I have had several people contact me in the past few days about an odd hand guard that is being sold as a "Model T3?"
The sellers story : original WW2 M1 Carbine
handguard marked IO for Inland Overton. It has 4 rivets and has the
back trimmed down a bit to adapt a scope. This came from the collection
of a late friend of my father, and he had it labeled as a rare handguard
for a Model T3 Carbine. I honestly don't know whether it is or not.
Well as far as I can find it had nothing to do with the T3 carbine or its development. The baseline for the first infrared scope the US mounted to a weapon was the Type D prototype designed by RCA. The NDRC designation was the K2 Here it is on a T3 carbine
http://www.uscarbinecal30.com/IRM1.html" rel="nofollow - http://www.uscarbinecal30.com/IRM1.html
As you can see the front lens needs no clearance. The hand guard was however relieved for a strap to hold on the IR light source. If you moved it back further then there would be interface with the magazine.
Then came the M1 Sniperscope which had the T-120 telescope. The T3 carbine was an accessory to the sniperscope.
As you can see the front lens is is much bigger but does not require clearance. Also it sits far more forward than the hand guard in question.
Next was the M2 Sniperscope on the T3 carbine
http://www.uscarbinecal30.com/IRM2.html" rel="nofollow - http://www.uscarbinecal30.com/IRM2.html
The strap makes the lens look closer than it actually sits, but you can see that, like the M1 Sniperscope, the lens sits further forward than the hand guard in question.
The nomenclature on the packaging is for M1 carbine hand guard. Rock Island was also not involved with the T3 production of the infrared scopes. The question quickly asked is if it was some form of prototype. Notice the hand guard has 4 rivets. The T3 carbine predates the 4 rivet hand guard.
I am sure many of you are far more familiar with the http://www.uscarbinecal30.com/IRM3.html" rel="nofollow - M3 Sniperscope , which was contracted in 1950. This would work on a T3 or M1, M2 carbine with an adapter mount. The front hand guard needs to be modified so the barrel clamp can go through the hand guard, but this is at the front of the hand guard
If you look at the hand guard in question you will notice the flat is cut at an angle from the right side at the rivet holes to the left removing portions of the rivet holes.
It was speculated that it may have been for the Vietnam era AN/PAS-4 scope also known as the P-155 as there is a reticle adjustment that hangs low and would be in the proximity of the hand guard cut. This scope was tested on several different firearms including the M1/M1 carbine. It was used on the M14 and the M16 rifles.
All of the mountings hung the scope off centered to left of the firearm. We have only seen a drawing of the mount and no actual mount has ever been reported.
To give you an idea of how it would sit on a carbine. Please note it would not be on a T3 carbine as shown
As you can see it does not interfere with the hand guard and what is not so obvious is that it hands to the left of the rivet holes.
I can say the hand guard has nothing to do with the T3 carbine, but I can see how someone not familiar with a T3 might believe it did, until they put a scope on one.
I am open to suggestions as to what it might be.
It seems that a few people were willing to blindly throw bids in for it. Maybe they know something that we do not.
Maybe one day will will have an answer to this interesting hand guard, until then it is a third party story with no backing.
------------- http://www.uscarbinecal30.com/forum/club-assistance-saginaw-receivers_topic4716.html" rel="nofollow - Club Survey Saginaw Receivers
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