firing pin rod cocking/decocking knob

[dave]

The Springfield 1903 rifle was based concepts, and modifications of concepts, taken from many, many other arms that came before it. Same is true of Mauser's rifles. Far too much is made of the notion that Springfield "copied" Mauser's design. If you take either a Springfield or a Mauser and strip away everything that wasn't wholly invented by Paul Mauser, you'll be left with little to nothing.

Not true, unless you discount 'improvements' which were patented. The 98 design was the last major change which were made by the Mauser brothers. About what would be left is a bolt and receiver of some sort. Look up their patents (or read about them) two of which we violated in the 03 and redesign parts to avoid others . Olson states that a large number of Spanish Mausers were 'extensively studied at SA and ultimately led to the US adoption of a Mauser type rifle, the 1903'.
Name some of those 'many other concepts and many, many other arms that came before it'. Please!
The Mauser was the most used and copied military rifle used by major country's every where in the world up to the end of WW11 and still is for sporting rifles. About the only major exception is the Brits (including their satellites).

[jgaynor]

Link to the FIVE rifle patents and TWO charger patents infringed by the the US. A settlement was negotiated by ordnance and paid prior to WW1.
http://photos.imageevent.com/badgerd...an_Doc0016.pdf

Courtesy of a Well known authority with special thanks to Mr Michael Petrov.

[Dan Shapiro]

There were two aspects of this patent infringement case. The first was shortly after the rifle was issued. It had to do with the stripper clips used. After examination of the German patents after being contacted by the German patent holders, the U.S. agreed to pay royalties of 50 cents per thousand stripper clips and 75 cents per rifle until the sum of $200,000 had been paid. These royalties were paid from 1905 to 1909. There was no litigation and the settlement was decided amicably.

When the Spitzer bullet was adopted later, another German company said that their patents had been violated. Since the U.S. had also been investigating a Spitzer (pointed) type bullet, the claims were rejected by the U.S. The lawsuit went to trial in July, 1914; with the start of WWI shortly after, the suit was put aside. In 1917, the German patents were seized as alien property.

After WWI, a tribunal decided that, while the suit may not have been vaid, the seizure of assets by the U.S. was not. As a result, the U.S. had to pay over $400,000 including over $100,000 interest on basically a technicality.

(Much of this material is taken from Clark Campbell's book on the 1903 but the gist of it is agreed by most other historians.)

[dave]

I wonder how the US got away with seizing Bayer in the US? Honest question, not starting a argument.

[milboltnut]

thanks for the input from all.. with the exception of one.