The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > The Skunkworks > The Harley Nolden Memorial Institute for Firearms Research

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old June 25, 2013, 03:17 PM   #26
Gaucho Gringo
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 17, 2007
Location: Vancouver, WA
Posts: 366
I have done some reading and Bannerman,s was quite an interesting company. Not only dealt in surplus firearms, but anything a military force could need. I read they outfitted whole armies in South America at one time. Cannons, rifles, artillery shells, machine guns, canteens, ammo, rope or nuts & bolts come on down to Bannerman's. If you don't find what want we will tray and make it out of out vast inventory. And their mail order catalog had stuff we could only dream about today. It was quite an operation. I think at one time they were a larger arsenal than most of the countries of the world had.
__________________
357 Taurus Gaucho, 22 Heritage RR, 2-Pietta 1858 44 NMA Remingtons, Pietta, Euroarms & ASM 36 1851 Navies, 31 Uberti 1849, 12 ga H&R Topper, 16 Ga Western Field, 43 Spanish Remington Rolling Block, 44 ASM Colt Walker, High Point C9 9mm, Winchester 1906 22, Rossi 62 22 rifle, Uberti 1860, H&A & IJ 32 S&W BreakTop, 36 Euroarms 1858, 32 H&R 04, 22mag NAA SS BP revolver, .44 Rodgers & Spencer, IJ 38 S&W BreakTop, IJ 22 Sealed 8
Gaucho Gringo is offline  
Old June 25, 2013, 08:07 PM   #27
James K
Member In Memoriam
 
Join Date: March 17, 1999
Posts: 24,383
No, U.S. Government property transferred from one U.S. Army unit to another U.S. Army unit would not be "confiscated". That term means government seizure of private property for one reason or another.

The DCM did continue to sell rifles to NRA members right up to Pearl Harbor, but the numbers were small. The NRA only had some 25,000 members in those days, and not all wanted rifles. In addition, there were still some Krag rifles in storage, and those were also being sold (at $2.50 each) through DCM.

The U.S. did ship approximately 1,100,000 Model 1917 rifles to Britain in July-October of 1940; they were "purchased" by granting U.S. use of British bases in Bermuda, Jamaica, etc. They were not shipped as "Lend-Lease" since the Lend-Lease Act was not passed until March of 1941. More thousands of M1917 rifles went to Canada; the 80,000 figure sounds about right. Since those rifles were all in .30-'06, and ammunition was scarce, they were rarely fired and the British issued them to the Home Guard where they were used for drill purposes. Many of those M1917s that returned are marked "DP" not because there is anything wrong with them but because of the caliber.

Those shipments so depleted the U.S. war reserves that Army Ordnance went into panic mode and hastened to contract with Remington to use the old Rock Island Arsenal machinery and tooling (which had been given to Remington to produce rifles for the British) to make M1903 rifles for the U.S. Army. That led to production of M1903 and M1903A3 and A4 rifles by Remington and M1903A3 rifles by Smith-Corona, a typewriter company. There was a lot of concern about having S-C build rifles because the need for typewriters was actually more critical than the need for rifles. Fortunately, S-C was able to make both.

By mid-1941, the bugs had been worked out of M1 (Garand) rifle production and the new rifles were coming off the line in ever increasing numbers, so M1903 and M1903A3 rifles were relegated to use by support troops (transportation, engineer, etc.), with front line infantry getting the semi-automatic rifle. By late 1943, there were enough M1's to fill the need, and late production M1903A3's went from factory to depot storage; they were never issued and later given to allies or sold through DCM. When those rifles turn up today, some collectors don't believe they are really brand new and are sure they are rebuilt. But in fact they really are new, unissued and sometimes unfired outside the factory.

Jim
James K is offline  
Old June 27, 2013, 01:46 PM   #28
thallub
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 20, 2007
Location: South Western OK
Posts: 3,112
Quote:
I'm going by memory of a Francis bannerman advertisement promoting his .30-06 hybrid rifle to target shooters.

The rifle was a mix of 1903 and M1917 parts, the bolt for example was a M1917 rear section brazed to a 1903 front section.

This is the Bannerman Frankenfield rifle. It was listed in Bannerman catalog 24:

http://www.sarcoinc.com/images/showr...s09/t26660.jpg
thallub is offline  
Old June 27, 2013, 02:25 PM   #29
James K
Member In Memoriam
 
Join Date: March 17, 1999
Posts: 24,383
That is a real "Frankenfield" all right. The rear sight is a Model 1903 for the rod-bayonet rifle, probably sold as scrap by Springfield.

Getting the 1917 Enfield bolt to work would be fairly easy as the 1917 bolt is larger and longer, so it could be turned down a bit and a section cut out. Fitting a Spiringfield bolt sleeve would not be too difficult.

The work was probably done by Sedgley as indicated by the circled S on the sight base.

Jim
James K is offline  
Old November 17, 2013, 06:08 PM   #30
brinker
Member
 
Join Date: January 12, 2013
Location: Texas
Posts: 40
1903A3 blow up

I was just on another web site reading about a 1903A3 sounded like a Bolt ruptured. The shooter was going on about the rifle and what it did, must have cut him in the forehead. but no exact location, of the injury. nothing about if the 03, was it cleaned, how many rounds were fired, and then he goes on about they were Reloads, bought at a gun show. and he shows a photo of the round, dated 54 30 cal, rear of the casing was blown out,!!!! and a piece was still on the shell, primer had a nice clean hit, the blow out was at 6 to 9 o'clock. on the shell, I think a hot load, and not the Guns fault. I still shoot 150 grain, military ball, and Garand 150 grain, my 1903 is mid serial number, under 800.000. I have some Old Greek Garand ammo. I have a friend reload, my used rounds, again 150 grain. Just thought you shooters of the 1903 would be interested
brinker is offline  
Old November 17, 2013, 06:27 PM   #31
Jim Watson
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 25, 2001
Location: Alabama
Posts: 18,485
"Mid serial number under 800000" is still low number single heat treatment.

Y'all be careful, now, you hear? You and your reloading friend both.
Jim Watson is offline  
Old November 18, 2013, 09:58 AM   #32
Colokeb
Member
 
Join Date: February 15, 2008
Location: west
Posts: 86
Fishing trip & Bannerman's Island

Sometime about 1977 I lived back east, and my Brother was in north New Jersey. We took four of the kids to Newberg NY to fish the Hudson south of the bridge. It became rainy and blustery so we motored to an island with the remanants of an old stone castle.

Went ashore and found the ground littered with small metal parts. Many were sights and trigger parts. It was the Bannerman Arsenal. He shipped in and out by boat. Two of the kids got poison ivy which was all over.

http://ronrothman.com/gallery/cold-s...water_approach
Colokeb is offline  
Old November 18, 2013, 07:02 PM   #33
darkgael
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 9, 2006
Location: Homes in Brooklyn, NY and in Pennsylvania.
Posts: 5,473
Banner man

More about Bannerman's Island (Pollopel Island)
http://www.artificialowl.net/2008/07...-military.html
Lotsa Springfields went through that pile of bricks.
Pete
__________________
“Auto racing, bull fighting, and mountain climbing are the only real sports ... all others are games.” Ernest Hemingway ...
NRA Life Member
darkgael is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:38 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.05766 seconds with 8 queries