Rifleman Q&A: UN-QUALITY Carbines

by
posted on June 7, 2023
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
UN-QUALITY markings

Q. I recently saw an M1 carbine marked “UN-QUALITY” but can’t find any manufacturer by that name. The closest I could come up with was Quality Hardware, which marked its carbines “QUALITY H.M.C.” Can you explain the origins of the carbine I saw?


A. As was the case with several manufacturers of the M1 carbine, some receivers were produced by subcontractors. Each subcontractor was assigned a code consisting of one or two letters. The receiver of the carbine you saw was manufactured for Quality Hardware Machine Co. by the Union Switch & Signal Co., which used the code “UN.” US&S was the only subcontractor to incorporate its code letters into the name of the maker on the receiver; in all other cases, the subcontractor code was stamped somewhere on the receiver but was not part of the manufacturer’s name. To cite one example, the receivers made by the Auto-Ordnance Co. under subcontract for International Business Machines were marked “AO” below the serial number on the receiver bevel, and the standard “I.B.M. CORP” name was not changed. 

The “UN-QUALITY”-marked receivers are quite scarce, since just fewer than 29,000 were produced out of a total production by Quality H.M.C. of 359,666. Original examples are avidly sought after by collectors today.

—Brunce N. Canfield, Field Editor

Latest

smith & wesson performance center model 19 carry comp moss
smith & wesson performance center model 19 carry comp moss

Unlocking The Future: Smith & Wesson's "No Lock" Revolvers

The future is shaping up to be a good one for fans of Smith & Wesson revolvers. The iconic American company had released 14 new models thus far in 2025 at the time this was written mid-year. And, with one exception, they have all shared a common feature—no internal lock.

The Armed Citizen® Oct. 6, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

FEMA Notes Decline In Disaster Preparedness

A recent report from the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) noted a decline in local government preparedness for natural disasters, putting increased pressure on individuals to prepare themselves for emergencies.

Army Announces Type Classification Of New Infantry Rifle, Machine Gun

In May 2025, the U.S. Army’s Soldier Lethality Project at the Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey announced the official type classification of SIG Sauer’s M7 rifle and M250 automatic rifle, previously known as the XM7 and the XM250, respectively.

RXR22: Savage Arms Redefines The Budget Rimfire Rifle

Savage Arms has a long history of producing affordable and accurate rimfire rifles, but with its RXR22, the company is bringing a new level of affordability and modularity to rimfire rifle fans.

SARCO: A Lifetime Covered Up With Surplus Firearm Parts

When it comes to selling gun parts and gun-related military surplus, Charles “Cholly” Steen has been at it for longer than almost anyone. It all started when, as a 5-year-old, he began stashing odds and ends in the drawers of his clothes dresser.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.