Website for history of guns?

RobatHrly

August 21, 2003 05:31

Hello, I'm trying to find a website that will list the service history of a gun that I have (m-1917 Enfield) by typing in the serial number, also showing what year it was made (there is a redfield front sight on the end of the barrel where the date stamping would be).
Is there such a website in existence, possibly something from the U.S. military?

Thanks to any and all who can help,
Rob

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  mark christian

  August 21, 2003 15:58

  There may be no such web site in existance; although it would be wonderful if a person could simply type in the make, model, and serial number of his surplus firearm and get a run down of its complete service history. Uncle Sam kept close track of his firearms during the periods of their active service with our military, but once the firearms were declared surplus and sold through the DCM, exported under the MAP Program, or sold to friendly nations, he lost all interest in them and most records were lost or destroyed. Without a doubt at some point in time there was a full history of your rifle kept on file, but these records have, for the most part, disappeared.
  
  You don't mention the maker of your Model 1917 but Winchester produced 456,980, Remington- Iliion made 545,541, and Eddystone built 1,181,908 for a total production run of slightly less than 2.2 million. You can clearly see the logistics involved in keeping records on such a large number of rifles, especially since none has been produced since the end of 1918-- nearly 90 years. Add to this list around 4 million M1 Garands, 6 million M1 Carbines, plus millions of 1903 Springfields and pistols of all descriptions and you can see that this would be nearly impossible to maintain records on even the major military firearm types in US service during or prior to WWII.
  
  Mark T. Christian

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  p3skyking

  August 21, 2003 16:16

  Try this and if you are very lucky, you will get a hit. Good Luck!
  Springfield Research Service
  Address:
  
  <http://www.armscollectors.com/srs.htm&gt;
  You may have to click on Springfield Research on the left side
  
  
  He That Pays The Piper Calls The Tune.

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  mark christian

  August 21, 2003 17:02

  A very interesting site skyking and the best I've ever seen as far as records are concerned. Just as an experiment I entered the serial numbers of all of my current M1 Garands (27 total) and the net results were zero. I then entered the serial numbers of ALL of the M1 Service Rifles I've ever owned (another 20) and I still came up empty. Interestingly, even though 2 M1 rifles I purchased through the CMP were returned from Denmark, these two were not listed as having been exported in the first place-- clearly such export records must no longer exisit. I suppose the worst thing that could have happend would be to enter the serial number and find a match showing something like "Rifle damaged", "cracked receiver", "scrapped" or any of the other rather scarey notations I saw listed for some known serial numbered M1's.
  
  Mark T. Christian

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  Herschel

  August 21, 2003 18:22

  Mr. Frank Mallory, owner of Springfield Research Service, sells a four volume list of serial numbers of various military small arms. The four volume set costs $95. The data is also available on a CD for $75. These prices are what was published in the August 2003 edition of U. S. Marshal Arms Collector. I have only volume four but it lists thirteen and a half pages of model 1917 Rifle serial numbers. Most entries just give a date and the name of a unit or post that the rifle was issued to or received from. If you will post or email me the sn of your rifle I will check to see if it is listed in the volume I have. hsgarner@tds.net

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  captkirk3@dslextreme.com

  August 21, 2003 19:20

  I SHIPPED THE GENTLEMAN AN ADDRESS THAT JUST ABOUT DOES EVERYTHING MARK WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT....MAYBE HE DID'NT GET THE EMAIL OR DOES'NT UNDERSTAND HOW TO ACCESS THE WEB SITE...ANYWAY...HERE IT IS FOR ALL TO PERUSE......
  
  <http://armscollectors.com/sn/usmilookup.php?file=us_m1917edd.dat&gt;
  
  Captain Kirk, Tech Staff

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  RobatHrly

  August 22, 2003 05:27

  Thanks Everyone for the Help. I definately know more about the gun now than I did before I posted the Question.

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