SRS check please

[Calif-Steve]

A buddy, now deceased, bought his '03 NM at Peryy after the Matches had ended. He was a Pvt. in the Calif. National Guard. He saved his money over 2 years during the Depression and got one after the matches had ended. His First Sgt. walked him over to the Army trailers and the Sgt. talked to the boss. Explained to him the Pvt. had saved his money and deserved a nice rifle. Well, at the end of shooting the Army downgraded the NM rifles into Service Rifle category and sold them off at a huge discount. The two men found a nice NM that had been only used in one match and sold it to my buddy. He kept it all of his life and was sold after he passed away.

[MPi-KMS-72]

Cool story- when exactly was that?

[Calif-Steve]

This story was told to me by Col. Meideros. A long-time Northern Calif shooter. He joined the Cal Guard mid-1930's. Perhaps 1935? He went back to Perry 1936-37(?). He said it was really tough saving up any money during the Depression, much less spending the money on a target rifle. He went on to OCS and served all of WWII in Europe. Retired a full Bird Colonel. A nice guy with fun stories. I was just sick when I learned his NM rifle was sold without telling me. I would have likely bought it.

[MPi-KMS-72]

It is a shame you weren't able to get your friend's rifle. Sometimes things like that just slip through our grasp and get sold off to someone else to whom they don't mean much.

I searched high and low today for a Charlew W. Newell from Elmira, NY. No real luck- at least nothing conclusive. Looks like that marksman is lost to the ages. OTOH I ran across a biography of Brophy that says he was an active match shooter in the 1930s so maybe he was one of Newell's teammates. Brophy would have been 21 in 1936 I think.

[eb2151]

C.W.Newell was a PRR Asst.Superintendent in Philadelphia of T+E (Train and Engine) and prior M+W(Maintenance away) .The rifle was shipped by Rail,
And yes he was from Elmira,N.Y..

[Steve_NY]

C.W.Newell was a PRR Asst.Superintendent in Philadelphia of T+E (Train and Engine) and prior M+W(Maintenance away) .The rifle was shipped by Rail,
And yes he was from Elmira,N.Y..

That's very interesting info. Thanks very much for posting this. Are these details in the DCM records, or from a different source?

[Jason60chev]

I found this Charles W. Newell...but it says that he was from Dawnson, PA. Maybe he moved by time he enlisted/was drafted.

It is a shame you weren't able to get your friend's rifle. Sometimes things like that just slip through our grasp and get sold off to someone else to whom they don't mean much.

I searched high and low today for a Charlew W. Newell from Elmira, NY. No real luck- at least nothing conclusive. Looks like that marksman is lost to the ages. OTOH I ran across a biography of Brophy that says he was an active match shooter in the 1930s so maybe he was one of Newell's teammates. Brophy would have been 21 in 1936 I think.

[MPi-KMS-72]

Just out of curiosity- is anyone else on that team still alive, has anyone researched any of them? I'd like to hear more about the stock markings from a team member.

[Steve_NY]

It would be interesting to know if lettering your stock like that was a common practice among these or any other teams. I guess I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't, and Mr. Newell did it just to protect his purchase. I know $35 isn't much money now, but it was in 1936.

[MPi-KMS-72]

$35 was no small sum for an average soldier or every day workingman. What were the Army pay rates in the 1930's? I want to say that is a substantial portion of a month's pay back then.

WWII pay: http://www.usmm.org/barrons.html