Milsurps can tell a story

[AethelstanAegen]

I recently purchased a Martini-Henry Mk IV from IMA and I was very happy with the condition of the rifle. I will be shooting this rifle as soon as I finish making the brass for it. Here's a picture:



I started to do research on the various markings on the rifle (boy did British love to stamp everything). I love collecting milsurps to better understand history and it's always great fun trying to piece together some of the history of the rifle from what you can research. The markings on the butt of this rifle have a really interesting story.



You can see various stamps which reflect the rifle's later life (including Native Service in Nepal) but most interesting is the "24" at the top left. That mark indicates that the rifle was initially sent to the 24th Regiment of Foot, also known as the 2nd Warwickshire (and after 1881 as the South Wales Borderers). For those of you familiar with British military history, you may remember that the 24th lost 6 companies at the Battle of Isandhlwana and also had one of it's companies put up an impressive defense of a hospital at Rorke's Drift (the 1964 film is based on that action). Seven men of the 24th received the Victoria Cross for that action. While my Martini-Henry is too late to have seen action in either of those engagements, it's still an amazing piece of history that connects back to that distinguished unit. Very, very cool stuff.

I thought the military history buffs among us might appreciate the story and I'd love to hear other stories some of you guys might have learned about your milsurps. Let's hear them!

 

[TheHappyGunner]

Here's my U.S. Krag (serial #173147) I had the Springfield Research Service do a check on her number to see if they have found anything in the Hall Of Records in D.C. pertaining to her number, and I got a hit. From the records they found, she was made at the Springfield Armory in March of 1898, then shipped to the 30th United States Volunteer Infantry (raised for the Philippine-American war effort) and was shipped to their Illinois base sometime in the summer of 1898. From there, it was issued to company C of the 30th USV, and that's where the official history stops. However, the history of her company continues further, but there is no further documentation on this particular rifle that the Springfield Research Service has found. Just for fun, and the overall likelyhood that company C of the 30th USV took their rifles with them, I'll tell you what I know of this regiment

The 30th USVI arrived in the Philippines in October of 1898 to fight in the Philippine Insurrection. They were there until 1901, and while there fought in 12-14 combat missions (usually small mountain skirmishes, not full on war). Company C was known as the "red-necks", because that company of the 30th USVI was unique in that it was the only company that wore red bandannas around their necks. There were between 100-150 men in this company, and they marched the most of any other company in the 30th USVI. In their 2 years in the Philippines, company C of the 30th USVI had one man killed in action, two MIA, and 12 more that were wounded.

Now, there is no way (so far) of knowing for SURE that my rifle was there in the Philippines with the unit she was issued to, but I'd say the chances are likely. As soon as I had her serial number researched, I went to the U.S. Army reference center in Carlisle, PA to do as much research as I could on company C of the 30th USVI and that's where I found all the information that I know.

I found her sitting in a barn near Altoona, PA when I was 19 (last October) and paid $675 for her. She was apparently used by the local VFW for burial ceremonies for the better part of the 20th century where they used black powder blanks in her.. and didn't clean her. She doesn't shoot very well By far my most treasured firearm because of her presumed history. Did I over pay for her at the time? Probably. Do I believe I own a valuable piece of American history? Heck yes!

 

[TheHappyGunner]

Bump

C'mon guys, I'm interested in hearing your stories, too!

 

[AethelstanAegen]

That was a very cool story too, TheHappyGunner. Someone must have similar stories as well! If it ever stops raining, I'll take some pictures of my Remington Rolling Block and spin a yarn. Haha.

 

[tahunua001]

I have a springfield built in 1912... according to the internet I'm not allowed to shoot it... was shot so much it needed a new barrel in 17'
I have a M1... it was built in 1944, shot enough to need a new barrel in 52'
I have 2 mosin nagants, both built in 1944, both are pretty meh,
I have 2 arisakas, no definite date on those, both were war trophies, one post war, no mum.
I have 2 enfields, one was US made, import marked and rusted as hell. the other was a T sniper that I've bubbad(don't worry it was just a receiver when I found it and no permenant mods to the receiver).
I have a steyr M95. made in budapest in 1916 and from what I can tell modified and sold to bulgarian police.
I have a MAS36, huge peice of SH...er..SHtuff. made in 1944
used to have a 1903A4 sniper... found it as a barreled action, restored it, sold it, was a money pit but a derned accurate rifle.
those are the stories of all mymilsurps.

 

[Palehorseman]

I have a MAS36, huge peice of SH...er..SHtuff. made in 1944
QUOTE]

What is your problem with the MAS36?

I have one and really like it, totally reliable, is a very fast piece for acquiring target and with 7.5x54 reloads is very accurate out to 300 meters.

 

[tahunua001]

can't hit the broad side of a barn and mine was heavily abused. I've been trying to sell mine and no takers.

 

[RCArms.com]

The MAS-36 has excellent sights. I found mine to be accurate with my reloads, bit so-so with Syrian surplus.

Sold it years ago, but kind of regret letting all my MAS rifles go. Fun guns.

Best,

Don

 

[Voodoochile]

Very nice find there sir.

My Grandfather had a Spanish 96' Mauser that my dad bought him as a B-day present in the 60's, G-Pa used it quite often for deer hunting but then it was his only modern rifle. Uncle has it now.

I have a Springfield 03A3 built by Smith Corona that is still all original to my knowledge that I shoot from time to time.
I also have a Mosin Nagant M44 built in 1944 that was given to me a few years back, it shoots pretty good for what it is.

 

[highpower]

I have a 1903 Springfield that also has a bit of it's history stamped in the stock.

Originally made in 1906, it was one of the first rifles to be chambered in .30-06, earlier rifles having bee made in .30-03. Shot enough to need at least one new barrel, it still retains it's early high wood stock to which two recoil bolts have been added.

Very faintly visible is the remnant of the original cartouche (looks like ELF in script) more easily seen is "BA-WL" which stands for the Benicia Arsenal in California, likely where it got the 1919 dated Avis barrel and the recoil bolts. Over the Benicia Arsenal stamp is what I feel is the most interesting mark on it, POD-D, which is the arsenal stamp for the Philippine Ordnance District, the cartouche for the US arsenal in Manila. Some how this rifle made it to the Philippines before WWII and then back out. The arsenal in Manila was closed when the Japanese captured it and never reopened after the war.

 

[LAGS]

In my work on a few old battle rifles, I found undocumented history embedded in the stock.
A couple I was sporterizing, had small particles of metal embeded into the stock.
You can not help to wonder if the person that was carrying the rifle at the time it was hit, actually survived, or was just Peppered with shrapnel.
It was one of the few docmentations that could prove that a rifle was actually used in combat.

 

[AethelstanAegen]

Very cool stuff guys!

 

[Fatelvis]

I bought a M1 Garand and it had a German finger in the cleaning kit hole in the buttstock.


........not really, but it sounded interesting, didn't it?

 

[TheHappyGunner]

I'd be more worried about the American that put it in there than the German who was missing his finger..

 

[Fatelvis]

Lol, true

 

[usnmars]

Here is my contribution. First is a holster that was given to me by a friend that is a WWII vet. It is a holster for a 1911 that was made by cutting apart a Luger holster, the retaining strap is a chinstrap from a German helmet. I am going to try and write this as close as it was told to me, but here is the story behind this holster. It is the end of WWII, in Berlin the fighting is street to street, hand to hand, blood and guts type stuff. There are droves of German's rushing to surrender to Americans to avoid being captured by the Russians. Every day on patrol, countless prisoners were taken. The die hard Nazis were fighting to the end, but there were many Germans that did not believe what Hitler stood for. One day, a windy day with dust and debris flying through the streets, a young private is leading point(my friend)and a German comes up to surrender. Pinned to his chest is a note that says in English, "My name is Fritz, I do not speak English. I am a good man, and a medic please help me." Fritz was carrying this holster with a 1911 in it when he was captured. Before Fritz could be brought to the rear for processing, the American patrol was hit in an ambush. The medic was one of the first killed. Fritz jumped into action and started treating the wounded American troops, second nature, didn't even hesitate. He put his life on the line to help save our boys. Everyone was at first doubting Fritz, didn't want a German working on our guys, but he proved himself as a good man that day. Anyhow here is the holster that was on Fritz the day he was captured.



Next is a Russian M91 that whoever carried it had a very bad day. The thing is peppered with shrapnel.

 

[TheHappyGunner]

Wow, usnmars.. that is too cool. Just.. wow. I mean, the story about the holster really takes the cake, but I'm curious about the Mosin. Did it come out of the box like that where you bought it? Was it priced any higher than the others?

 

[Kaeto]

That's the way most medics are. They don't care what side you are on, all they care is that there is a man in need of aid.

 

[AethelstanAegen]

Very interesting stories!