Tangential to the original subject, I recently acquired a sporterized 1903 Springfield that looks like an early Sedgley (Marble rear sight instead of the Lyman 48), but lacks any Sedgley markings.
It's also *sanitized* like a Sedgley (no receiver arsenal markings, no barrel dating) and the sporter's serial number is in the right spot for a Sedgley - 21xx on the bolt track in the tang.
The top of the barrel has a "P" stamp but on the bottom, under the chamber, is stamped "30.06" over "J.A." (Johnson Automatics?) and "98D" on the underside of the receiver's front ring.
From another posting on the net, when the end of the war came there was little material or work for Sedgleys and they closed. Some workmen went on to establish themselves as custom rifle makers. The best known was Paul Jaeger of Jenkintown, Pennsylvania who had learned the gun trade in Germany. Martin Wurzer, a Ferlach-trained metal man and Carl Peterson a Swedish-trained stockmaker, formed the partnership of Wurzer & Peterson in 1945 this located at 5239 N. Fifth St. Philadelphia.
Could this be a Hope Valley sporter, built from Sedgley surplus material (stock, action, rear sight, etc)?
Or did Johnson Automatics sell barrels to any of the Sedgley-veterans who went into business for themselves?
