Fulton Armory

Post WWII Commercially Manufactured M1 Carbines (U.S.A.)


 

Savage,
Maryland

 

(Fulton Armory is a trademark of McKee Incorporated)









 



Fulton Armory

Maryland corporate records indicate Fulton Armory is owned by McKee, Inc. McKee, Inc. was incorporated by William Clinton McKee [Clint McKee] on June 4, 1987 at 14900 Sweitzer Lane, Suite 103, Laurel, MD 20707. Several years later the company moved to their current location at 8725 Bollman Place, Suite 1, Savage, MD 20763. Before starting Fulton Armory, Clint McKee had worked with Jack Friese at what was then Armscorp of America. Armscorp of America later became Armscorp USA.


Refurbished U.S. WWII M1 Carbines

Fulton Armory is a custom gun shop that has been offering restoration, refurbishment, and custom work on customer supplied WWII M1 Carbines, M1 Garands, and M14/M1A's since the company's beginning in 1987. Over time they have also added sales of restored and customized surplus military rifles. Collectors have little interest in restorations. Shooters and others that require and/or can afford custom work are Fulton Armory's primary customers.

Fulton Armory M1 Carbines

In 2012 Fulton Armory introduced their own commercially produced M1 Carbine receivers, barreled receivers, and fully assembled M1 Carbines using these receivers.

Machined from a forged steel billet to GI specifications and manganese phosphate parkerized. Those familiar with the forged steel receivers manufactured and sold by Springfield Armory of Geneseo, IL 1996-2003 (s/n prefix SC) will immediately recognize the similarities of the Fulton Armory receiver. The receivers being used by Fulton Armory are manufactured by Lewis Machine & Tool Company of Milan, IL, the same company who manufactured the receivers used by Springfield Armory (SC prefix s/n).

Up until the Fulton Armory M1 Carbine receivers, the Springfield Armory receivers sold 1996-2003 were the only commercial M1 Carbine receivers manufactured to U.S. Army Ordnance specifications (contrary to the marketing material of a couple other companies). If you can find one of the Springfield Armory receivers they typically sell for a price equivalent to what Fulton Armory is asking for their receivers. There are those of us who prefer these receivers over the original WWII receivers on our shooters as these receivers are equivalent to, or sometimes exceed the quality of, the WWII receivers when they were new (CNC machining didn't exist during WWII).


The Barrel & Barrel Assembly

The Barrel Assembly includes the barrel, gas piston, gas piston nut, front sight, front sight pin, front sight key, and a choice of one of three barrel bands: a reproduction type I barrel band as used on the early M1 Carbines, a type II barrel band (cut down from type III bands due to the scarcity of the type II bands), or an unused type III GI barrel band with bayonet lug.

The barrel used by Fulton Armory on their M1 Carbines is newly manufactured to mil-spec print #6544006 by Criterion Barrels, Inc. in Richfield, WI. The chrome moly steel barrel is 18" in length with four lands and grooves and a 1 in 20 twist. The gas piston housing is swaged to the barrel in a manner consistent with their WWII GI barrel counterparts. The entire barrel/barrel assembly is manganese phosphate parkerized.

The barrel or barrel assembly may be purchased separate from the barreled action or fully assembled carbine. Purchased separately, it comes with a short chamber (.010 inch) requiring finish reaming to provide proper chamber headspace once the barrel is mated to it's receiver and bolt. Tolerances are tight and it is intended to be installed by a qualified gunsmith.


The Stock & Handguard

The wood provided with the Fulton M1 Carbine is manufactured by Boyds' Gunstock Industries, Inc. of Mitchell, South Dakota. The stock and handguard are custom fit and finished by Fulton Armory. The assembled carbine comes with the option of the wood handguard or a metal Ultimak Carbine Scout tactical handguard with Picatinny mount.

Stocks and/or handguards are also sold individually. The Boyds' stock and handguard are unfinished for custom fitting and finish. Fulton Armory also sells used M2 Carbine birch stocks, a synthetic folding stock manufactured by Choate Machine & Tool, and a reproduction M1A1 Paratrooper folding stock.


dated and imprinted Boyds FA


dated and imprinted Boyds FA


The Trigger Housing Group and Bolt Group

The bolt group and trigger housing group are assembled from surplus GI parts.


The Assembled Fulton Armory M1 Carbines

Fulton Armory offers four different models of the M1 Carbine. The Fulton Armory M1 CMP Match Carbine is a restored and customized WWII carbine that meets the requirements of the Civilian Marksmanship Program for use in their military rifle M1 Carbine competitive shooting events.

The three other models are built using the Fulton Armory receiver and differ only in the type of stock or handguard they are sold with. The Fulton Armory M1 Service Carbine comes with the Boyds wood stock and wood handguard. The Fulton Armory M3 Scout Carbine comes in the Boyds stock with an Amega M3 Scout metal handguard with Picatinny rails. The Fulton Armory M1A1 Paratrooper Carbine has a newly manufactured M1A1 replica stock.


Fulton Armory M1 Service Carbine