1944 Winchester Carbine from RTI....I know I know

[Witchywoman]

So I have a reproduction 1945 Inland carbine and was just not satisfied by not having a legit WW2 one. For instance on the reproduction my Italian bayonet does not fit, Inland told me to send it back and they would make the bayonet fit but it should of came without that problem. That and it jammed until I broke it in like crazy and polished the ramp. I just always wanted a legit WW2 one anyway beyond the problems.


The only place in town for these is Gunbroker but Gunbroker pissed me off recently, after years of buyimg on there they wanted me to re-validate my credentials and do some sort of selfie holding up my license. they already have my Driver license, my C&R FFL, and other documents so I told them where to go. They act very left-wing all of a sudden so F them.

Anyway the only other place is the former notorious InterOrdinance or RTI. I have never been someone who buys from their mystery condition pile guns where most have no rifling or missing parts. They are the only option really these days for M1 carbines and a lot of more rare configurations are turning up. They have 8 brands right now to choose from. I chose a Winchester and a handpick. which came out to about $1300. With handpick they promise an very-good to excellent barrel and like 70% finish. I always hear that if you tell RTI your a veteran they will do you better so I put that out there because I am a disabled vet just to see if the rumors were true.

A week and a half later I open the box,

Inside is a Winchester 1944 Carbine (serial is a 131XXXX so that times it around March of 44. The stock is a potbelly m2 and in as excellent as a condition that you would not expect for something stacked like cordwood for 50-60 years maybe?. Virtually no dings and not dried out or cracked. It was beautiful even without a rub down of tung oil.

The finish is intact, like 70% except for the flat bolt and the front sight band which are almost in the white. It has mostly Winchester parts, Receiver, Barrel. Receiver block, extractor,trigger pack, firing pin, and Slide. The only mixed parts I see is a Springfield Armory rear milled type II sight and SA front band. The bore measures less than 0.5 on a gauge! That blew my mind, even after a deep cleaning and the grooves are strong. The fact the barrel matches the receiver and in "new" shape is most important to me because there is no need to send it out to re-barrel. The Italian bayonet also fits but I really need to find myself a leather handled WW2 US bayonet, those are insanely expensive these days though.

Are any of you guys critical about hunting matching brand parts for your rifles? Like same brand for every part on the rifle? I thought about hunting down a Winchester rear sight and barrel band but I am torn on if it really needs it.

I have seen far worse carbines on the auction sites and the one I got has nothing wrong with it. There is nothing bad about this one and I see other people getting decent ones on youtube as well from RTI. I also picked up an excellent Beretta 1934 in this order. I cannot complain. I fully expected to get a horrible looking dried out or cracked stock on this and I did not. I am not going to do a thing to this carbine. It would be stupid to refinish it I think. I got a reproduction sling but it would not fit through the stock slot because the metal tab was thick, even after flattening it with a hammer, the sling would not fit so I cut the metal tab off and laced it through. Its a reproduction, I don't care, and it now being cut off looks like some field mod anyway. The oiler I got is an original and I also ordered an original stock pouch and spring kit I am waiting on just in case it needs any springs. I also have an original Cleaning rod kit for it in a belt pouch, the bolt and spring tools. All I really need is the tool roll pouch and a piston wrench. I like collecting all the accessories for milsurps too. I wish I still had the M1 helmet my uncle gave me when I was a child. I need to get one of those too for my curio shelf.


Better get one while they are here. I may get another with this luck. Maybe a Saginaw or IBM. They are also selling early Inland's with flip sights and no lug.


Everything I have ever bought from them was as advertised or better.
Big thumbs up.

[echo1]

That's pretty dang boss soldier. You scored, decent price for the shape it's in. I've seen rougher ones on GB for more. Good going. Get another and see if your Karma holds. I had a mess of mags and pouches but my bud in Freekmont got his grubby little hands on them. Very well done for a shake of the RTI dice.    PAX