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  1. cplnorton

    Marine Team Rifle returns to Camp Perry 96 yrs later

    The real neat thing about this rifle is this is likely as close as I will ever get to documenting a Marine Corps Unertl rifle serial on an actual Marine Document. In WWII the Marines didn't track serials, they only tracked quantity. So none of the Marine Unertl sniper serials were recorded...
  2. cplnorton

    Marine Team Rifle returns to Camp Perry 96 yrs later

    The other reason I think this is a leftover WWI Mann Niender receiver is the other serials I am finding that correlate to this. We do not have a lot of serials of WWI Mann Niender Snipers or Marine team rifles. But even though we have a small percentage of what they actually had, I am finding...
  3. cplnorton

    Marine Team Rifle returns to Camp Perry 96 yrs later

    Thanks for the kind words Gentlemen. The one thing that amazed me about this rifle was it was a low number receiver. But I think I have a very plausible reason why the Marines used these low number receivers to build their International Match rifles on the Marine team. My theory is this...
  4. cplnorton

    Marine Team Rifle returns to Camp Perry 96 yrs later

    I am still pulling documents on this rifle, so this will be a shorter post. Once I feel I have found as much as I can, I will post it in detail. But in 1927 the receiver of this rifle was a Marine International Match rifle. The Marines also called these rifles, Free High Pressure rifles...
  5. cplnorton

    Likely one of the first Marine M1903 Sniper rifles, M1908 Warner Swasey

    While not Marines, this is a really great pic you never see.
  6. cplnorton

    Likely one of the first Marine M1903 Sniper rifles, M1908 Warner Swasey

    Now it should be noted it is extremely unlikely a Model of 1908 Warner Swasey could have come into the Marines other than the 1909 time frame. There is really no evidence of the Marines pursing any Warner Swasey telescopic sights past the 1909 shipment. They were never happy with the scope...
  7. cplnorton

    Likely one of the first Marine M1903 Sniper rifles, M1908 Warner Swasey

    This is the Marine Document with serial 352840. Here are pics of the rifle. https://i.imgur.com/EG6D7k5h.jpg
  8. cplnorton

    Likely one of the first Marine M1903 Sniper rifles, M1908 Warner Swasey

    This rifle stands a very good chance of being at the beginning of the Marine Corps Sniper program. Not only is it likely this receiver was in the first shipment of M1903 rifles to the Marines, but it is also very likely this is one of the very first Marine Corps Sniper rifles. Except for a few...
  9. cplnorton

    M1917 Rifle

    I think the story of the USMC testing the M1917 with A5 scope as a sniper rifle after WWI is likely just a urban legend. By the docs, the Marines turned in all their M1917's by 1920. There is never a mention anywhere in the WWI or post WWI sniper docs that I have seen where they say they...
  10. cplnorton

    M1D auction

    There is really nothing special about it either. I have no clue why someone paid that much for it. I know CMP auctions can go crazy at times, but this is nuts.
  11. cplnorton

    M82 USGI sniper scope

    I would have to go back as I don't think I ever tracked the M82's past the ones that came from Lyman. The biggest thing is Lyman did not produce the M81/82 till very late in WWII. The first shipment of M81's (cross hairs), which were shipped because Lyman didn't have the post reticules to...
  12. cplnorton

    Auction 1903 A4 Z serial number question

    It's been heavily sandblasted, and some of the serial looks redone by someone. I think someone tried to enhance a weak serial number. The finish looks like a civilan repark. If the roll stamp looks good on the other side, I think it's just one someone refinished and tried to restore the...
  13. cplnorton

    Auction 1903 A4 Z serial number question

    What does the rollstamp look like on the other side? Yeah that serial does not look original
  14. cplnorton

    Warner Swasey site

    I have never seen that. But I have seen them mention they used gasoline to clean screws and the threads on the rifles. The screws were then dipped in water and installed. By the next day they were rusted so tight that often the heads of the screws would break before the screw would break free.
  15. cplnorton

    Warner Swasey site

    I'm curious how much this scope sold for. I have a original rifle and keep on saying I'm going to go out and shoot it. But I sort of always forget to. I think everyone knows about the suction cup problem they had with them sticking to peoples faces and they had to drill a hole in eye cup...
  16. cplnorton

    1903a4 mounted in M70 stock donovan

    I knew I had heard that name before. Nice catch. :) Yeah I do not think this was done as a sniper rifle. I have the counts of those rifles and even before the war started they did not want a 30:06 Sniper rifle. They wanted a 7.62 as they were required to switch because of Nato. So only...
  17. cplnorton

    1903a4 mounted in M70 stock donovan

    I have heard that name but I cannot place where I have heard it. I am almost thinking that was a commercial gunsmith's name. Maybe the guy who built the rifle are my thoughts. The double gun forum are some of the most knowledgeable when it comes to custom gunsmiths. I might post over there...
  18. cplnorton

    Scoped model 1917 rifles

    Personally I don't think that 1917 at the SA museum is Marine. I've seen it and it reminds me of the testing the Army did with the Mann Niedner bases. I have several sniper test reports from 1918 to 1923 that detail the Army's testing them. As I said earlier I think the biggest mistake...
  19. cplnorton

    Scoped model 1917 rifles

    Anything done to any of the rifles past the US, I'm honestly clueless. I study that 1900 to about 1973 for the Marines and Army and that is about it. So anything foreign I bow down to the real experts. Because I know very little of that. Pmclaine, I actually went to the archives and found...
  20. cplnorton

    Scoped model 1917 rifles

    This style of rifles I'm sorry to say would be something that was never used by the military. Both on the USMC Unertl and also the A5. To tell a little background, the A5 was pretty much considered obsolete even before WWI. The Army actually had wanted a Goertz German Scope as their sniper...
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