Springfield Research Service 4 Volumes

[Knute1]

King Carp, as I was searching for something else, I came upon this article from 1899 about the Engineer Battalion of the Fifth Army Corps when they were in Cuba. Just in case you hadn't seen it. Sorry, no mentions of serial numbers. See page 74.

https://books.google.com/books?id=iYcmAQAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=krag+jorgensen+cavalry+journal&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjVm_D3vqnkAhVSop4KHQl5B7oQ6AEwAXoECAMQAg#v=onepage&q&f=false

[King carp]

Thank you: I had not seen this. I really like the historical part of collecting. It almost turns an inanimate item alive.
Thanks again, kc

[Local Boy]

Thanks BR!

Kind of off topic but I especially liked the article written by 1Lt John Henry "Gatling Gun" Parker concerning "Uses of Machine Guns".

A man, who it appears, was ahead of his time when it came to the deployment and use of Gatling/machine guns in battle.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Henry_Parker_(general))

[butlersrangers]

Parker's career would make a great Movie. He certainly knew his equipment & tactics, was audacious, and exploited topography, to carry the day in the Santiago Campaign.


attached: Unrelated but interesting photos, St. Paul Island (Alaska) 'natives' drilling. (In cropped detail, three Gatling guns and two 1.65" Hotchkiss Mt. Cannons).

[Whig]

I had a friend e-mail me recently asking questions about an SRS documented Krag he wanted to buy. I have discussed this with him and he was quite passionate about finally getting a documented Krag and doing as much research as he can to add to the documentation in the SRS records. I thought it would be helpful for him to revive this posting I made a few years ago for him and others who might want to know a little more about these Springfield Records Frank Mallory created. Thanks.

[RickM]

Thanks for finding the research the info and posting !!

[butlersrangers]

IMO - Many of the SRS - Krag data entries are very Spartan and dull. It is like a very interesting part of the search story and data context has been lost or not yet told?

I don't know if 'research notes' survive somewhere, that may tell the story of the records, reports, and sources, that provided Franklin Mallory with specific Krag serial numbers.
It is possible that the record sources and unreported stories might be far more interesting than the raw rifle serial numbers, listed in SRS.

At the least, I think a lot of "Context" has been lost or is no longer well understood.

An example might be the large random blocks of Krags, listed in SRS: "05-17-29 New Cumberland Grd (Destroyed)".
I remember years ago, 'GOOGLE' searching' to find some barracks fire or natural disaster, occurring on May 17, 1929, in Pennsylvania,
that destroyed a Regiment's rifles.

Finally, I had a moment of insight and realization. New Cumberland, Pa. was a large Army Storage Depot.
The Depot was running out of space and the Depot Guards were instructed to destroy certain stored items that were deemed no longer to be of use.

Last week I noticed a large quantity of model 1898 rifles that were listed as assembled in 1899 and issued in 1905 to the Maryland National Guard.
Since these serial numbers were for rifles that were made when the 'short-lived' model 1898 sight was standard,
is it possible these rifles were in storage for five years at Springfield Armory, awaiting new replacement rear sights?

I believe documented Krag serial numbers will be newly discovered and added to SRS or other databases.

I am not critical of SRS data or the work of others. My point is that there are probably patterns, insights, and new knowledge that can be gained by studying and analyzing both old and presently collected data.

Valid interpretation of data could prove very productive and make bigger discoveries than the rather minor event of knowing that a specific Krag was issued to a specific unit at a specific time.
'Skilled eyes' might be able to extract new understanding by studying Krag data, adding some discover-able context, and looking for the bigger picture.

Even more information waits to be found or rediscovered in original source material and documents that have survived.

[Doubly Reincarnated]

Are there any lists of firearms sold via the DCM?

My reason for asking is a 1917 S&W revolver, from the estate of a man who was a non-combatant officer in WW1 (supervised coal mines in Wyoming), while still in the Army got the Spanish Flu in 1919. His wife simply took him home from the hospital, was never discharged. Recovered from the flu, went back to his pre-war job in bear country, where the revolver might have been handy. Retired in 1928, joined the NRA and bought a couple of rifles from the DCM. I'd just like to know if the revolver was sold via DCM.

[Whig]

Contact CMP and ask. Good question.

[pickax]

Are there any lists of firearms sold via the DCM?

My reason for asking is a 1917 S&W revolver, from the estate of a man who was a non-combatant officer in WW1 (supervised coal mines in Wyoming), while still in the Army got the Spanish Flu in 1919. His wife simply took him home from the hospital, was never discharged. Recovered from the flu, went back to his pre-war job in bear country, where the revolver might have been handy. Retired in 1928, joined the NRA and bought a couple of rifles from the DCM. I'd just like to know if the revolver was sold via DCM.

I don't think CMP has records from early DCM sales. And thanks for bringing this up again Whig.
Another avenue would be researcher Andrew Stolinski. He makes regular runs to the archives mainly looking for 1903 records because he loves it! Sounds like your pistol owner was a tough guy.
He also will do individual searches on your pistol and owner for a fee. Very good, and if it's out there he will find it. Especially with the persons name.
https://archivalresearchgroup.com/
Doing this from memory, hope the above is correct. His screen name is smokeaterpilot on other forums.