Alvin's 03 Springfield...

[slag]

Yep, you heard correct. I picked up a 1918 03 Springfield that was presented to Alvin York upon his leave of the Armed Forces. It's got "AY" pressed in the stock, and documentation (release papers) of presentation to Alvin upon his departure from the US Defense Force of '17. Alvin "kiled a bar" with this one for sure!

[Schuetzenman]

:cool: You've got to post pics of that one Slag!

[whos2kno]

you've got to be kidding.
if not WHERE ARE THOSE PICs.
where did you get it?
how much was it?
we need details!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
whos2kno

[slag]

Picked it up from my Uncle, Smedes York. Its a family gun.

Here is a few pics:

http://album.gunsnet.net/data/slag/53_p177.jpg
http://album.gunsnet.net/data/slag/53_p178.jpg
http://album.gunsnet.net/data/slag/53_p179.jpg
http://album.gunsnet.net/data/slag/53_p180.jpg

[slag]

Also snagged Alvin's 03 Luger Fat Barrel pick up...

Here are a few picts:

http://album.gunsnet.net/data/slag/full_55_p186.jpg
http://album.gunsnet.net/data/slag/full_55_p187.jpg

[whos2kno]

hold on a sec.
give us some back grown on this stuff.so are you a relative of his?
give us some history on this stuff.I think we would like to know.

[slag]

Originally posted by whos2kno
hold on a sec.
give us some back grown on this stuff.so are you a relative of his?
give us some history on this stuff.I think we would like to know.

Smedes York is my Uncle. The rifle and pistol has been in that side of the family for some 80 or so years now. I don't know much other history on em, other than they came down from Alvin, who use to live near Nashville TN. Alvin was in the Great War, and picked up the Luger at Argonne Forest (thats some place in Europe), so tells Uncle Smedes. He hunted with that Springfield, and my Uncle still has this old bear rug. Story goes that bear was took with that Springfield. Thats all the history there is too it now. Its a nice piece, most of the finish is worn on the rifle, but the bore is shiny and its a good shooter. The Luger is in fine condition to. Both pieces are original as far as I can tell, and fully functional. Got some other stuff with em to, like this really long bayonet, a leather rifle sling marked 1918, and a finger grove stock that came on the 03 originally. Uncle Smedes put what he called a "scant" stock on that Springfield cuz he was used to that style from his stint in WWII. My Uncle is getting up in age and is passing these guns and stuff on to me. They should both make good shooters.

[alfajim]

Well you sure made me jealous as hell, great guns with a great story what more can a person ask for!

[Schuetzenman]

:wazzup: I wondered how a 1918 03 rifle had a WWII vintage Scant Grip Springfield stock on it after seeing the pictures. If I were you I'd put it back in the finger groove stock and be real careful with it. It probably has IMO . . . . a value in excess of $2,000 as a gift weapon to a national hero like York! Hell if you put it up for auction I bet you could get $5K for it! :rockin:

The luger too! Luger collectors are probably beating off looking at the pictures you posted! LOL!:D

[whos2kno]

Originally posted by Schuetzenman
:wazzup: I wondered how a 1918 03 rifle had a WWII vintage Scant Grip Springfield stock on it after seeing the pictures. If I were you I'd put it back in the finger groove stock and be real careful with it. It probably has IMO . . . . a value in excess of $2,000 as a gift weapon to a national hero like York! Hell if you put it up for auction I bet you could get $5K for it! :rockin:

The luger too! Luger collectors are probably beating off looking at the pictures you posted! LOL!:D
I agree with Schuetzenman it will easily bring $5,000
if I where you I would NOT shoot it and get as much history on these weapons as possible and write it down.the more history you have on these the better you are.I would think that you going to pass these weapon down to other generations. you don't want to lose any history of it.
thanks for sharing these weapons with us. if you have any more pic's please share them.
whos2kno

[PBR]

Excerpt from Alvin York's Diary:

MARCH, 1918

Camp Gordon: Well, they gave me a gun, and oh my, that old gun was just full of grease and I had to clean that old gun for inspection. So I had a hard time to get that old gun clean, and oh, those were trying hours for a boy like me, trying to live for God and do His blessed will. So when I got this gun, I began to drill with the gun, and we had to hike once a week. So I have seen many boys fall out of the hikes. We would have to take long hikes with all our stuff on our back and carry that old gun. Ho ho. And we would have to go out before daylight and have sham battles. So I began to want a pass to go home. That first Army rifle they issued me was all full of grease. Of course I didn't like that. The rifles we used in the mountains were always kept clean. They were muzzle-loading rifles, cap and ball. They make their own guns there in the mountains. They are the most accurate guns in the world, up to 100 or 150 yards. I would rather have had a clean army rifle than a muzzle loader for what we were going to use them for, on account of the repeating shots, but they are not any more accurate than the muzzle-loading rifles. The Greeks and Italians came out on the shooting range and the boys from the big cities. They hadn't been used to handling guns. And sometimes at 100 yards they would not only miss the targets, they would even miss the hills on which the targets were placed. In our shooting matches at home we shot at a turkey's head. We tied the turkey behind a log, and every time it bobbed up its head we let fly with those old muzzle loaders of ours. We paid ten cents a shot and if we hit the turkey's head we got to keep the whole turkey. This way we learn to shoot from about sixty yards. Or we would tie the turkey out in the open at 150 yards, and if you hit it above the knee or below the gills you got it. I think we had just about the best shots that ever squinted down a barrel. Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett used to shoot at these matches long ago. And Andrew Jackson used to recruit his Tennessee sharpshooters from among our mountain shooters. We used to call our most famous matches "beeves." We would make up a beef, that is, we would drive up a beef and then each pay, say a dollar until we had made up the value of the beast. The owner got this money. And we were each allowed so many shots. The best shot got the choice of the hind quarters, the second best the other hind quarter, the third the choice of the fore quarters, the fourth the other fore quarters, and the fifth the hide and tallow. Our matches were held in an opening in the forest, and the shooters would come in from all over the mountains, and there would be a great time. We would shoot at a mark crisscrossed on a tree. The distance was twenty-six yards off hand or forty yards prone with a rest. You had to hit that cross if you ever hoped to get all of that meat. Some of our mountaineers were such wonderful shots that they would win all five prizes and drive the beef home alive on the hoof. Shooting at squirrels is good, but busting a turkey at 150 yards--ho ho. So the army shooting was tolerably easy for me.

[PBR]

More from his Diary. Notice how he soundly rejects the stories of his being a conscientious objector:

I had never traveled much before going to camp. I had never been out of the mountains before, and I'm telling you I missed them right smart down there in that flat, sandy country. And my little old mother and Pastor Pile wanted to get me out. Pastor Pile put in a plea to the government that it was against the religion of our church to fight; and that he wanted to get me out on these grounds. And he sent his papers up the War Department, and then filled them out and sent them to me at the camp and asked me to sign them. They told me all I had to do was to sign them. And I refused to sign them, as I couldn't see it the way Pastor Pile did. My mother, too, put in a plea to get me out as her sole support. My father was dead and I was keeping my mother and brothers and sisters. And the papers were fixed up and sent to Camp Gordon and I was asked to sign them. But I didn't sign them.I knew I had plenty of brothers back there that could look after my mother, that I was not the sole support, and I didn't feel I ought to do it. And so I never asked for exemption from service on any grounds at all. I never was a conscientious objector. I am not today. I didn't want to go and fight and kill. But I had to answer the call of my country, and I did. And I believed it was right. I have got no hatred toward the Germans and I never had.

[Schuetzenman]

Very nice hearing the mans words RNWSPBR. The style of shooting he's talking about I'm familiar with and have done but not with live birds. The NMLRA has an X target and a cartoon like Turkey target that at 25 yards looks more like a witch on a broomstick. LOL! Closest shot to the center of the X wins. Each competitior has their own target and you get 3 trys to blast the X. It's tough to do.:)

[PBR]

Nothing like a good old fashioned Turkey Shoot and a jar of
Corn Squeezins !

[slag]

Hook, line, and sinker... Geez, I was just "funnin" with you guys :D I do own the Springfield and the Luger, but they have no relationship to Alvin York! ;) Was just tryin to perk up the forum on a Saturday nite!

Next week I will break out Audie's M1 Carbine for your viewing pleasure...:eek:

[PBR]

You Bastard !:eek:

I say we all go to your house and give you a SUPER DUPER OVER THE HEAD Wedgie !

BTW Slag...... I have Jeb Staurt's Le Mat Revolver if you want to add it to your collection:p

[slag]

Originally posted by redneck whitesox PBR
You Bastard !:eek:

I say we all go to your house and give you a SUPER DUPER OVER THE HEAD Wedgie !

BTW Slag...... I have Jeb Staurt's Le Mat Revolver if you want to add it to your collection:p

His Le Mat Revolver! Holy cow! That will be the perfect match to my Colonel Custer last ditch Colt Revolver :D

[zouavexx]

Humor is a good thing

:D

[Schuetzenman]

Slag you bastard!:p

[whos2kno]

no comment,you bastard:fy: ;)
whos2kno

[neilwest]

1. GOBBLE, GOBBLE.:rolleyes: