hirsca Posted June 18, 2015 Share #1 Posted June 18, 2015 Estate sale find today. Not marked M9. My brother is a former Marine and has a similar pair, also not marked M9. His serial number is 36763. My questions are: When were these made; and, are these before the M9 marking or after? As always, all comments are much appreciated. Thanks, Al Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hirsca Posted June 21, 2015 Author Share #2 Posted June 21, 2015 Anyone? I searched on line and found examples of the M9 marking on binoculars with serial numbers below and above mine. Likewise for examples without the M9 mark. Seems to me that the M9 stamp would have been applied in a more orderly fashion based on serial number range. Anyway, I still would like to know when these were made. Thanks, Al Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carabinieri Posted October 27, 2015 Share #3 Posted October 27, 2015 There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the M9 markings. I have seen versions in the 30800's serial range that were marked and lower and higher numbers that were not marked. One thing is certain Universal Camera Corp was awarded the first contract for the USMC M9 in 1941. Then to Bausch and Lomb in 1943. Together they are thought to have produced around 10,000-15,000 total. One scenario could be in the race to complete the contract, the M9 marking was not on all the stamping machines and was not considered to be a critical quality control issue as long as they functioned. The lack of the M9 is likely not a way to date as early or late production based on the range of serial numbers with and without. At the end of the war all production with the USMC marking would have ceased. That is my 2 cents... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hirsca Posted October 27, 2015 Author Share #4 Posted October 27, 2015 There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the M9 markings. I have seen versions in the 30800's serial range that were marked and lower and higher numbers that were not marked. One thing is certain Universal Camera Corp was awarded the first contract for the USMC M9 in 1941. Then to Bausch and Lomb in 1943. Together they are thought to have produced around 10,000-15,000 total. One scenario could be in the race to complete the contract, the M9 marking was not on all the stamping machines and was not considered to be a critical quality control issue as long as they functioned. The lack of the M9 is likely not a way to date as early or late production based on the range of serial numbers with and without. At the end of the war all production with the USMC marking would have ceased. That is my 2 cents... Good theory. Makes sense. Many thanks, Al. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustin Posted October 27, 2015 Share #5 Posted October 27, 2015 The M9 is a US Army Ordnance designation and may have not been required to be stamped with the type on USMC contracts. Its more likely that these stamped sheet metal pieces were subcontracted items which provided them for all primary contractors. The variety is more likely attributed to modifications to the dies during the entire manufacturing process with the M9 designation being carried over to USMC contract pieces from US Army contracts which would have been manufactured first. If you note the very low serial numbered glasses are US Army with M9 designations then USMC production. Quality control for the resident inspector would not have been focused on the marking whether or not an M9 designation was there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gap Posted October 28, 2015 Share #6 Posted October 28, 2015 To complicate matters further, I have a pair of what appear to be M9 field glasses that bear neither the M9 nor USMC marking. They are marked "Binoculars, 6 X 30, serial no. 23XXX" (forgot the digits) on the left side and "Universal Camera Corp, New York, USA, 1942 RWJ" on the right side. They came with a M17 case marked Westinghouse on the inside. The guy I purchased them from claims they were his dad's from WW2 and that his dad was in the USN. Of course, they could also be M6 binocs. Don't think they are M3 as it appears Universal did not make them. There is no range reticle in either lens. Field glasses are a topic with many questions and not a lot of answers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carabinieri Posted October 28, 2015 Share #7 Posted October 28, 2015 Agreed, it would be great to find someone who worked in one of the factories, for some answers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robinb Posted October 30, 2015 Share #8 Posted October 30, 2015 3 examples from my collection. This pair was carried by a USMC Capt on Iwo Jima. He was an artillery observer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robinb Posted October 30, 2015 Share #9 Posted October 30, 2015 No history behind these. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gap Posted October 30, 2015 Share #10 Posted October 30, 2015 The last pair marked USMC and 6x 30 only have a different fastening system on the face plate, i.e. three screws instead of 2. Maybe they are not M9? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now