Archival Research Group

03/06/2025

Still plugging away at recording serial numbers.

Here is an example of a basic inventory for the US Navy. This one for the Naval Air Training Station in Pensacola, Florida.

We're finding mostly M1911 and M1911A1s with the US Navy in the post WWII era, right now. More than likely that will be the next database to update. We're waiting until we have several hundred to do an update since the software is incredibly slow.

Also, a common question is why do we redact the serial numbers on public documents obtained from the National Archives? It's simple, selling research packets are a source of revenue to help us conduct our research. It also takes a substantial amount of time to travel, copy and record this data. We show examples so that collectors can get an idea on the types of paperwork out there. Hopefully it will help them decide if it's worth their investment or not. Should a serial number in their collection surface in our records.

02/28/2025

We found a large stash of post WWII Naval records on small arms. Most are recorded as: missing, lost, stolen or recovered.

So far we've found mostly
1911/1911A1s
Victory Revolvers
1903/1903A3s
M1 Carbines

We have our work cut out for us, recording more serial numbers for our next database update.

Almost no two documents are identical. But some do stick out more than others, like this one.

These do not appear to be in volume IV of the SRS. So they're new numbers.

02/27/2025

Working on our next release.

We will probably update a list or add a new list when we have a few hundred or so added to our previously posted serial number databases.

Currently working through some lost and stolen reports recorded by the US Navy immediately after World War II.

We're finding some High Standard pistol numbers. So in the future we probably will release another database on the ones we've found

02/20/2025

We're still correctly working through some problems. Updating our databases should only take a few minutes. But it's taking signifcantly longer due to the software issues from the vendor.

We do have one database updated, our Automatic Pistols.

Approximately 800 serial numbers added.

Entries include
AEF Siberia Officer Sales
USN (Tarawa)
Battleship USS North Carolina

Enjoy searching your M1911 serial numbers..... again.

02/13/2025

We're currently in the process of updating our Automatic Pistol Serial Number databases.

We have 887 new serial numbers to add for all of our subscribers.

The software plugin keeps crashing. We're going to keep working through the next several days. To get it fixed.

These numbers are to:

US Army 31st Infantry sales to officers in the AEF Siberia.
US Navy M1911s lost on Tarawa
US Navy M1911s to the battleship North Carolina
USMC M1911s in Nicaragua

Send a message to learn more

01/29/2025

Teaser of stories to come.

We found one.

We're working the logistics of getting back to the museum.

More to follow!

In this episode we're talking about the small arms on the Battleship during the 1980s. To reach out to us email:[email protected] For our on...

01/28/2025

There's a lot to go through...

From our previous post. These are some serial numbers we'll be adding to our serial number database. Hopefully tomorrow, if not by the weekend. This plus a lot more!

Who wouldn't want a M1911, Garand, shotgun or carbine off the battleship "Showboat" (North Carolina).

These are not on the SRS database, this means new opportunities for provenance.

Hopefully added by the weekend.

01/28/2025

Another great lot of serial numbers recently discovered.

Equipment records of small arms for the USS North Carolina (stowed on the USS Guam).

The small arm counts (with serial numbers) include the following:

M1911/M1911A1 - 116
M1 Carbine - 65
M1 Garand - 110
Shotguns (Re*****on and Wi******er) - 6
M1922 - 6
Line Throwing (45/70) - 2

Now that we know our database system works fairly well we can begin regular updates as we find them. It's not perfect but it's functional enough for the time being.

These are not in the SRS and will be added to our list. Update to follow in a few days.

01/19/2025

Currently uploading more serial number databases with a few updates.

Check it out and play around while it's still in the open to the general public phase.

It's a service that is going to be reserved for subscribers in the next day or so.

DISCLAIMER – DO NOT purchase any firearm that is a match to this list without it being properly authenicated by our research team first. Please check back here to read updates and instruction…

01/17/2025

Well we got the feedback we needed for our trial run, concerning our serial number databases.

We plan to start expanding this weekend as well as incorporating the revisions recommended by people using the software.

We found some more serial numbers which will be added to the lists. We're always finding them. But now we have a vehicle to routinely add them to our records and make them available.

These are to the NY National Gaurd during the inter-war years. Almost certainly they are M1903 Springfields, the M1917 rifles were removed from service and the M1 Garand had not reached mass production and was still in the early adoption phases.

01/16/2025

This is another neat experience for us.

We rarely see a firearm after our clients request a research packet from us.

We had a match in our database: M1903, serial number 551,199, was documented to Company C of the 2nd Ohio Infantry when they were deployed to the border during Pershing's Punitive Expedition into Mexico.

It's nothing but a simple inspection report.

But the owner got excited over the history and began diving and digging. He found several photos of Company C's operations, mainly guarding a cement factory in El Paso, Texas.

He then proceeded to photograph the work involved in restoring this heavily sporterized firearm. He also recorded its history using primary sources so it could be properly appreciated for its history.

He graciously provided us with photographs of his work and allowed us to share them.

It's an excellent example of how we can sometimes provide a "jumping off" point, and the owner can take it several steps independently.

Congratulations, and well done!

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Mike McDonald Collection.

01/14/2025

Still working on the updates from the feedback we've recieved.

Some minor changes for user interface, instructions and abbreviations are coming.

Thanks to everyone for sharing their feedback to help improve this system.

DISCLAIMER – DO NOT purchase any firearm that is a match to this list without it being properly authenicated by our research team first. Please check back here to read updates and instruction…

01/13/2025

Still working through the Trial Run of our serial number databases.

The feedback we're receiving is helping immensely.

If you're not a subscriber we invite you to try it out while it's still public.

DISCLAIMER – DO NOT purchase any firearm that is a match to this list without it being properly authenicated by our research team first. Please check back here to read updates and instruction…

01/12/2025

We're doing a Beta - Test.

We needed some data to test out our software.

We uploaded two lists: 1 for the M1903 and 1 for the Automatic pistols.

We have a lot more lists to add. We spent a lot of time digitizing various small arms files from the National Archives.

And recently we found a lot more. We're still processing serial numbers from the National Archives at Philadelphia and Boston.

We have over 1,000 Krags issued to the USMC during the Philippine Insurrection that the owner Alec Tulkoff found while doing his research on his book "Equipping the Corps" at the National Archives in San Francisco.

This will remain open to the public for about a week. Once we have the beta test completed as well as feedback received we can proceed to a more robust system which will be offered exclusively to our subscribers.

Attached are some serial numbers to various fi****ms we have documented to clients recently. Captions in the photos to determine which database they correlate to.

Thank you for your patience over the past several weeks trying to make this available to you guys.

https://archivalresearchgroup.com/serialnumberdatabases/

01/12/2025

(Cliff notes if not interested in reading - M1903 from the 1916 National Matches)

Lots of pictures and a good bit of documentation.

You will definitely not see this every day. Brophy's 1903 Springfield book suggests it simply doesn't exist.

It's long been believed that there were no National Match rifles before 1921 and only "specially selected" service rifles before that. This is only partially true. There were no "National Match" 1903 rifles before 1921 because that was not the term; the designation was "M1903 star gauged and specially selected for the National Matches." This suggests they were nothing more than hand-selected, but again, this is not true. Documentation at the National Archives confirms this.

The first 1903 rifles were used in the National Matches in about 1908, and only in the first year were the rifles nothing more than hand-selected. The following year, they began polishing bolts. Each subsequent year, with the authorization from the Chief of Ordnance, Springfield Armory started implementing authorized modifications to help make them more accurate. More importantly, it gave the individual shooter the best possible platform to work with in competition. But this concept was in its infancy compared to the interwar days.

National Match rifles this early were, in fact, star-gauged but not stamped at the muzzle, which most collectors are familiar with. They also do not have the start gauge registry number stamped on top of the barrel. Those "traits" were not implemented until 1921. The bolts were polished (after the 2nd year) but not electro-penciled with the serial number.

Without primary sources, it's nearly impossible to confirm a National Match rifle off of "traits" this early on. There are more examples like this, where one only believes the story with properly authenticated provenance.

Let us help you with that!

01/12/2025

We have our software running.

We should have at least one functional serial number database as a test Sunday evening.

We will branch off from there.

More to follow

01/11/2025

The easier fi****ms for us to work with are:
M1903s
1911s (pre WWII)
1922s
Krags/Trapdoors to Spanish American War units.

Here we have a Trapdoor issued to George V. Smith of Company L of the 2nd Virginia Volunteers.

The 2nd Virginia Volunteers was one of four volunteer regiments that mustered after the declaration of war with Spain during the Spanish-American War. It stayed in stateside service and did not make it overseas. However, having the name of the person it was issued to provides a research point for the owner to dig further. With other resources available, such as ancestry, newspaper archives, etc., the owner can dive deeper into who carried the firearm when it was in military service.

It's intriguing, a hidden history brought to light by diving into the records of the National Archives.

Jonathon Krisko Collection

01/10/2025

Who wouldn't want a report like this tied to their firearm?

Another example how no two reports are the same and some can be more interesting than others.

This came from the regional NARA location at Philadelphia.