National Postal Meter

[Duane Hansen]

Just picked up a NPM carbine and it has a Marlin barrel. Did they put these barrels on some NPM carbines from the factory?

[butlersrangers]

FWIW - My National Postal Meter M-1 carbine has a Marlin barrel. The carbine is a post-war rebuild with a Springfield Armory M-2 stock and lots of later parts, but, the barrel appears to be the original.

BluSky4.JPGBluSky1.JPG

[Duane Hansen]

Thanks for your response. This may confirm originality or the possibility that one of the rebuild depots used Marlin barrels to replace warn or ruined original ones. Is Tuna out there?

[Mike in NC]

If it is a late NPM, something in the 4 million range, the Marlin barrel likely is original to that receiver.

[Tuna]

Mike is right it's most likely original to the receiver. NPM used over 68,000 Marlin barrels in 1944. The carbine has been updated as Mike said and it's a Blue Sky import from Korea. Give or take a bit about March 1944 for when it was made.

[butlersrangers]

OP gave no serial number or detail on his NPM carbine.

The 'Blue Sky' NPM is mine. No intent to hijack D. Hansen's thread. I posted pictures to show 'finish match' of barrel and action, which leads me to believe my 'Blue Sky' has its original barrel, (which is marked Marlin).

[Tuna]

No he didn't and I took the serial number from the picture. The rest still stands. Now without knowing the serial number of his carbine then one cannot say it has an original barrel on it.

[butlersrangers]

Tuna - Thanks for the information on the Marlin barrels in 1944!

[P51MUSTANG]

What other Carbine manufacturers used Marlin barrels besides NPM?

[Tuna]

When barrels were in tight supply and that was most of the time, they were shipped to who ever needed them but in general Marlin barrels were not considered to be the best. Same as Buffalo Arms. They had problems with them But they were used when they had to be.

[P51MUSTANG]

Well who generally used Marlin Barrels?

[Tuna]

National Postal Meter used most of them but with the government free issue program, they went were they were needed. 500 here a 1000 there but 62,000 went to NPM. 23,150 went to Standard Products. Total production was 215,000. Many could have been rejects but there is no know total of that.

[Johnny P]

As Tuna noted, barrels were issued to NPM through the government "free issue" barrel program as NPM did not manufacture barrels.

[Tuna]

It should also be noted that RIA, Rock Island Armory was used to hold a supply of barrels so if any of the carbine manufactures in the free issue barrel program needed extra barrels in a hurry they could be sent from RIA. They could be all of one maker or a mix of different barrel makers.