Harry Turtledove Southern Victory/T-191 Series Rifles
Hey all,
Don't know if anyone else has read the books, but I recently pulled down my copies of the Southern Victory series by Turtledove and started reading them again. As I passed through the pages, I came across the descriptions of the rifles the United States and Confederate States were fighting each other with on the "American Front" of the Great War.
The US Army and US Marines are armed with the "Springfield" rifle, which is described as our favorite ol' 1903. It has the original 1906 style bright steel bayonet from what I gather in the story. US Troops wear green-gray uniforms, and "coalscuttle" helmets.
The CS Army is armed with the "Tredegar" from the Tredegar Iron Works. It's described as being similar in capability to the US Springfield, but has a larger ten round magazine that can be loaded from either a 5 or 10 round clip. Seeing how the CS troops wear butternut (khaki) style British uniforms and Brodie Helmets, I think its reasonable to see the "Tredegar" as a CS manufactured variant of the No.1MkIII Short Magazine Lee Enfield rifle.
So as I was reading along and enjoying the story, I realized that I had a Springfield and "Tredegar" sitting in my safe! I drug them out, propped them up and snapped a picture just for fun to share with everyone. I'm a bit of a history nerd and avid reader, so maybe this is more interesting to me than anyone else ... but here we are!
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...cbbec2f5-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...7f4e47be-1.jpg
The Springfield and Tredegar are modeled by my 1929 manufactured 1903 Springfield, and by a 1941 Lithgow SMLE. As far as the real rifles go, the SMLE was one of the JJCO imports before they started manufacturing as new "parts guns." It's in pretty good shape, and I shoot it regularly (when I can find decent ammo). I have a '45 Lithgow JJCO parts guns which is very pretty, but not "pure" from a pure collector's standpoint. As I am a shooter too, it didn't bother me.
The Springfield is the one from the thread I have going in the 1903 subforum, which is also a nice rifle. Both have stocks that are finished with "warmed" raw linseed/flax oil. I don't use "BLO" from the hardware store anymore after I saw what was in it. Instead I use raw, filtered linseed oil from a health food store, and apply it with my fingers on a stock warmed up with a hair dryer for the first 5-6 coats, then at room temperature for the routine maintenance treatment. My way, who knows if it works as well as some others, but its worked for me all right.
Anyways, anyone else read and like the Turtledove Stories?
