Just bought new carbine looking for answers

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   Hey everyone I'm new to the carbine world, but I just bought my first one and I was looking up serial numbers. the gun I have says inland div. Behind the back sight and from what I read it said its made by gm. The number is 6398xxx said made in 1944 but now when I look at the end of the barrel it reads underwood with a bomb with smoke or what ever that symbol is. It's dated 8-44 and then about a 1/4 way down the barrel is a letter P and stamped on the side of the barrel it reads blue sky/ Arlington, VA. Just wanting some input on what I have and why it has two different makers. Anything is helpful. 

Thanks Jesse 

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jwill8806 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Recruit Joined: Feb 22 2016 Location: Illinois Status: Offline Points: 1	Post Options Post Reply Quote jwill8806 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Just bought new carbine looking for answers Posted: Feb 22 2016 at 9:24pm
	Hey everyone I'm new to the carbine world, but I just bought my first one and I was looking up serial numbers. the gun I have says inland div. Behind the back sight and from what I read it said its made by gm. The number is 6398xxx said made in 1944 but now when I look at the end of the barrel it reads underwood with a bomb with smoke or what ever that symbol is. It's dated 8-44 and then about a 1/4 way down the barrel is a letter P and stamped on the side of the barrel it reads blue sky/ Arlington, VA. Just wanting some input on what I have and why it has two different makers. Anything is helpful. Thanks Jesse

New2brass Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Moderator Group Dan Pinto, How Can I help Joined: Nov 29 2015 Location: CCC Status: Offline Points: 5527	Post Options Post Reply Quote New2brass Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Feb 22 2016 at 11:08pm
	Inland Division of General Motors. Flaming bomb typical of Underwood barrels Some carbine prime contractor did not produce barrels and relied on the "Government-free-issue barrel program" to obtain barrels. For the most part prime contractors that made barrels used their own barrel. Inland being one of the manufactures of barrels used their own barrels. During post war overhaul barrels from one manufacture would wind up on a different receiver. So on the surface it looks like a typical rebuild........ However information from data sheets reported to the Carbine Club show a higher then expected number of Underwood barrels in the 6,219,686 to 6,449,868 serial block suggesting there is a possibility that Inland used Underwood barrels when they increased monthly production rate. this was reported in CCNL 372 This is a prime example of why data sheets help even if perceived as a mixmaster. And we can not do it without members submitting! Jesse, What I would like to see are pictures of the barrel flat, the proof "P" on barrel and the top of barrel where it meets the receiver

Tired Retired Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Recruit Joined: Jan 29 2016 Location: Krum Texas Status: Offline Points: 18	Post Options Post Reply Quote Tired Retired Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Feb 22 2016 at 11:23pm
	Welcome to the addictive world of carbines! Let's see where to start..... To answer your question, there are alot of barrel combinations of receivers and barrels for many different reasons. Of the ten(nish) manufacturers, several did not make their own barrels but used barrels from a special barrel exchange program. Some, like Inland, did make their own barrels but used what was available at the end of the program to save govt money. And then there are carbines that received replacement barrels at some point of their lives for a number of reasons. You have to read, study, ask questions and look for clues. In your case, the 6 million Inlands were made toward the end of the program. I believe that you MIGHT have a barrel that was left over from when Underwood shutdown (along with other parts (I am away from home and my references and notes... Someone will correct me shortly if I am wrong). The other possibility is that someone replaced the original barrel with THAT barrel - BUT your barrel was attached to a carbine after it was manufactured, hence the P on the barrel. That P is the proof mark showing that the carbine proof fired/tested. Bluesky stamp is where it was imported back into the US. It is not a DCM/CMP carbine. Some people say that the import mark devalues the collector vaule of the carbine, but for a shooter, the bullets don't care. Got pics???