GunSerialsWinchester M1 Carbine serial numbers by year
Winchester was the second-largest producer of M1 Carbines, manufacturing approximately 828,059 carbines.
- Produced:
- 1942–1945
- Action:
- semi-automatic
New to gun terms? Start here
- Model:
- The name of the gun design, such as Model 94. A model name that looks like a year does not tell you when your gun was made.
- Serial number:
- The number stamped on an individual gun. Include letters that are part of the number. A separate letter stamped above it, like the Model 97's C, D or E, is a different marking.
- Receiver:
- The main metal body just behind the barrel. The receiver ring is its front section, where the barrel joins it.
- Tang:
- A strip of metal extending from the receiver into the stock. The lower tang runs underneath, behind the trigger.
- Stock:
- The part you hold against your shoulder, usually made of wood on older Winchesters.
- Forearm or forend:
- The part under the barrel where your forward hand holds the gun.
- Action:
- The mechanism that loads and removes cartridges. Names such as lever action, pump action, and bolt action describe how it works.
- Caliber or gauge:
- The ammunition size or type a gun is designed to use. This marking is different from the model and serial number.
- Takedown:
- A version designed to separate into major sections for storage. A takedown joint is where those sections meet.
- Proof mark:
- A factory testing mark, such as Winchester's oval WP stamp. It is not a serial number or a date code.
- Peep or aperture sight:
- A rear sight with a small hole to look through. A hooded front sight has a cover around it.
What year was your M1 Carbine made?
Need help finding the serial number?
Look up a serial number and print a one-page record sheet: the date and its sources, the status by age, the model in brief, and the auction price range.
Winchester M1 Carbine value: what it sells for at auction
Enter your serial number above to highlight the price categories that fit the estimated date and see recent sales of this model in those categories.
These prices come from 110 Winchester M1 Carbines sold individually at Rock Island Auction Company (55), Morphy Auctions (21), Poulin Auctions (2), Redding Auction Services (13), and Amoskeag Auction Company (19) between Sep 2023 and Sep 2026. The age-group rows use the auction companies' categories: antique, curio and relic, or modern.
The typical price is the middle price, also called the median. Half sold for more and half for less. The middle 50% range leaves out the lowest quarter and highest quarter of prices. The wider 80% range leaves out the lowest tenth and highest tenth.
We leave out listings described as deluxe, special-order, engraved, restored, or commemorative, and other exceptions in the value guide. Commemoratives are priced on their own page. Wear, repairs, original parts, and factory upgrades can make a particular gun worth more or less. These figures are a comparison, not an appraisal of your gun.
| Category | Sales | Middle 50% of prices | Typical price | Middle 80% of prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curio & Reliccollector category, usually 50+ years old | 109 | $1,410 – $2,250 | $1,650 | $1,280 – $3,231 |
Curio & Relic: Rock Island Auction Company typical $1,762 (54 sales); Morphy Auctions typical $1,560 (21 sales).
Recent M1 Carbine auction sales
Sales near the typical price and the newest. Their features and condition may differ from your gun. A lot number identifies an item in an auction.
| Sold | Gun | Auction company | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2024 | M1 Carbine · 30 Carbine | Rock Island lot 661 | $1,645 |
| Oct 2024 | M1 Carbine · 30 M1 Carbine | Rock Island lot 576 | $1,645 |
| Oct 2024 | M1 Carbine · 30 Carbine | Rock Island lot 487 | $1,645 |
| Aug 2026 | M1 Carbine | Amoskeag lot 65 | $2,541 |
| Aug 2026 | M1 Carbine · 30 Carbine | Redding lot 464R | $1,650 |
Prices are in US dollars and include the buyer’s premium, the auction company’s fee added to the winning bid, where the house charges one; Redding charges none. They are not the amount the seller receives. A dealer’s offer or private sale price may differ. The full picture, model by model →
Where the serial number is
Top of the receiver behind the rear sight; often hidden under later adjustable sights.
Where these dates come from
The table on this page comes from one source: Winchester tool room prototypes. Use its dates as estimates for groups of serial numbers, and check the notes for its limits.
Sources for this model: Winchester tool room prototypes · Ordnance-assigned Winchester serial blocks
Winchester M1 Carbine serial numbers by year
The full M1 Carbine serial number chart, one table for each source available here. Each row gives the numbers that source assigns to a year. Both the first and last numbers are included.
The tables agree with each other for every serial range.
Winchester tool room prototypes
| Year | Serial numbers |
|---|---|
| 1941 | 6 – 10 |
- 1941: Tool room prototypes from December 1941. These are museum-grade rarities. Inland made serial numbers 1 to 5 in November 1941, and Winchester made serial numbers 6 to 10 in December 1941.
Ordnance-assigned Winchester serial blocks
| Year | Serial numbers |
|---|---|
| 1942–1945 | 1,000,000 – 1,349,999 |
| 1942–1945 | 4,075,000 – 4,075,009 |
| 1942–1945 | 5,549,922 – 5,834,618 |
| 1942–1945 | 6,449,884 – 6,629,883 |
| 1942–1945 | 7,234,884 – 7,369,660 |
- 1942–1945: Ordnance assigned this block to Winchester. Blocks were issued as they were needed, and no record links an individual number to an assembly date. A serial number therefore dates the carbine only to Winchester's production run, September 1942 to August 1945. This was the first production block.
- 1942–1945: Ordnance assigned this block to Winchester. Blocks were issued as they were needed, and no record links an individual number to an assembly date. A serial number therefore dates the carbine only to Winchester's production run, September 1942 to August 1945. These are the ten presentation, or gift, carbines.
- 1942–1945: Ordnance assigned this block to Winchester. Blocks were issued as they were needed, and no record links an individual number to an assembly date. A serial number therefore dates the carbine only to Winchester's production run, September 1942 to August 1945. This was the second production block, and it includes carbines finished on leftover Underwood receivers.
- 1942–1945: Ordnance assigned this block to Winchester. Blocks were issued as they were needed, and no record links an individual number to an assembly date. A serial number therefore dates the carbine only to Winchester's production run, September 1942 to August 1945. This was the third production block.
- 1942–1945: Ordnance assigned this block to Winchester. Blocks were issued as they were needed, and no record links an individual number to an assembly date. A serial number therefore dates the carbine only to Winchester's production run, September 1942 to August 1945. This was the final block, covering M1 and M2 carbines.
What to know about M1 Carbine serial numbers
- Ordnance handed out serial numbers in blocks, so Winchester's numbers do not run in one unbroken sequence. Many of the gaps were assigned to other makers. The numbers 5,549,822 to 5,549,921 were never assigned to anyone.
- The assigned blocks hold more serial positions than there were finished carbines. Do not add up the block sizes to get a production total.
- The government ran one serial number scheme across several contractors. A number that falls outside a Winchester block may belong to Inland, Underwood, Quality Hardware or another maker.
- Carbines rebuilt after the war often mix a Winchester receiver with a barrel, stock and other parts from different contractors. Markings on those parts do not override the maker and serial number on the receiver.
- On a rebuilt carbine the serial number may be stamped a second time ahead of the adjustable rear sight, because the new sight covered the original marking.
Winchester rifles usually made without serial numbers
These models usually have no serial number. Their pages explain the exceptions and how their features may help estimate age.
Need more detail? Check for factory records
The Cody Firearms Records Office can check for surviving records for your serial number. For a fee, it can issue a letter reporting what they say. Some records contain only dates; others also describe the gun’s original features.
The office’s May 2024 coverage sheet lists these M1 Carbine serial numbers: 1,000,001–1,350,000; 5,549,922–5,834,618; 6,449,884–6,629,883; 7,234,884–7,305,200. Check current availability with the office before ordering; a listed range does not guarantee a record for every number.
Order a factory letter from the Cody Firearms Museum →What a factory letter shows, and when one is worth ordering →