Springfield Research Service (SRS)

As far as I know anyone can go to the National Archives and dig out the data the same way that Springfield Research did.

The information that SRS might provide is not owned by SRS. They simply do the research work and provide information from U.S. government and other records they have researched.

That same information is available to anyone...if you want to devote the time, expertise and do the research yourself. However, going to the National Archives, knowing where to search and spending 1/2 or a whole day waiting in line to be served....that just doesn't seem like a good return on my time and effort.

Frank Mallory did the bulk of the leg work and took notes on where the information is in the National Archives. Still today, someone has to go down, wait in line, find that info and then have it copied. The cost they charge for a good letter is reasonable.

The problem is you don't always get good, useful information. Some of the info that is available isn't worth paying for.

I think he was talking about filing one with the military to get the info released on my gun.

And I don't know. I haven't really studied FOIA and have no clue how to go about even filing one. I read an article from one of the guys who used to do the research for SRS (http://armscollectors.com/archivesre...tips07may9.htm) and I don't think it cost him much money at all. The biggest cost is spending time doing the research. You'd spend all day at the archives and even if you knew what you were doing, could only get up to 4 records pulled a day.