M1 carbine,what year?

[lancinator]

I have a Plainfield M1 carbine made in Dunellen NJ. i know nothing about that company nor what year it was made the serial # is 181XX. Is there someone who know something about this company or what year it was made?

 

[femurphy77]

No expert am I but on the back of the reciever there is manufacturer and serial number info probably partially obscured by the rear sight. I'm guessing that's where you got this info from? I'm guessing this is a post-war "aftermarket" built gun. If it is early enough its parts are probably all interchangeable with USGI M1 Carbines. Yours probably originally sold for less than $100 new, man if we could just go back and buy up a bunch and store them away right!!


This from a website on Iver Johnson Carbines.

"
Plainfield Machine (1975)


Plainfield Machine was a machine shop located in Middlesex, NJ with a post office box in Dunellen, NJ.. Circa 1961-1962 they were contracted to machined receivers, barrels and other carbine parts for Millville Ordnance of Union, NJ. When Millville Ordnance closed unexpectedly, Plainfield produced carbines from the leftover parts under the H&S name. Profits convinced the two owners of Plainfield Machine (William Haas & his brother-in-law William Storck) to remain in the carbine manufacturing business and produce carbines under the Plainfield Machine name.
From Art Haas, son of William Haas and a supervisor at Plainfield Machine: "There were some tough years in the mid 70s and in early 77 we started to negotiate with Lou Imperato who had purchased Iver Johnson Arms & Cycle Works several years earlier. Imperato had purchased IJ mainly for the name. Lou lived in Brooklyn, NY and wanted to move the factory closer to his home."
"Lou did not purchase the company [Plainfield Machine] but only some of the assets. He purchased the building, most of the equipment, plus the carbine tooling & inventory. He did not want the pistol lines. Lou retained most of the factory personnel, maintained my father as basically head of Engineering, and I was made V.P. of Operations with total daily control of the facility in NJ."
"I helped move Iver Johnsons from Fitchburg, Mass into the Middlesex, NJ building in the fall of 77." William Storck did not remain with the company. Yearly production records mandated and maintained by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (BATF) indicate the last rifles manufactured by Plainfield Machine and the first rifles manufactured by Iver Johnson Arms were in 1978. "

Hope this helps!