is the picture of an M1 Carbine barrel. It has the Winchester "W" stamped on it lower down. In the attached picture, near the muzzle there is what looks to like what was stamped as oval perhaps with writing inside. The barrel belong to a post-ww 2 rebuild that has all usgi ww2 parts. Can anyone looking at that photo give me any insights as to what it probably is? Could it be random scratches? any opinions, insights or knowledge would be greatly appreciated. After posting this, i look at the picture some more and I think i see another oval below where there are the clear marks. I can't tell if what looks like pitting could be the remnants of a stamp, but while I'm aware of the Winchester oval stamps, I'm not sure what might be written or if just pitting and scratches.Thu, 16 Jul 2026 02:37:49 +0000Found last Sunday at the flea market for $1. Made out of aluminum and on a brownish string that doesn't glow on UV light. All letters are stamped.Thu, 16 Jul 2026 00:40:34 +0000How does the world look at 1991 Gulf War 35 years later? At the time, UN Sanctioned, Arab nations joined the coalition, Iraq invaded, etc Seemed like a just war to me at the time. Now I look at differently. Gave US jumping off point for Iraq War and further entrenched US in middle east. What does the world think now? or is it just forgotten? how do historian assess it now with three plus decades of perspective? any thoughts?Wed, 15 Jul 2026 19:45:49 +0000Not for me I am afraid. The cap does not look like those Luftwaffe Sciffchen I have seen. Rather sloppily made IMHO. The crown appears to be sewn together and the bottom opening is squared off instead of having that curved headband area that makes the "little boat" shape.Wed, 15 Jul 2026 16:50:34 +0000The 4th Marine Regiment in Okinawa (HQ company at least) has a logo or unit insignia - I'm not sure quite what to call it - with crossed swords over a shield with eagle above it. Does anyone know where this came from?Wed, 15 Jul 2026 14:48:05 +0000