Smith-Corona made guns?!

[Double_J]

About 10 years ago I saw a Singer 1911 at a gun show. I wanted to buy it but the price was out of my range and I had just started a new job in a new city. I remember the price being around $2,000 or so. The same person was selling a 95% Colt Python for $4,500 so he knew what the market would bear.

 

[Texas10mm]

A Singer for $2k? That would be a STEAL. They only made 500.

 

[old lady new shooter]

Thanks so much for all the replies, this is really fascinating stuff!

M1903A3 production 1942-1945. Springfield Armory and Remington couldn't produce enough rifles to fill government orders.

https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2010/3/12/the-smith-corona-03a3s/

Wow, very interesting. Thanks for the link.

In the end, few (if any) A3 models were used in combat by US troops, but millions were given to friendly armies like the Free French and Nationalist Chinese.

They are excellent rifles. Did you buy it?

This is all kind of amazing.

Well, the sale is starting tomorrow, but I have no plan to buy it. I'm not mechanical and not gun-knowledgable enough to buy a used firearm except from a trusted friend or a gun store that gives a year guarantee. I'm a used book dealer, I go to estate sales to buy books. Here's the link to the sale if you or anyone else here is interested: https://www.estatesales.net/AZ/Scottsdale/85254/2292519 .

What happened to the serial number? Photoshopped out? This would worry me greatly if there wasn't an adequate explanation.

No idea.

IBM made M1 Carbines. They made "business machines" before making computers.

Oh yeah, in high school I took a "business machines" class. This was WAY before computers, at school we didn't even have electric typewriters yet. The one "business machine" I remember was the "comptometer".

Chrysler made ammo during WW II.

!!!

I had never shot a pistol before, and I wouldn't recommend the 1911 as the one to start on.

This is a tangent, but I'm curious to know why. ?

The Smith Brothers eventually dropped all their firearms businesses to concentrate on making cough drops.

LOL!

 

[lysanderxiii]

Weird stuff happened during war times.

Chrysler made ammo during WW II.

As did General Motors, who also made airplanes, propellers, tanks, and artillery.

And . . .

Ford made aircraft
Waltham and Elgin made fuses,
Nash Kelvinator made aircraft engines,

 

[Speedo66]

IBM made employee punch in time clocks in Endicott NY, adjacent to Binghamton.

 

[hps1]

GM Saginaw Steering Gear Plant made M1919 MG's and M1 Carbines.
https://ss.sites.mtu.edu/mhugl/2015/10/11/general-motors-saginaw-gun-plant/

Regards,
hps

 

[AlexanderA]

GM Saginaw Steering Gear Plant made M1919 MG's and M1 Carbines.

GM Guide Lamp made M3 Greaseguns.

 

[hps1]

GM Guide Lamp made M3 Greaseguns.

Yep, we're probably overlooking some others, as well.

Regards,
hps

 

[JWF III]

I’m surprised that no one has made mention of the International Harvester Garands. Though that was after WW2. More Korean War era.

Wyman

 

[PWC]

[QUOTE="old lady new shooter, post:

This is a tangent, but I'm curious to know why. [/QUOTE]

First, recoil....causes flinching. Noise is worse than a .22 or .38. It is natural to push the gun away when anticipating the shot; the shoulder rolls forward causing the muzzle to go down (check the lower baffles)
Grip is all important to keeping the sights aligned during recoil. Generally a lower recoiling handgun is easier to learn the fundimentals on. USAF basic training used the M1 carbine, which was easy to qualify with. After my Combat Control assignment, the M3 wire stock was harder than the carbine, but not bad. The 1911 scared me to death, remember I had never shot a handgun til then. My instructor for the .45, was a past member of the USAF Pistol team, lucky for me. What he could do with a 1911 at 50 yds........

 

[CapnMac]

And International Harvester turned out some firearms, too.

 

[CapnMac]

Well, the sale is starting tomorrow

Those are going for around $700 on the gunshow circuit, a bit more in Better condition.

Normally, "we" would want to see the date on the barrel,and ate least the first three digits of the s/n. The SC's, though, tend to be some of the better 09A3s out there. The stock is of the "S" configuration; many of those were discarded after the war for the preferred "C" (pistol grip style) stock. The bolts, if correctly fitted (armorer rather than Bubba), have excellent lockup.

If you could get this one fro $400-500, that would be a steal. Get us good photos, and we'd tell you if it was lemon or lemonade.

I love shooting my 1943 SC 03A3. It's just fine with M2 Ball, but it really loves Lake City Match, just something about those 172gr FMJBTs

 

[old lady new shooter]

Those are going for around $700 on the gunshow circuit, a bit more in Better condition.

Normally, "we" would want to see the date on the barrel,and ate least the first three digits of the s/n. The SC's, though, tend to be some of the better 09A3s out there. The stock is of the "S" configuration; many of those were discarded after the war for the preferred "C" (pistol grip style) stock. The bolts, if correctly fitted (armorer rather than Bubba), have excellent lockup.

If you could get this one fro $400-500, that would be a steal. Get us good photos, and we'd tell you if it was lemon or lemonade.

I love shooting my 1943 SC 03A3. It's just fine with M2 Ball, but it really loves Lake City Match, just something about those 172gr FMJBTs

I'm not going to this sale because they don't have any books worth the drive, but here is a photo of a rifle which is right next to the other photo in the writeup, although not labeled. I suppose you guys will know if it's the same gun:

 

[old lady new shooter]

[QUOTE="old lady new shooter, post:

This is a tangent, but I'm curious to know why.

First, recoil....causes flinching. Noise is worse than a .22 or .38. It is natural to push the gun away when anticipating the shot; the shoulder rolls forward causing the muzzle to go down (check the lower baffles)
Grip is all important to keeping the sights aligned during recoil. Generally a lower recoiling handgun is easier to learn the fundimentals on. USAF basic training used the M1 carbine, which was easy to qualify with. After my Combat Control assignment, the M3 wire stock was harder than the carbine, but not bad. The 1911 scared me to death, remember I had never shot a handgun til then. My instructor for the .45, was a past member of the USAF Pistol team, lucky for me. What he could do with a 1911 at 50 yds........[/QUOTE]

Interesting and encouraging, thanks.

At my first firearms class, we shot a .22, a .38, a 9mm, a .40 and a .45. I was accurate with the .22, the .38 was a little off to the left (found out later this was because on a revolver you have to put more trigger finger), the 9 mm and the .40 were all over the place, and the .45 was pretty good. NO IDEA WHY. I decided based on the KISS principle to stick with revolvers, still there but think now that I live in the free country of Arizona I should get an AR-15 and get competent with it. Probably need a few lessons, for me a class is only good for making me do something the first time.

 

[eastbank]

I have a SC- 03A3 that was turned into a sporterized hunting rifle and it loves 165 gr bullets at 2700 fps using imr 4350, it has a nice dark walnut stock on it that is heavy. I may have the stock trimmed down, I think a good pound or better could be removed. maybe worth 300-400 dollars today, if left alone maybe 800-900 dollars.

 

[fpgt72]

A Singer for $2k? That would be a STEAL. They only made 500.

Rock Island auctioned off one about a year or so ago....I want to say it went for around $300,000.....and was in 95% shape.

 

[fpgt72]

And International Harvester turned out some firearms, too.

Shooting from the hip.....I want to say IH made guns between WWII and into Korea.....Things started to get a little thin as Korea dragged on.

I so want to say that IH was not a WWII maker but after.....I will have to look it up to be sure.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Shooting from the hip.....I want to say IH made guns between WWII and into Korea.....Things started to get a little thin as Korea dragged on.

I so want to say that IH was not a WWII maker but after.....I will have to look it up to be sure.

IH and H&R made Garands in the Korean war era.

 

[AlexanderA]

IH and H&R made Garands in the Korean war era.

That's right. The only makers of Garands in WW2 were Springfield Armory and Winchester.

 

[Picher]

Spotted this in an estate sale ad. What's the story?

View attachment 855001

It's a good thing you didn't buy the Smith Corona, because you can't get ribbons to fit them anymore.

 

[old lady new shooter]

It's a good thing you didn't buy the Smith Corona, because you can't get ribbons to fit them anymore.

 

[Elkins45]

When the big batch of M1 Carbines was imported in the early to mid 90s I bought an IBM because I worked for them briefly at their Selectric plant in Lexington, KY. It had a habit of the op rod overrunning the bolt so I traded it for something I can’t even remember. In hindsight I wish I had kept it.

 

[GRIZ22]

About 10 years ago I saw a Singer 1911 at a gun show. I wanted to buy it but the price was out of my range and I had just started a new job in a new city. I remember the price being around $2,000 or so. The same person was selling a 95% Colt Python for $4,500 so he knew what the market would bear.

That Singer 1911 was most likely a fake for $2,000. I saw one with about 50% finish go for $80,000 about 2 years ago. A really nice one in original condition would easily bump $200,000

 

[Nature Boy]

There was a war on, we needed rifles more than typewriters.

 

[mustanger98]

First, recoil....causes flinching. Noise is worse than a .22 or .38. It is natural to push the gun away when anticipating the shot; the shoulder rolls forward causing the muzzle to go down (check the lower baffles)
Grip is all important to keeping the sights aligned during recoil. Generally a lower recoiling handgun is easier to learn the fundimentals on. USAF basic training used the M1 carbine, which was easy to qualify with. After my Combat Control assignment, the M3 wire stock was harder than the carbine, but not bad. The 1911 scared me to death, remember I had never shot a handgun til then. My instructor for the .45, was a past member of the USAF Pistol team, lucky for me. What he could do with a 1911 at 50 yds........

Interesting and encouraging, thanks.

At my first firearms class, we shot a .22, a .38, a 9mm, a .40 and a .45. I was accurate with the .22, the .38 was a little off to the left (found out later this was because on a revolver you have to put more trigger finger), the 9 mm and the .40 were all over the place, and the .45 was pretty good. NO IDEA WHY. I decided based on the KISS principle to stick with revolvers, still there but think now that I live in the free country of Arizona I should get an AR-15 and get competent with it. Probably need a few lessons, for me a class is only good for making me do something the first time.[/QUOTE]

While I agree that there are factors that an individual must learn, just like any other sidearm, if you're scared of the 1911... or otherwise don't like it... you won't handle it well. (Not every pistol fits every hand.) I remember learning to shoot revolvers with an S&W K-38, too, but some are also scared of "big stuff like .38 and .357". S&W made a fine sidearm, IMO. I also remember a 1911 being really no harder to get along with, but you have to have some understanding of what it's doing.