The Editor-In-Chief of The American Rifleman magazine, Mark Keefe, convinced the Planned on manufacturing and marketing under the Auto-Ordnance name. Show) January 2004 in Las Vegas, Nevada, the Kahr Arms booth displayed an M1 carbine the company Īt the annual Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade Show (S.H.O.T. IAI filed Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in Texas in August 2003. The M1 carbines being sold under the IAI name in 2002/2003.
( Saeilo Manufacturing Industries Inc., Massachusetts) for the manufacture of barrels and receivers for Justin Moon is justifiably recognized as the driving force behind Kahr Arms, and as a very capable gun designer.īirth of the Auto-Ordnance M1 Carbine Israel Arms International (IAI) of Houston, Texas had contracted with SMI-MA Inc. He is a graduate of Harvard University and the designer of a number of the semi-auto pistols manufactured by Justin Moon wasīorn in South Korea and educated in the United States. Kook Jin (Justin) Moon, 4th son of the Reverend Moon, has been the CEO of Kahr Arms since the beginning. Kahr Arms was a subdivision of the Saeilo Group (pronounced "Say-low"), also founded by the Reverend Sun Myong MoonĪnd incorporated in Queens, NY in September 1981. Kahr Arms was founded and incorporated in New York in September 1994 by the Reverend Sun Myong Moon of the Unification Church. In February of 1999 Auto-Ordnance was sold to Kahr Arms ofīlauvalt, N.Y. Included in their purchase of Auto-Ordnance were a large number of parts for the Thompson Submachine Gun. specialized in acquiring bulk lots of guns and gun parts from the inventories of defunct gun manufacturers then reselling the parts as replacement parts. Ownership of Auto-Ordnance changed hands several more times between 19 when it was acquired by Numrich Arms of West Hurley, N.Y., Ĭhanges in Ownership leading up to the Kahr Arms Acquisition of the Auto-Ordnance Name Of 346,500 M1 carbines using a large quantity of parts made for them by Auto-Ordnance. Between August 1943 and the cessation of production in May 1944, I.B.M. and a second subcontractor manufacturing slides for I.B.M.īy the end of 1943 Auto-Ordnance was able to meet it's revised quotas. management team with an Ordnance contingent within the Auto-Ordnance facility.Ĭhanges were implemented that included adding a second subcontractor for manufacturing bolts for I.B.M. The situation became critical enough that the Office of U.S. due to a variety of internal problems related to the management atĪuto-Ordnance.
above the serial number, with the letters AO stamped in the receiver bevel below the serial number.ĭuring 1943 Auto-Ordnance was unable to fulfill their contract for I.B.M. The bolts and slides manufactured by Auto-Ordnance were marked with the letters AOB. I.B.M.'s bolts and slides, and 50% of all of I.B.M.'s receivers. In March 1943 Auto-Ordnance was subcontracted to manufacture all of Each required the assistance of various subcontractors. The M1 carbine, at that time, consisted of 87 different parts. To Saginaw Steering Gear and International Business Machines. The final two contracts were granted in January 1943, 30 M1 were granted to ten primary contractors. Government contracts for the production of the U.S. The Winchester design quickly evolved into Army Office of Ordnance preliminary trials in May-June of 1941.Īn improved version was submitted for the final trials in September 1941 but lost out to a design submitted by Winchester. In response to this opportunity, Auto-Ordnance Corporation submitted two models of a light rifle for U.S. weapons manufacturers were given notice of the basic specifications for a light infantry rifle that the War Department was interested in having developed. M1 Carbine and the Auto-Ordnance Corporation In 1940 Auto-Ordnance moved to Bridgeport, CT. In 1939 Auto-Ordnance was acquired by businessman Russell Maguire. The company has been best known for the submachine gun that was named after the company's owner. Post WWII Commercially Manufactured M1 Carbines (U.S.A.)Īuto-Ordnance Corporation was incorporated in Queens, NY in August 1916.