Product Description

U.S. M1 Carbines, Wartime Production, 6th edition, revised and expanded, by Craig Riesch. ISBN-13 978-1-882391-43-1.

The 6th edition of this best-selling bible of the World War II M1 Carbine has been revised and expanded. The author, Craig Riesch, has compiled twenty-two years of surveys and research into this 237 page volume.

The book contains 38 charts and 212 photographs, and fourteen drawings. The book provides a history of the M1 Carbine s development, manufacture and use during World War II, as well as through the Korean War and the war in Vietnam.

The M1 Carbine is analyzed and described by its ten manufacturers, model and serial number range. The U.S. Army Ordnance Department required that virtually every part of the M1 Carbine be marked with a manufacturer s or subcontractor s code. Riesch has unraveled the manufacturer s and subcontractor s codes by serial number range and eliminated many spurious codes. Every major and most minor parts can now be conclusively identified by manufacturer and serial number range, making it possible to examine an M1 Carbine to determine its authenticity with a high degree of confidence.

Using the charts and photos the collector can identify the manufacturer and period of use for the receiver group, barrel group, trigger housing group, stock group and their component parts. Butt plates by the various manufacturers are shown in full-size photographs for easy identification.

All variations of the M1 Carbine are discussed M1, M1A1, and M2 by manufacturer. The aspects that make up the two types of true M1A1 folding stock paratrooper carbines are described and photographed. Serial number ranges for original manufacture of the M1A1 are also included. Reproduction folding stocks are shown and points of difference are identified.

The book is divided into six chapters and ten appendices. Each chapter describes a major subgroup of the M1 Carbine: receiver, barrel, trigger assembly, and stock.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #42226 in Books
• Published on: 2009-01-02
• Released on: 2007-01-15
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

About the Author
Craig Riesch is a well-known collector and scholar of U.S. military small arms. He is the author of U.S. M1 Carbines, Wartime Production and was the coauthor of The .45-70 Springfield and The M1 Garand, 1936 to 1957. He also edited The American Krag Rifle and Carbine and Swiss Magazine Loading Rifles, 1869 to 1958, all in the For Collectors Only® series plus The AK-47 and AK-74 Kalashnikov Rifles in the Shooter s and Collector s series. Both series are guides to antique and collectible modern firearms identification and verification. Mr. Riesch has spent a great deal of time studying U.S. military firearms and is consulted by many collectors for authentication of military and civilian arms. He has been a collector himself for over forty years. Mr. Riesch is a U.S. Army combat veteran and served in Vietnam during the period of the Tet Offensive. He worked for 33 years as a product operations manager for a major defense company.

Customer Reviews

new M1 carbine collector
Excellent presentation of naratives and photos of M1 carbine components to help new collector determine origin of components used in his carbine.

M1 Carbine Collectors
A must for even the casual collector of M1 Carbines. Well researched, easy to follow. The clear drawings and illustration are a great supplement to the descriptions. Written in simple non technical language.

U.S.M1 Carbines, Wartime Production,5th Revised and expanded
may be his best effort yet on this subject.enjoyed the pictures.could use more information on the odd ball stuff that the average buyer will never see[t-3,expirmentals, various proto types] and a little more history after WW11. still a great book.