R F Sedgley

[AlanD]

I know this is a long shot but does anyone know if the records for R F Sedgley Inc PA, still exist?

They ceased trading in 1957 apparently.

Regards

AlanD
Sydney

[cplnorton]

Are you looking for the commercial side of it? I have some to do with the Marines from the National Archives.

But I know I've looking around Philly at the regional archive locations hoping to find other factory records and haven't seen anything yet.

[clintonhater]

Looking through my 1942 volume of the Rifleman a few days ago, I was surprised to see a large Sedgley ad for '03s aimed at sales to private defense-plants. (Seems to me a 12 gauge would be more useful in that application.) Since the ad boasted that the guns had been proof tested with an 80,000 lb. load, I assume they were low-numbers that had been rejected by the Ordnance Dept.

[AlanD]

My interest in R F Sedgley is due to two orders that were place with R F Sedgley for Springfield rifles, through the British Purchasing Commission.

One order was for 500 rifles, these went to Fiji the second order was for 780 rifles which may have gone to Malaya or the UK. Both orders were place before October 15th 1940 and had been delivered and inspected by March 31st 1941. I would not be supprised if the rifles supplied to Fiji were still there, I dread to think what condition they would be in. Does anyone have any knowlage of this?

I would assume that these rifles would be low serial number rifles if Sedgley had them? Is this correct.

I am hoping against hope that the records for R F Sedgley still exist as it would be nice to record the serial numbers of the rifles that were supplied. However as the company was involved in supplying special equipment to the OSS I would have thought that an OSS researcher would have tracked them down, then again perhaps you have to be a pedant to do this!

All comments welcome.

Regards and Seasons Greetings

Alan David
Sydney
Australia

[cplnorton]

That is very interesting Alan. To be honest that is the very first time I've heard of Sedgley selling rifles overseas. So that is intriguing.

I've been looking for the Sedgley factory records for many years, and never found them. I've searched all around Philly there, figuring if they still existed they would have been donated to a library, or college. Or even to the Philly Archive location there. But I have never found any mention or even a lead of where to look next. So it might be possible those documents do not exist anymore. But I don't know for sure. If they were found, I would be very excited as well.

I would suspect the 1903's would be low numbers. The Marines did have at least one auction, selling off low number receivers, and I see mention of SA doing the same with low number receivers. Someone like Sedgley probalby would have been in there making bids.

I've seen a document location for sales to Bannerman, but never seen anything associated with Sedgley as far as how much stuff was actually sold to them.

I wish I could help more. And someday ifyou do encounter the location of the Sedgley documents, pleast let me know. And if someday I ever get that lucky to find them, I will extend the favor to you as well.

[dave]

I own two Sedgley sporters, one a low number but the other is a hi-number. So they did have/use some hi-numbers.

[cplnorton]

I own two Sedgley sporters, one a low number but the other is a hi-number. So they did have/use some hi-numbers.

Dave,

No kidding on a high number? That is interesting.

Just out of extreme morbid curiosity, would you mind posting just the starts of the serial ranges of them? I will post if there were any Marine serials around it. You don't have to post the whole serial but just like the first 3 or 4 digits. I'm just curious if Sedgley did get receivers from the Marines, or someone else.

I'm mostly just wondering how they fall among other known Marine serial numbers.

The Marines did have high numbers failing the rockwell hardness test the same way the low numbers did in the middle to late 30's. So maybe that mgiht be an explanation?

I honestly dont' know, but it's sort of interesting to try to piece together the puzzle of it.

[AlanD]

cplnorton. I will certainty let you know if I come across any information regarding records for R F Sedgley.
I am not sure if the ATF would hold any records relating Sedgley? As they went out of business in the 1950's I would not have thought there would be any requirement for the records to be kept or deposited with the ATF.
A few years ago I did contact the ATF with a request to look at the records they hold for the defunct Harrington & Richardson, but this was denied. the late Bill Goforth who wrote the book on Ivor Johnson told me he knocked back as well. Charles Pate did gain access to the H&R records however.

In the meantime I have contacted the Fiji High Commission in Sydney and asked if the Fiji government have any records regarding shipments of rifles to Fiji in the War. It would be great if they turn up a list of serial numbers for the 500 rifles. A long shot I know, but you never know your luck!

Regards

Alan David
Sydney

[cplnorton]

Alan,

Thank you sir! Yeah it seems once a company folds, it's just by some lucky chance that the records don't end up in the trash.

I sure hope they do exist somewhere though. But I will keep a lookout and if I do see any clues, I will coordinate with you.

[dave]

Rifle, #3 down, carbine #4 down.

100_0339.jpgSedgley Serial number of a Mann. Carbine, 1903 action. # 842,988. Now I must modify my statement, while this rifle is marked with Sedgley's name I think it was put together by Paul Yeager, who I have been told, purchased Sedgley's inventory when that company went out of business. Every thing on the rifle is Sedgley except the stock, which is just not Sedgley's style. The barrel has the Sedgley name but turned 90 degree so it is on the bottom, also stamp Cal. 30 near rec. The receiver markings have not been changed in any way. So there is a possibility Yeager got the receiver from a source other then Sedgley's inventory.
The low number rifle I have was polished and top knurled over, this one is a pure Sedgley rifle. # 988 renumbered in tang groove, bolt also numbered 988. So Sedgley covered up the low numbers and renumbered the rifles, at least in some cases.
The similarity of both serial numbers is correct, not a mistake!