GUNS Magazine January 1956

SMILEY CASE TRIMMER --- ~-~ # 55 - -
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T& ÈU PRK FOLDER
Sold by Dealers Everywhere
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Box 54 Clipper Cap, California
TELESCOPES
Swttino and Telescope objective lenses. Terrestrial an
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5830 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles 28, California
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TRAPPERS
SPORTSMEN
Precision cast of atrang
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velocity sling of live
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THE GUNS OF TEDDY ROOSEVELT
(Continued from page 34)
lowing a term as president of the police
board of New York City, Roosevelt showed
an interest in modern arms. Many police
departments were still armed with obsolete
Colt revolvers, either percussion or con-
verted years before to metal cartridge. T.R.
worked with the Colt company in the de-
velopment of an improved .32 "Colt's New
Police" revolver. While this new model gun
was of the double action principle, T.R. ob-
tained 20 such guns, single action only. They
were not considered any advantage and the
double action pattern was eventually ap-
proved as "issue." Nowadays of course -38s
are the smallest size service revolver ordi-
narily issued.
His return to politics after the war raisec
consternation in some political circles. This
burly man with the weak eyes who could
out-ride, out-run, out-shoot and out-fence
them politically was too dangerous a person
to many politicos to let run loose. They
buried him in the job of Vice President,
that post of supposed honor where political
troublemakers can be put on ice for four
years. To Roosevelt's good luck, and to the
eventual benefit of the nation, he became
President by a fluke none of his opponents
could have foreeseen. President McKinley
was assassinated in 1901 and Roosevelt
served out his term.
Roosevelt's policy of "speak softly am
carry a big stick" made the United States>
a respected power in the world. He sent
the "Great White Fleet" on a good-will tour
of the world and aired American might for
all the world to see-and beware. When he
stepped down from office after five years,
having served an elected term under his
own colors, Roosevelt had made of growing
America a muscled giant looked on by all
nations as one to respect, much as he had
himself in childhood built up his weak body
through exercise and rugged outdoor living.
The directness and sportsmanlike code re-
sulting from his, life on the frontier had
worked as well in public life as it had in his
private life.
During his last year in office, Roosevelt
began to plan an extensive African hunting
trip with his son, Kermit, where they would
gather specimens for the Smithsonian Institu-
tion. His past experience with Winchesters
prompted Roosevelt to get the company's
latest (1908) catalog. Winchester recog-
nized that the President's interest in buying
their guns was exactly like the English
gunmaker's coveted "By appointment, Gun-
maker to H.M. the King." Winchester Ben-
net, vice president of the company, took per-
sonal charge of Roosevelt's needs.
The President's tentative choice of weap-
ons was written to the Winchester Company
in June of 1908. "What I think I would like
would be a .30-40 (which would be Roose-
velt's way of describing the Model 1895 in
which this caliber was made) shooting the
same ammunition I use in my Springfield,
and two .405 caliber rifles (Model 95) . . .
My son will bring in his 30-30 Winchester
(Model 94) to have the sights and stock dup-
licated unless we decide to have the front
sight with a gold bead. In addition I shall
take my .45-70 take-down Winchester
(Model 86) which certainly ought to be good
for lion, zebra, and the smaller antelopes in
the bush; and probably a double-barreled
.450 cordite English rifle.
"Your rifles will be shooting in compe-
tition with the latter so I want to be sure
they are good ones . . . . . . I have been
warned that (the .45-70) is not right for
African game. I am rather inclined to doubt
this. How will the penetration of the full
metal covered bullet for this .45-70 rifle
compare with the penetration of the similar
full-jacketed bullet for the .405? Have you
any data which would show how this .45-70
would do on African buffalo and rhino, for
instance. I should use the soft nosed bullet
for lion, for I do not believe that a lion is a
tougher animal than a moose or a bear. As
I have said to you, I do not want to use any
one of our American guns for any one game
for which it is unsuited, because there will
be a good deal of attention attracted to my
trip and I want to be sure that it comes
out all right."
The paper ballistics of the .45-70 in some
instances were hardly half illuse of the .405,
and the company had little difficulty in per-
suading Roosevelt that his success in killing
moose and bear with the .45-70 was more
because of his skill in hitting a vital spot,
than in the superiority of the bullet for such
game. It was decided that the company
should supply two Model 95's in .405, and
one in .30.
There was some confusion at the factory
concerning the .30-30 Model 94 and the
Springfield rifle Roosevelt sent to them as
models of stock and finish. The Springfield
rifle'built at Springfield Armory for Roose-
velt in 1903, was a very unusual weapon. It
had been made to his order by direction of
General William Crozier, then chief of
ordnance.
In 1903 a brand new model of rifle had
been designed and adopted to supplant the
several hundred thousand Krag rifles and
carbines on hand. Although generally known
as the "Model 1903" this rifle differed in
several ways from the rifle now familiarly
known as "the '03 Springfield!' Original
models were fitted with a wire bayonet which
pulled, forward from a cavity beneath the
barrel, and was held by a spring catch.
Roosevelt wanted one as a sporting weapon,
so the very first "Springfield Sporter" was
built. In some respects a Winchester was the
prototype: "I have sent you over my Win-
chester rifle," wrote Roosevelt in 1903 to
General Crozier, "so that you may have one
of the new Springfield carbines made like
it for me. I want the sights reproduced ex-
actly. If necessary they can be obtained
from the Winchester company. I want the
butt just like my present butt, only one inch
shorter."
A Springfield Model 1903 was selected
from the first batch in progress and given
the serial number of 0009. The top of the
receiver was cross hatched, as was the barrel
to the rear of the sight. A Winchester
Rocky Mountain Buckhorn sight was fitted,
with the high "horns" flattened off. A Krag-
type front sight base was fitted, bearing a
Winchester gold bead sight. The stock, held
at the front by a carbine band and spring,
was checkered in a simple pattern, and thr