USMC on (S) barrel means United Shoe Manufacture Co.?!

[Bill Ricca]

I have two barrel contracts for Sedgley:

Marine Corps (Navy Funded) April thru Aug 1942

Army Feb thru Dec 1944

These dates are payment dates and may vary from production by a month or two.

I have no records of the barrels being sub-contracted. If they were sub-contracted, my records would show the location of manufacture different from the location of government payment.

It is possible the letters were a request for quote, which never occurred.

[Jim Tarleton]

Bill,

I just found a Congressional Inquiry that indicates Sedgley was making barrels in 1934 and earlier (for Marlin machineguns). I also discovered he was known as "Sidewalk" Sedgley.

Thanks for the input. I am going to check those contracts, but I can't find them just now. Wrong harddrive.

Jim

[Calif-Steve]

Odd, Sedgley was making very good barrels in the mid-30's but when the war came they asked Winchester to make '03 barrels. Mind you, Winchester was up to its hips in Carbine and Garand production. But, somehow found time to make up '03 barrels. Odd.

[Jim Tarleton]

Sedgley was thought by many to be an arms dealer to countries not our friends, as if they others didn't do the same thing. Sedgley made many things for the PDofS, like knives.

Jim

[John Beard]

A series of letters were sold on eBay about a year ago, maybe more, that appeared to be correspondance between Sedgley and Winchester over WRA making the USMC barrels. Did I miss something, or just mis-interpret the letters?

Jim

You misinterpreted the letters.

That's the great thing about documentation. It's highly subject to misinterpretation! M1903 reference books are full of it!!!!

Sedgley did indeed buy barrels from Winchester. You assumed that they bought them for the USMC. Bad assumption!

J.B.

[45B20]

The one letter (dated Feb 13, 1941) I have from Sedgley to WRA, states ‘made to the Springfield contour’ nothing more exact.


Bill
I at one time (in 69 & 70) I opened or was present when about 30 crates of USMC marked Sedgley 03 barrels were opened.. Inside each crate was an inspection form with a Contract No. of NOm-38963 and a date, and the USMC inspector's name.. The one slip I kept, has a date of 9/25/43 on it, not sure if that is date of packing or contract.
Each one of the crates had 16 barrels, not in tubs but between heavy sheets of Kraft Paper.

45B20

[Jim Tarleton]

Hmmmm. I can see why I would make the assumption Winchester was making 03 barrels for Sedgley, because I think I have a copy of your letter. They very well could have been 03 barrels, just not necessarily the Circle S USMC barrels.

I had in my mind that Sedgley had gotten behind in his USMC contract and had sub-contracted to Winchester for barrels to fill it. I have no idea where I got that idea, as all that data is on another harddrive. I have a filing problem.

Jim

[Bill Ricca]

I at one time (in 69 & 70) I opened or was present when about 30 crates of USMC marked Sedgley 03 barrels were opened.. Inside each crate was an inspection form with a Contract No. of NOm-38963 and a date, and the USMC inspector's name.. The one slip I kept, has a date of 9/25/43 on it, not sure if that is date of packing or contract.
Each one of the crates had 16 barrels, not in tubs but between heavy sheets of Kraft Paper

I looked up contract 38963. It was Feb 43 thru June 44. It was a contract for "Rifle Parts", indicating that the clerk reading the contract for this report saw a variety of items and consolidated them into the term Rifle Parts.

I have seen many contracts covering more than one type of item.

Thanks to your information we now know that this contract also covered Sedgley barrels.

Hope the information helps.

[Chuckindenver]

heard some place that Sedgly used the worn equipment from Avis barrel co.
makes you think what quality one may get with S barrel

[Daniel Watters]

I just found a Congressional Inquiry that indicates Sedgley was making barrels in 1934 and earlier (for Marlin machineguns). I also discovered he was known as "Sidewalk" Sedgley.

The whole "Sidewalk" Sedgley nickname was a deliberate smear by members of the Nye Committee. They came right out and implied that Sedgley was selling machineguns off the sidewalk like a common street thug.

Sedgley regularly ran ads in the American Rifleman during the 1930s, showing his custom rifles. These ads stated that his business was established in 1897. Some point out that 1897 was actually the date that Henry M. Kolb claimed for the establishment of his gunmaking firm, where at some point Sedgley became the manager. In 1916, Sedgley bought out Kolb, and renamed the business after himself. It should be noted that Sedgley was significant enough that the New York Times printed his obituary when he died in 1938.