The focus of this post is limited to the gas piston chambers along with the barrel design where they were attached. Most commercial carbine manufacturers did something unique that helps identify their barrels.
Other areas of these barrels sometimes have additional uniqueness but this post is about gas piston chambers.
The Barrel Manufacturers
There have only been a few commercial .30 cal. carbine barrel manufacturers over the years. Only one in the 1960's thru the 1980's. There have been some slight differences so their gas piston areas are shown with the commercial carbine manufacturers who have used them.
https://www.shawcustombarrels.com" rel="nofollow - Small Arms Manufacturing, now Shaw Custom Barrels (1960's-1980's) Bridgeville, PA Barrels were sold without a gas piston cylinder/housing. Buyers had to, and did, come up with their own. Each commercial carbine manufacturer that used these came up with their own unique design and/or method of attaching them to the barrel. Examples can be found below with Alpine, Bullseye, H&S, Iver Johnson, Millville Ordnance, National Ordnance, Plainfield, Rowen Becker and Universal Firearms
https://criterionbarrels.com" rel="nofollow - Criterion Barrels (since 1999) Germantown, WI Swaged gas piston cylinders. Examples can be found below with Fulton Armory.
http://www.gmriflebarrel.com" rel="nofollow - Green Mountain Rifle Barrel Company (since 1994) Conway, NH Swaged gas piston cylinders. Examples can be found below with IAI, Auto Ordnance, and Inland Mfg,
Demilled Carbine Barrels with cut-down 1903A3 Barrels or other Inserts
Over time some carbine manufacturers chose to piece together their own barrels using the rear half of demilled GI carbine barrels into which they inserted a cut down 1903A3 barrel or other barrel. The GI swaged gas piston cylinder from the demilled carbine was usually used.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------GI Carbine Barrel Gas Piston Cylinders (for reference)
Top: Machined integral to barrel Bottom: Separate piece swaged on
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Commercial Carbine Manufacturers
ALM see IAI
AMAC - unk barrel source (Iver Johnson 1986 & later)
Alpine - Small Arms Mfg
AMPCO receiver only
Armscorp receiver only
Auto Ordnance - Green Mountain
Bullseye - Small Arms Mfg
Ermas Mfg - 1903A3 inserts into demilled GI
Fed Ord - unk source but barrels are inserts into demilled GI rear half
Firearms International see IAI
Fulton Armory - Criterion
Global Arms see Millville Ordnance
H&S - Small Arms Mfg
Howa - made their own Carbines made for Thailand
Howa sportering carbine
Inland Mfg - Green Mountain
IAI - Green Mountain
Iver Johnson - Small Arms Mfg NJ & AR thru 1985
1986-end of production - barrel source unk
Johnson Arms see Plainfield
Liberty Armory see IAI
Mannlicher Sporting receiver only
Millville Ordnance (MOCO) - Small Arms Mfg
National Ordnance - Small Arms Mfg
NATO see Plainfield
Plainfield - Small Arms Mfg
Rock Island Armory unknown which barrels they used
Rockola by James River Armory see Fulton Armory
Rowen Becker - Small Arms Mfg & 1903A3 inserts into demilled GI Inserts
Small Arms Mfg
Springfield Armory barrel source unknown, most were receivers only but a few were sold with barrels
Texas Armament no barrels, receiver only
Universal Firearms - Small Arms Mfg
Top: Single recoil spring Bottom: Hybrid twin recoil spring
Williams Gunsight see Plainfield
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