Saw an interesting piece of film today....

[mack]

While I was watching the Military Channel this afternoon, a documentary on WWI and German sabotage in the US, they were talking about German sabotage in New York. The Germans set fires on an island near the Statue of Liberty and blew up six months worth of munitions headed to Russia. In the next clip there is a US soldier walking post on a sidewalk, presumably in New York or close-by, carrying a Trapdoor on his shoulder. Sorry I can't provide a link, but the part I thought interesting was to see a Trapdoor in active use at this comparitively late date. I backed up the DVR and watched again. There was no mistaking the long rifle and the prominent hammer. Just interesting.

I knew these were sold out of the local state guard stores in the 1930s, just didn't know they were in use so late. Guess everyone didn't get new rifles in the changeover after 1903 or even when Krags came into use in the 1890s.

[John Sukey]

Thj Navy was standing guard at shipyards with trapdoors early in WW2. The army needed modern rifles more than the navy did.

[dave]

One reason the Navy purchased 1000-1500 new Remington Mod. 720's in 30-06, before Rem quit making them (forever!). Not to mention Mossberg .22's for training. They also suspected the large percentage of dock workers who were Italian of such activity. They went to Lucky Luciano for help on that one, and got it!

[jjrothWA]

During WWI, several State Guard commande, I recall specifically...

that Minnesota was still issued / owned Trapdoors.

New York state being the home and once governed by T. Roosevelt, would have had current issue rifles.

[Dan Shapiro]

Sabotage occurred at Black Tom Island, on July 30, 1916.

http://www.njcu.edu/programs/jchistory/Pages/B_Pages/Black_Tom_Explosion.htm

[fredtheobviouspseudonym]

that Minnesota was still issued / owned Trapdoors. New York state being the home and once governed by T. Roosevelt, would have had current issue rifles.

IIRC TR was Gov of NY State only from late 1898 to early 1900 -- he basically took the year 1900 off to campaign for McKinley.

So he might not have been able to get the NY Legislature to spring for brand new Krags or Lees for their state servicemen.

Don't remember any comment on that in Morris' book "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt." For much of his governorship TR was in a pi$$ing match with NY State Republican party boss Thomas C. Platt and may not have had time to fight over such purchases.

[jon_norstog]

Fred,

During the Spanish-American War, all the NY units had black powder guns - trapdoors or rolling blocks. The only NY-based unit that got modern rifles was the 1st US Volunteer Cavalry, AKA Rough Riders. By the time that war was over TR had moved on. Actually, he had moved on even before, IIRC.

jn

[fredtheobviouspseudonym]

Thanks for confirming that -- I was wondering if Teddy had managed to get some goodies for his state's militia. (Pre-1905 Nat'l Guard Act, IIRC.) Guess not.