WWI Sniper Scope Cases

[Marine A5 Sniper Rifle]

I have been looking at the WWI USMC sniper Win A5 scope cases, and there appear to be at least three versions, and I recently read that the "authenticate" USMC A5 scope case had only 6-loops and a leather strap. I believe that statement to be incorrect, and I believe I can so prove. If those who have these scope cases would post a two pictures, one of the full length of their scope case, and one of the inside of the scope cap, I would be appreciative. I suspect we have all seen Tom Jackson's most excellent scope case, and I believe that scope case is an example of the original issue scope cases for the Marine snipers.

If your scope case has a serial number or a name written on it, I may be able to give you much more information on your case and the sniper, which can only increase its value.

jt

[clintonhater]

Photographs of every variation available from Winchester (5, I think) can be seen in Campbell's The Winchester Single Shot, Vol. 2.

[Marine A5 Sniper Rifle]

I don't have that book, and the question was not how many variations there are, but which one was the original issue.

Thanks, Fred. Can you post a picture of them for the sake of clarity?

Jim

PS
I still like that rifle of yours.

[Promo]

The three I have - none is serialized nor marked.

[cplnorton]

I want to say I saw several listed in the WRA documents, but they make it clear on who was actually receiving it.

The Marine Corps Contract one they describe in great detail though. Almost every measurement is listed. But the Marine one was a six loop one and made from 7oz Russet leather.

[Marine A5 Sniper Rifle]

I want to say I saw several listed in the WRA documents, but they make it clear on who was actually receiving it.

The Marine Corps Contract one they describe in great detail though. Almost every measurement is listed. But the Marine one was a six loop one and made from 7oz Russet leather.

Gunner Steve Estock had one of the first, if not the first, sniper rifles issued, and his scope case is an 8-loop. It is now owned by Tom Jackson, and you have probably seen photos of it.

jt

[cplnorton]

I do have WRA documents that detail a 8 loop one somewhere in one of the piles, but I think I honestly found them in the commercial files after WWI. If I remember the document right it just sort of sounded like they were a commerical sales item.

The Marines and Army both ordered the same cases on three seperate contracts during the War. Which those were a little over 2,000 cases. But when you read the descriptions of those contracts, they all just say the 6 loop.

It could have been a private purchase item maybe.

[Marine A5 Sniper Rifle]

I do have WRA documents that detail a 8 loop one somewhere in one of the piles, but I think I honestly found them in the commercial files after WWI. If I remember the document right it just sort of sounded like they were a commerical sales item.

The Marines and Army both ordered the same cases on three separate contracts during the War. Which those were a little over 2,000 cases. But when you read the descriptions of those contracts, they all just say the 6 loop.

It could have been a private purchase item maybe.

All known WWI USMC sniper rifles have 8-loop russet scope cases with a web strap. I have never seen a six loop. I was hoping someone would post one. When the rifles were issued, they were taken to the range and the settings for different ranges were established. The rifle's scope zero was always zero @ 100 yds. In the scope cap, a disc was placed with the settings, the serial number of the rifle, and the name of the Marine to whom it was issued. Bear in mind, some Marines who attended the school were never going to be snipers or scouts due to rank or duty station (like instructor or unit commander, etc.). I'm not certain how their rifles/scopes they used were marked,if they were. Upon the death of a sniper, the rifle and scope were re-issued.

Have you ever seen a 6-loop scope case that can be associated with a known sniper?

Jim

[cplnorton]

Jim, I guess anymore I question everything unless I have a document that proves it. We are pulling more documents out of a archive location literally every week and what they say usually does not match what is accepted now. A lot of these Marine 1903 rifles have been floating around for almost a 100 years and been through many hands. And after finding the Marine team docs, they were building these A5 rifles for over 20 years after the Winchester contract ended. So you have many different build and rebuild era's of A5 rifles with even just the Marines, which leads to many different possibilies and variations. So I tend to rely more on what I can actually prove in either period pictures or actual documents from that time period. It's sort of hard to base research on stuff that exists today as there are a lot of variables and possibilites on how it became that way in that equation.

But I have copies of all the archived WRA WWI files at Cody, and there is no mention of WRA producing a 8 loop case for the Marines. The only case that I can prove 100% going to the Marines in 1917/18/19 is a 6 loop.

I will never say never and there might be a very valid explanation for a 8 loop case, but I have a ton of documents from this era and I haven't seen it yet.

[Marine A5 Sniper Rifle]

I think you have it backwards. No document trumps the physical existence of an entity. I can show you documents from long ago that stated the Earth was the center of the universe. I have an old document around here somewhere that claimed it was a scientific impossibility for man to exceed the speed of 24 mph before the air was sucked out of his lungs. The 8-loop A5 scope cases exist. The scope cases were sold by the sniper's families, and for them to have been faked in exactly the same way by individuals who did not know each other is just not possible. Gunner Estock, a South Alabama boy, had his case sold by his family. I know the man who sold Sgt. LaValley's A5 scope case on eBay, and he didn't even understand what it was. It 's pretty much the same story for the other known scope cases. All of them are 8-loop scope cases, and most can be traced by the data in them to known snipers. I have a picture of Gunner Estock holding his scope case, but you can't see the loops.

To date, no one has shown me a 6-loop A5 scope case that can be attributed to the Corps sniper program in any way. I doubt they exist.

jt