Universal Firearms .30 Cal. M1 Carbine Barreled Action - 'SAMCO MIA FL CAL 30 M1'
Successor to the Bullseye Company, Universal Firearms Corporation manufactured M1 Carbine copies for commercial sales in the early 1960s. Initially (1st gen.), the bulk of the components Universal used in their carbines were U.S. government surplus except for the forged receivers made by Repp Steel Company of Buffalo, NY. Surplus USGI slides and trigger housings were used as long as possible. However, when the surplus part market dried up toward the end of the Korean Conflict, Universal started manufacturing their own parts. This included: barrels, die cast trigger housings, recoil plates, recoil plate screw, and springs.
Universal was purchased by Iver Johnson in January 1983 who continued to sell Universal-branded Carbines as late as 1988. More than 426,000 carbines were manufactured by Universal Firearms over a 25 year period from 1961 through 1986. This was 10 years longer and more than three times the quantity manufactured by any other commercial carbine manufacturer.
Specifications
- Second Generation: (Six digit serial numbers all starting with 140XXX)
- Above the chamber the receiver is marked UNIVERSAL HIALEAH, FLA Pat.3.382.766
- Barrel is marked 'SAMCO MIA FL CAL 30 M1'
- These are stripped barreled receivers that have a front sight and barrel band with bayonet lug
Sources: http://www.m1carbinesinc.com/carbine_universal.html & http://oldguns.net/q&a7_03.htm, http://oldguns.net/q&a8_02.htm
PLEASE NOTE: This information has been gathered to the best of our ability and is to be used for general purposes only. Centerfire Systems, Inc. is not the originator of this information (sources have been listed) and cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or any misuse of this information. It is the responsibility of the purchaser to gather their own information for personal use.
