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Chisel Marks?

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Finface View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Finface Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Chisel Marks?
    Posted: Jan 18 2026 at 2:08pm
Can anyone direct me to photos of representative chisel marks that are indicative of a factory rear sight installation?  If there is a link that would be great.  Or, post them in this thread?  Thanks!
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Skippy View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Skippy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jan 18 2026 at 2:48pm
Here are some photos of staking marks on demilled carbine receivers.

Serial numbers help determine what sight was originally on the receiver. The serial numbers of the Standard Products and Inland receivers, pictured, imply that they had factory installed adjustable sights.

It's easy to identify receivers that had adjustable sights installed when there are multiple crater marks like on the IBM and Rock-Ola receivers.

The Underwood and National Postal Meter receivers have what looks like chisel staking of the original flip sights.

The receivers that are more difficult are the ones like Quality Hardware (see link below) where the original flip sights were secured with round staking. The Saginaw S’G’ is the other receiver that may have the round staking for the flip sight??

http://www.uscarbinecal30.com/forum/early-quality-hardware_topic3120.html

 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Finface Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jan 19 2026 at 12:00pm
Skippy,

One mystery is solved, another remains...

The "stake" marks that I called "chisel" marks - those all look from your photo, which I enlarged on a section of the receivers to the left, to be under my rear sight's location.  On my carbine I have looked for stake marks and can't find them.  Now I think I understand why...my rear sight seems mounted further aft than the rear sight in the link of stake marks, where you can see a stake mark.





Am I correct to think that with an Inland Division's adjustable rear sight installed during manufacture, around March, 1944, it is normal to not be able to see these stake marks - without removing the rear sight?

Stake marks, according to the AI discussion I had when I first got this carbine in a field strip large component disassembled state, are indicative of originality.  Can anyone chime in why stake marks are so important?  Can I see them without removing the rear sight (which I probably won't ever do)?

Thanks,

Finface


Edited by Finface - Jan 19 2026 at 12:15pm
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Skippy View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Skippy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jan 19 2026 at 1:39pm
Hello Finface,

Try turning the windage knob on your rear sight to the left and/or to the right (see the photo below) that way you have a better chance of seeing the stake marks. Get a q-tip in there to wipe away the grime so you can see them better.

Carbine Club Newsletter #361 says that the sight you have on your carbine is one of the sights that is correct for your serial number.

This newsletter has very detailed information on carbines in your serial number range. You can get a copy of the newsletter by following this link.

https://www.uscarbinecal30.com/forum/sale-of-ccnl-back-issues-and-quick-index_topic5769.html

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote painter777 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jan 19 2026 at 2:13pm
Finface,
I have a few Inlands near your Serial, One having a Underwood Flip sight.
So know that some did have Flip sights near this serial range, many of these Flip sights were supplied by other makers or their sub contractors like NPM, Rock Ola etc.

Your Inland is what is called in the Transitional period, meaning upgraded parts were being transitioned in as they became available. Adjustable sights were just getting in to the supply lines at this time. They couldn't hold production waiting on newer parts so the early parts had to do the job for now.

It's possible you might see 2 small chisel marks for a Flip sight on the outer right sides and 2-4 punch marks that staked a replacement Adj sight installed later. If you see this pattern, thats what happened.

If no sign of 2 small chisel marks on the outer right sides, and you just see that the base of your current Adj rear sight is staked inside some of the 4 holes designed to be staked in, then your current rear Adj sight is the Original sight to your Carbine most likely.

Thing is some of these Adj sights have spots for 4 place staking, some for 2, look on the bottom plate.
They didn't always punch/stake all 4 corners of the bottom plate.
You'll figure it out once you can see what we mean...

If I've only confused you Confused I'm sorry about that 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Finface Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jan 19 2026 at 3:19pm
Skippy,

You get the prize!  Your suggestion to move the windage screw to possibly see stake marks was spot on the money.  I think I see two chiseled stake marks on the right side - let me know if you don't think they are stake marks, please.  I can't see similar marks on the left side.

Here is the right side photo.  And, ahem, I thought I'd cleaned my carbine, but those nooks and crannies are elusive! Round two of cleaning scheduled.  I'll post another thread asking about cleaning soon.  My motto - do no harm.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Skippy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jan 19 2026 at 3:52pm
Hi Finface,
Please post more photos of your carbine. What is the date that is stamped on your barrel? The date stamp should be on the top of the barrel just below the front sight. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Finface Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jan 19 2026 at 4:12pm
Skippy - the barrel is stamped 3-44. It's an Inland Division and it has General Motors also stamped below Inland Division.

Just FYI.  My Apple Mac user workaround (and there probably IS a simpler way!) to posting forum photos here is to email myself a photo using the "large" size in the selectable size dropdown menu. Then I drag that photo onto my desktop. From there the forum's "insert image" option is straightforward.

I think my original iPhone photos I tried to upload a few days ago exceeded the 2 Megabyte file size limit. Picking "large" instead of "original" cuts my iPhone photos down to 800KB.

Are Newbies encouraged to start a serial number identified thread about their particular carbine where interested people can discuss that historic weapon's care, condition, and possible origin?  I perceive some people are reluctant to publicize their weapon's serial number.  I have no reservations about doing that.

I ran off the Data Sheet.  Filling this out accurately would entail, literally, a hand-holding emailing back and forth with someone who knows the many different parts by heart and could tell from photos which type of parts I have.  Or...starting a forum thread and then posting photos for all to see.  Responders could tell me which parts block to fill in - going through the Data Sheet section by section.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote painter777 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jan 19 2026 at 4:18pm
Is there a Bayonet band on that Carbine?

Ch-P777
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Finface Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jan 19 2026 at 4:20pm
No bayonet band.  It's a type II.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote painter777 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jan 19 2026 at 4:36pm
Just my opinion,
But it looks like it had a early Flip sight and then the Adjustable was just pushed on (correctly from right to left, but not all the way) and was never staked.
I've seen others that were tight enough that never got staked.

I'm not seeing metal from the Receiver's Dovetails pushed in to the detents of the base of the Adjustable sight.

So possible: This was replaced in the field, or somewhere where the stock didn't require being Armory or Depot stamped (?)

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Matt_X Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jan 19 2026 at 5:52pm
Originally posted by Finface Finface wrote:

Just FYI.  My Apple Mac user workaround (and there probably IS a simpler way!) to posting forum photos here is to email myself a photo using the "large" size in the selectable size dropdown menu. Then I drag that photo onto my desktop. From there the forum's "insert image" option is straightforward.

I think my original iPhone photos I tried to upload a few days ago exceeded the 2 Megabyte file size limit. Picking "large" instead of "original" cuts my iPhone photos down to 800KB.
THANK YOU! 
Others will benefit from knowing this.

Your Apple products may also have some software (app) to draw, crop, and edit photos.  After all they are known for being the prefered computers for graphics work.

Originally posted by Finface Finface wrote:

Are Newbies encouraged to start a serial number identified thread about their particular carbine where interested people can discuss that historic weapon's care, condition, and possible origin?  I perceive some people are reluctant to publicize their weapon's serial number.  I have no reservations about doing that.

I ran off the Data Sheet.  Filling this out accurately would entail, literally, a hand-holding emailing back and forth with someone who knows the many different parts by heart and could tell from photos which type of parts I have.  Or...starting a forum thread and then posting photos for all to see.  Responders could tell me which parts block to fill in - going through the Data Sheet section by section.


I don't see why not.  Whether you post the serial number in the title is up to you.   I would post that its an Inland and maybe that your doing a data sheet.   The first time its hard to pickup on everything, and at least for me, on the first go I did not disassemble everything.  That came later - and updated the data sheet later.

Do try to fill out the data sheet as much as possible yourself.  At least for me, often I have to try something with my hands and eyes, and then go back and reread about it.

Another thing I found helpful was to go through the threads titled Carbine of the Month (COM) and other Newsworthy carbines.  Some of them have really nicely done datasheets and photos that helped me see what to look for.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote painter777 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jan 19 2026 at 6:40pm
Another possibility,
The early Inlands Adjustable sights have been shown with the small rectangular staking instead of the more common larger round staking. That might be what we see on the Dovetails above.
See Carbine Newsletter #361 page 9.

It doesn't explain the round staking added to the Adj sight base itself.
Unless, Maybe this was a used sight that replaced a damaged one while in service /after service.

I've always said the Inland and Winchester Transitionals are Tricky Pinch

Ch-P777




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