12th Cavalry 1903

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  • SmokeEaterPilot

    Active Member
    Jun 3, 2011
    524
    One of my first rifles I was able to document and finally got out to take some pictures of this one. Just got distracted from taking it out. It was in the back of the safe for years.

    It's been rebuilt several times. W.E. Strong, then there's a SADAL and a SA JFC that are very faint. 1922 RIA replacement barrel, among other replaced parts. No idea what the "A" on the rear sight base means. Gonna have to look into that one.

    But it does have some history to it.

    Part of an Ordnance Department inspection at Fort Ringgold, Texas in 1923 by Captain Harris. There were some problems with other units but apparently it was noted that "G" Troop (where this rifle was issued) had exceptionally satisfactory condition and cleanliness of their rifles under the command of Captain Sprinkle (man he must've had a hard time in boot camp).

    Captain Harris inspected rifles, BARs, M1917s (MGs), Gallery Practice rifles, Rifles with telescopic sights (which were turned in most likely because they were obsolete by this point), trucks and the rifle range.

    The rifle is too late for the Punitive Mexican Expedition, this unit missed WWI and it probably did not see action in WWII with this unit. They probably turned them in long before combat in Europe. But still neat history.

    The current rifle I'm working on I'm hoping to submit for publication. A rifle reported lost by the USCG. The Coastie stated he fired the rifle with one arm, steering the boat with the other while chasing a rum runner and dropped it overboard. The story just gets more exciting from there. A historian with the USCG is actually working on the same individual involved with that investigation as I am at the same time. Call it a weird coincidence. That is project is currently in progress.

    Have a great week!

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    Doco Overboard

    Ultimate Member
    I always get a kick out of reading the documents that SEP posts up. Especially when I have a look at the serial numbers. It's always fun to see if you have anything close. In this instance I have 813488 but it probably belonged to E company lol but it's pretty close for as many rifles that were built and considering everywhere they've been. It's had a rebuild C stock attached to it and the bolt swapped out somewhere along the way however barrel is 1-18. The only other is an 882 from a little later that has a rebuild barrel from 33 and a later stock.
    Thanks for posting up your findings and will be waiting to hear about the other rifle you and the other researcher are looking into. Hopefully the lost rifle is really in somebodies collection or still getting a workout from time to time somehow somewhere.
     

    SmokeEaterPilot

    Active Member
    Jun 3, 2011
    524
    I always get a kick out of reading the documents that SEP posts up. Especially when I have a look at the serial numbers. It's always fun to see if you have anything close. In this instance I have 813488 but it probably belonged to E company lol but it's pretty close for as many rifles that were built and considering everywhere they've been. It's had a rebuild C stock attached to it and the bolt swapped out somewhere along the way however barrel is 1-18. The only other is an 882 from a little later that has a rebuild barrel from 33 and a later stock.
    Thanks for posting up your findings and will be waiting to hear about the other rifle you and the other researcher are looking into. Hopefully the lost rifle is really in somebodies collection or still getting a workout from time to time somehow somewhere.

    I'm in the process of entering a bunch serial numbers to database I'm building, these for my website., the USS California numbers, these numbers etc etc will all be added. Some are known, some are new. I just got done halfway through the preWWII USMC Quartermaster records and I'm up to 1800 entries. Doesn't sound like a lot until you think about manually entering them individually.

    the closest numbers to your rifle in the SRS is:
    813333 111137 USMC - QUANTICO (SURVEY)
    813497 012431 USMC - NICARAGUA (SURVEY)



    I was posting this on my facebook page. I just thought the reports are REALLY funny. Red Flag before it was "cool." Since I'm about test a new database to see how it goes. But I would love a report that reads like this. It just makes me laugh. Maybe it'll surface. BTW - The USCG rifle has surfaced, but I don't want to post the details because I'm really hoping I can get the story published. It's really neat.

    This is just meant to show the kinda neat and off the wall reports that the archives has to offer if a firearm in your collection matches a report.

    Cops: "We think this is government property, but we don't know. Confiscate now! Ask questions later." Just trying to get people into liking primary documentation, then ARG has a chance in the future for the collecting community.
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    noddaz

    bonehead
    Jan 9, 2014
    529
    Arnold
    That is a cool story.

    Yes it is. But is sort of ends on a cliff hanger, doesn't it? What happened after the July 15th, 1931 letter? In a deep voice "Next on the X-Files: A rifle, lost by the Coast Guard surfaces years later". I guess I will have to wait for the movie.
     
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