Sgt. Yorks rifle

[Darkhorse]

Has anybody read the latest copy of The American Rifleman? There is a story about Sgt. York. There is also a small photo of him "hamming" it up for the camera. Hes licking his thumb just like Gary Cooper did in the film. The point of all this is the rifle he's holding. It has no nosecap and the forend looks to be about 3 inches shorter than the muzzle. It also has a ramrod (wiping stick) that is sticking out a couple of inches past the muzzle. The end of the stick has a rag wrapped around it.

I figured Claude would be proud if everybody continues on their track of historical research. So does anybody have any facts about this gun?

By the way, everybody down here knows the Beverly Hillbillies came from the Applachians and Bug Tussel is right across the Tennessee line in Ga.

 

[2172]

Darkhorse, a bunch of the guys from our club go to the York Memorial shoot each month. One, our oldest member, called me after his return a couple of years ago, excited because York's son had let him handle the rifle...at that time it was missing its lock..."us kids just played with it and I guess that's what happened to it..." was the explanation. I'll see that member on Saturday at a shoot, and I'll ask him your questions...as the next York shoot is coming up, if you have any other questions, maybe he could find out then...Hank

 

[Claude Mathis]

Be sure to visit the "Photo Album".

http://volweb.utk.edu/Schools/York/history.html

Diary: http://acacia.pair.com/Acacia.Vignettes/The.Diary.of.Alvin.York.html

 

[Stumpkiller]

As I remember from the film. His original rifle was destroyed when struck by lightning as he rode to kill an enemy. That's when he "found religion."

He used a 1917 Enfield for his exploits with the Germans. :redthumb:

 

[Huntinfool]

Hey Claude,

I had that 2nd link saved in my favorite places.

I started reading it tonight and couldn't stop. I read all they had in there about his diary! I've read it before but it's been four or five years. Fasinating stuff!

Chuck
TMA Prez

 

[kentucky bucky]

Hey Stumpkiller,

The article that in the latest American Rifleman says that he actually did use an '03 Springfield. His sons confirmed it to the author. They say he didn't like the peep sights on the 1917 Enfield, because he couldn't "lead" his target as well. His unit was issued 1917s, but he traded around and got an '03. I always thought that he would have liked the '03 better because of the open sights, so I guess I was right!

 

[2172]

Darkhorse, I heard from the club member who'd handled the gun. Here is what he replied, "..regarding the Sgt York rifle, I know the rifle that fellow was asking about. It was pictured in the Muzzle Blast magazine several years back with Sgt York's son crawling around on the floor. This is not the rifle I worked on. the one I worked on was a Bean style east Tennessee rifle. I did install a lock on this rifle which his son sadi had beeen missing since he was a kid. ...Andrew York said this rifle had stood in the corner of the house as long as he could remember.."
Hank