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Nice Universal

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coyotejoe View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote coyotejoe Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Nice Universal
    Posted: May 19 2018 at 3:59pm
I have a Universal carbine which seems a cut above the normal, serial number 44xxx. First off, it has a very nicely finished walnut stock & handguard. The gas port is welded to the 12 groove barrel but a bit nicer than the square box on some. Trigger housing is aluminum but sculped like the GI version, not the slab sided sort. It is secured with a roll pin. It has a flat bolt. It shoots very nicely with any round nose soft point or FMJ and even feeds the Speer 110 grain flat nose hollow point which I find is as deadly on deer as a 30/30. Handloads do not have to be full power to function, anylthing over 1500 fps will work.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote sleeplessnashadow Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 19 2018 at 5:25pm
CoyoteJoe

Hi. Couple questions for you then I'll be able to tell you a bit more about your Universal.

Inside the front of the stock is there a date, year and/or the letters BWI?

On the left side of the receiver towards the front what are the two numbers stamped there? They numbers may not be aligned with one another but should be vicinity of 25-35.

My experience with Universal's carbines has been almost all the complaints have been related to one or more of six things.

1) the carbine needs to be thoroughly cleaned
2) one or more magazines need to be replaced
3) a part has reached the end of it's lifespan from use
4) not taking the time or having the knowledge to figure out why something didn't work right
5) the design of some of the part(s) differ from GI design parts, especially s/n 100k and up
6) they got their information 2nd hand and not from personal experience

With 1-4 and 6 being common with any carbine.

The experience this is based on has come from owning and/or examining carbines made by Universal throughout the lifespan of the company (1962-1984). Different does not necessarily mean better or worse.

They were not GI carbines. Most parts were not made to GI spec. But this is no different than all of the other commercial carbine manufacturers 1960-2018 with the exception of Fulton Armory. James River Armory was almost all GI spec.

Thanks

Jim
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coyotejoe View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote coyotejoe Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 19 2018 at 5:55pm
Thanks. The stock bears no numbers or marks of any sort, inside nor out nor under the buttplate. To see any marks on the left of the reciever I would have to remove the scope mount base, which I wii not do since I just got the little old Weaver J-2.5 scope zeroed and ready to hunt. I will add that it was factory drilled & tapped for that mount base, the stock was cut for it and it came with a little plastic filler there. It also has the set screw for the front sight.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote sleeplessnashadow Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 19 2018 at 7:42pm
Just an estimate based on the serial number range of 44,000 - 49,999 ... this range was manufactured from late 1964 to early 1965. They switched to the rectangular trigger housing in the early 56,000 range.

The stocks and handguards made for Universal Firearms during this time were made by Blanton Woodworking Industries (BWI). Sometimes the letters BWI were ink stamped inside the front of the stock. Your stock looks like one of the BWI stocks but I'd need to see the right side to be sure. The wood on the right side of the stock went as high as the handguard. There was no open area between the stock and handguard where the slide arm is seen on other stocks.

Blanton was funded and started by Universal to make their stocks for them. He made no stocks for anyone else. Blanton had an attention to detail from his time prior as a craftsman in the manufacture of high quality solid wood furniture. Very different industry and different machines but Blanton did an excellent job of adapting his skills to stock making. He fell ill off and on starting in 1967 so Universal purchased stocks from S.E. Overton in Michigan during Blanton's downtime. Overton manufactured carbine stocks for Inland during WWII.

Universal used surplus GI parts when they could get them at a cost effective price. Some parts were harder to come by than others. Over time the GI surplus parts dried up. Like the other commercial carbine manufacturers Universal had to start making parts or purchase commercially made parts.

Aluminum trigger housings were also used by Plainfield Machine for a number of years. The downside to aluminum was it decreased the lifespan of the trigger housing. Some folks never shot their carbine enough to get to that point. But over the years of use they will eventually get there. Your carbine is over 50 years old and still going. That speaks for itself.

Your trigger housing was made to GI dimensions. If it wears out it can be replaced with any other trigger housing made to GI dimensions.

Personally I think the carbines Universal made 1962-1965 were the best they made. For a number of reasons. While learning with as many carbines as possible I was selling them to get others. I don't collect carbines.

I've kept only four commercial carbines, all as shooters. One is all GI parts with a forged steel receiver made by Lewis Machine Tool for Springfield in Geneseo in the late 90's. I built it and another like it for my son. A Fulton Armory carbine for my daughter. And a Universal Vulcan in .44 mag made about 1965.

Jim
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m1a1fan View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote m1a1fan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 19 2018 at 7:54pm
Nice carbine. Question: What is the purpose of the metal nub inside the sling well?
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W5USMC View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote W5USMC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 19 2018 at 9:09pm
Originally posted by m1a1fan m1a1fan wrote:

Question: What is the purpose of the metal nub inside the sling well?


I was going to ask the same thing, is that a screw in sling swivel mount??
Wayne
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sleeplessnashadow View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote sleeplessnashadow Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 20 2018 at 12:10am
Forgot to mention the sling swivel stud in the slingwell. Not done by Universal. Someone added it after it left Universal.

Jim
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote coyotejoe Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 20 2018 at 11:52am
Originally posted by m1a1fan m1a1fan wrote:

Nice carbine. Question: What is the purpose of the metal nub inside the sling well?

That's a sling swivel stud.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote floydthecat Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 20 2018 at 3:51pm
Be careful when removing/installing that aluminum TH. The roll-pin can sometimes be hard to remove and will require tapping out with a punch or like tool. The walls of the magazine well are very thin and it's usually a poor casting. The best thing that could happen to you is that you "accidentally" break that TH and then immediately procure a good used GI TH.Big smile As I recall, the trigger and hammer pins may also be changed. They are longer than GI examples, but may still work, depending on the dimensions of your stock TH opening. Go ahead and procure a GI TH pin and trash the roll-pin.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote tenOCEE Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 20 2018 at 8:45pm
I once bought a very early Universal that had a beautiful receiver. It looked USGI in color but was a little more crisp in detail. The only issue was with the barrel, it being the USGI integral gas cyl section hollowed out and a 1903 barrel swaged and soldered into it. The solder invaded the chamber. Came with a Win hammer and SW-IP sear.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote coyotejoe Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 21 2018 at 12:38pm
Thanks for all replies. In reply to Sleepless, yes the stock wood meets the handguard with no operating rod exposed but for some unknown reason I can't post that photo.
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