Firearms manufacturer
Rock-Ola Manufacturing Corporation
Rock-Ola Manufacturing Corporation in the reference: 2 gun models, 4 serial ranges.
Overview
| Records | Count | Open |
|---|---|---|
| Gun models | 2 | Notable models |
| Serial number ranges | 4 | Serial lookup |
Chicago jukebox manufacturer that became a WWII M1 Carbine contractor as part of the US industrial mobilization. Rock-Ola was established by David Cullen Rockola (the name is his actual surname) and was the dominant American jukebox manufacturer before the war. The government's WWII small arms procurement strategy deliberately sought non-traditional manufacturers — companies with precision machining capabilities but no firearms expertise — to expand production capacity beyond established gunmakers. Rock-Ola produced approximately 228,500 M1 Carbines between 1942 and 1944. "Rock-Ola" receiver markings are among the most sought by M1 Carbine collectors, precisely because the story of a jukebox company making rifles is one of American industrial history's best-known wartime anecdotes.
Also recorded as Rock-Ola, Rock Ola, Rock-Ola Manufacturing, Rock-Ola Jukebox.
Notable firearms
2 models in the firearm database. Collectible and service designs first, then the newest.
Serial numbers
4 dated serial ranges across 1 model family, 1942–1944. Covered: M1 Carbine.
Counts are read from the reference and the shop at build time and change as records are added or corrected. Maker names in the reference are matched to this page through a reviewed alias list, not by spelling alone.