**Extremely Rare and Documented Experimental M-1 Carbine Presented to Chief Ordnance Inspector Harry P. Davis at Standard Productions in 1943 with Sma

Lot 317

About Seller

6270 Este Ave.
Cincinnati , OH 45232
United States

With offices in Cincinnati, Cleveland and Denver, Cowan’s holds over 40 auctions each year, with annual sales exceeding $16M. We reach buyers around the globe, and take pride in our reputation for integrity, customer service and great results. A full-service house, Cowan’s Auctions specializes in Am...Read more

Bid Increments

Price	Bid Increment
$0	$25
$500	$50
$1,000	$100
$2,000	$250
$5,000	$500
$10,000	$1,000
$20,000	$2,500
$50,000	$5,000
$100,000	$10,000

About Auction

Live

Arms and Armor Day 2: Live Auction

By Cowan's Auctions

May 7, 2020

Set Reminder 2020-05-07 10:00:00 2020-05-07 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Arms and Armor Day 2: Live Auction https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/cowans/arms-and-armor-day-2-live-auction-5082 Cowan’s is pleased to offer for its May 2020 Premier Auction an enviable collection of fine antique arms and military accessories. While the entire sale is indeed a showcase of rare and desirable items, several lots showcased in the May sale are of special interest to advanced collectors. Cowan's Auctions dawnie@cowans.com

View Full Catalog (282)

Lot Description

.30 caliber, 18" barrel length, S/N 00-H-01. Barrel marked near the front sight "9-4-43." Top of the receiver marked "US Carb -30 M1" over "Exp Mod HPD." Blue finish with fancy pistol grip stock and horn cover. Horn buttplate with original OD green woven sling.

An extremely rare and exceptionally well documented Standard Products M1 Carbine presented to Chief Ordnance Inspector Harry P. Davis. Standard Products in Port Clinton, Ohio, known during peace time as a manufacturer of automobile equipment was converted to war time manufacturing during the 1941 emergency. While originally contracted to produce plastic products for the war efforts; this was changed to small arms with an original contract to produce 100,000 M1 rifles. A later modification to the contract stipulated that 1,000 rifles were to be produced daily by April of 1943. This contract was cancelled and a new contract was awarded to Standard Products to manufacture the M1 carbine in the quantity of 370,000.

Key ordnance inspectors assigned to the Standard plant were trained at the Springfield Armory, Winchester Repeating Arms and General Motors Inland Division based in Dayton, Ohio. Winchester being the designer of the M1 carbine, had a school dedicated to government small arms inspectors. The school was under close supervision of Winchester and the Springfield Ordnance District. Standard Products inspectors attended this two week training course. The following Standard Products plant small arms ordnance personal that filled key positions were as follows; Harry P. Davis, Raymond Ward, Marjorie Bluhm and Ellis C. Lenz.

The provenance and documentation on this rare Presentation M1 Carbine are impeccable. Included with this carbine is a binder with original and copied documents that detail the background of Standard Products war time effort. Detailed plans and production efforts explaining the plant layout including dollar amounts the War Department provided for machinery and tooling. Background of ordnance personnel and the training they received, including contractor personnel. The logistics and supply chain management is outlined including a list of suppliers.

Inspector's data included in the binder include a breakdown of the 3 major causes of carbine failures during range tests. Standard Products employed 2 gunsmiths to adjust and correct the failures. A list is provided showing the detailed efforts of the gunsmiths and what they did on the range during testing and throughout production. Production flow data showing inspector's notes from floor production - to testing - to acceptance. Original documents from Ordnance Department showing tentative specifications for the manufacturing of the carbines and the methods of inspection and tests.

Personal documents from The Standard Products Company come in the binder showing Mr. Harry Davis's appointment to the Ordnance Department dated April 20, 1944 and signed by Plant Manager L.T. Bracken. Also included are a couple of reports written by Harry Davis with how production met requirements, a total of 12 pages, and signed by Mr. Davis. The second is a report from Mr. Davis to a District Historian with an overview of The Standard Products Company efforts to execute the production of M1 Carbines, with hand written notes in the footers.

"An Industrial Wartime Achievement" book comes with this lot showing The Standard Products key employees to photographs of production employees. The inside cover of the book is an original letter from President of The Standard Products Company, Dr. J.S. Reid, to Chief Inspector Carbine M1 Harry P. Davis simply dated VJ-Day. The letter gives praise to Mr. Davis for his contributions to war time efforts and is signed JS Reid.

This is a very rare and extremely well documented piece of World War II history showing the contributions of everyday Americans to the war effort. It is estimated that as few as 50 of these experimental and presentation pieces were produced. This specific piece is a treasure with all the documentation and provenance.

**Requires C&R or FFL

Condition

This Exp model carbine is in almost mint condition. No wear to the finish. Stock is excellent and the bore is excellent. A rare Exp model carbine with excellent history.
Shipping Info
- Buyers are required to pay for all packing, shipping and insurance charges. Overseas duty charges are the responsibility of the successful Bidder. Be aware that for larger and/or valuable items, shipping charges can be substantial. - If there is no shipping amount on listed your invoice, you will need to make arrangements to pick up or ship your purchase through an alternative shipping company. Our shipping department can be contacted at 513.871.1670 (ext. 219) or email shipping@cowans.com. - Shipping charges include insurance for your order while in transit. If you have private insurance we will adjust your charge to include only packing and shipping. - Please allow 14 – 21 days after payment to package and ship your purchase as carefully as possible.