U.S. Sailor Grouping with "Duffel Bag Cut" Bring-Back Rifle

[bryang]

Picked up a white fairly heavy canvas sea/duffel bag named to U.S. Sailor William C. Henry. I just picked this up, and so I have no information on him yet.

 

The bathroom kit still contains soap, shaving cream, tooth brush, etc. The bag contains several white uniforms - no blue jumpers nor dungarees. However, there is a set of leather flyer's pants with suspenders, as well as a leather flyer's cap. The ankle portion of the pants are tore up, and a friend told me that guys often wore these leather pants for riding motorcycles, often resulting in the damage. Whether true or not, I don't know - the fact that these pants remained in his possession might indicate this. Who knows?

 

I posted the rifle in the "Spoils of War" area. It was cut down in order to fit in the duffel bag. The term "duffel bag cut" was something I just learned this weekend when looking at why this would have been cut the way it was.

 

 

Over all, I'm pretty pleased to have become the caretaker of this group.

 

 

Bryan

 

 

 

 

 

[bryang]

Continued:

 

 

 

 

[bryang]

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[ScottG]

I don't think the rifle was cut to fit the duffle bag. The barrel remains its original length and the wood only would have gone to the rear of the front sight... So, likely he was trying to "sporterize" it for hunting. Nice grouping though! Scott

[Garandomatic]

I thought the same, but if the action were removed from they cut stock, it might fit...

[doyler]

I thought the same, but if the action were removed from they cut stock, it might fit...

Thats typical of a "duffle cut" or why it was done.Either to fit in the duffle bag/sea bag or ship home in a smaller box.The barreled action would be removed from the stock making it shorter and then the wood of the forearm was cut and removed thus shorting the stock as well so the two items were shorter in length to fit the bag or box shipped home in.The cut forearm was kept and then reassembled.

 

Possible the rifle was going to be a sporter but here it shows the front band with bayonet lug still on the rifle and if sportered after the war this would have been removed(or ones I see over the years were).Generally the barrel was cut back(reduce weight) and front site replaced.