In another thread here there are some comments about the German Mauser '98 vs. the U.S. Springfield '03. Many people (including Jack O'Connor) have held that the Mauser was/is a superior rifle design to the Springfield. Also Mauser sued the U.S. for patent infringement and won, and the U.S. had to pay Mauser $1 for every Springfield manufactured.

I remember reading somewhere that the famous Sgt. York of WWI fame (there was a movie abut him) preferred the Enfield rifle to the Springfield. If I remember correctly, it had to do with the sights on the two rifles: The Enfield sights were better for Sgt. York and his style of shooting.

Anybody know anything about this?

I understand that Alvin York achieved his feat with a Model of 1917 rifle. The "Enfield" as it seems to be called in the US.

However I doubt that it was his "by choice" but rather by default in that it was the rifle his unit was issued with? I don't think that soldiers had a choice of "03 or Model 1917" when they arrived in France!

So it is probably only luck that he used a Model of 1917 despite its superiority in nearly every aspect, side by side, to the Springfield.

Sights wise the "Enfield" had a rear receiver ring mounted dual aperture sight. In the down position with an aperture "battlesight" that would hold into a man's head out to 375 yards in terms of elevation and in the up position a rising leaf aperture out to something like one thousand yards.

It is an early version of what was on the No. 4 but with that look of pre-WWI engineering!

Plus as with all British designs the Enfield was superior to other "Mauser copies" in using cock on closing thus giving all the opening to extraction only.

However the butt shape of the Model of 1917 (or in its 303 version Pattern '14) is considered poor here in the UK against the SMLE.

As is the position of the bolt in relation to the trigger. Certainly you can't do the old rapid fire trick of using the second finger to fire as on the SMLE of No 4.

But for a WWI rifle as was standard issue the sights are probably superior to anything used by any other power in that conflict. Better than the Springfield the Mauser or the SMLE.

It may be a "better moustrap" than the Springfield in 30-06 but not when used side by side in 303 chambering against the SMLE and the later No4.

Many, I had one once, were also issued with a telescope as sniper rifles. Indeed it was the standard issue sniper rifle of the British Army after WWI until the famous No. 4(T) debuted.

Sgt. York never said which rifle he used during his exceptional act during WWI. Therein lies the problem and it has led to much speculation by many folks over the years. None of his writings say and interviews with relatives have not been conclusive.

Most believe he used a M1917 rifle. It is known that his unit had their M1903s replaced prior to his famed event. Although some believe he managed to keep his M1903 rifle, it is not likely. He has been quoted as referring to the "English (or perhaps British) rifle" used at the time.

The only U.S. troops who refused to exchange their M1903s for the M1917 were the U.S. Marines who were all assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division of the U.S. Army. The Marines use of their '03s for long distance shooting at Belleau Wood resulted in their nick name "Devil Dogs" which was how the German command referred to them in their after action reports. The Marines carried their '03s onto Guadalcanal some 24 years later.

this was an interesting topic, so I googled up some info and read a bunch of stuff about it..

as I had read in the past, that his "1903 Springfield and his Colt 45 ACP" were stolen on his way back to the USA...

a side note that part of an article, that I thought shows that some things never change...
and it shows a true appreciation of our government's bureaucrats and politicians...

In 1941, a movie, Sergeant York, starring Gary Cooper, was made about York's life. Alvin went to Hollywood to act as technical advisor, and according to Andrew, it is just about as close to fact as it is possible to make a movie. In the film, Cooper used an M1903 Springfield, but because period .45 blanks were just not reliable, a Luger was substituted for his 1911. Andrew is careful to point out, however, that his father did get a P.08 from the German officer he captured. The movie became a major hit, garnering Cooper a best actor Oscar and netting $250,000 for the institute and Bible school.

When the Second World War began, York made many tours to sell bonds and to boost morale. In 1945, he went back home and, 10 years later suffered a cerebral hemorrhage. As well, the government hit him with a whopping bill for back taxes, and though he fought it, he still was eventually forced to pay $25,000. As he had given most of his money to the agricultural institute and Bible school, he was forced to rely on public subscriptions to pay the bill.

So as appreciation for his services to his country, he got screwed over by the friggin IRS!

Since when has Uncle Sugar, or, for that matter the majority of the American people, cared about the veteran after his service is over?

On a TV documentary, one of Alvin Yorks sons stated his father used a 1903 Springfield because he didn't like the "peep" sight of the 1917. This is as close to a primary source on this question as I have seen. The 82nd Div. was issued 1917's but in a combat zone aquiring an alternative weapon is usually not difficult for a resourceful soldier.

I can't add any information to which arm Sgt. York might have used, but there are some differences in the Springfield and the P17 worth noting:

The P17 had a 26" barrel vs. the 24" bbl of the Springfield. It was also probably a pound to a pound and a half heavier than the Springfield. Most gunsmiths think of it as a "stronger" action than the Springfield, but that is probably because of the uneven heat treat of the earlier Springfields as either action is much stronger than the brass of the cartridge it shoots.

I would think that the lighter, shorter Springfield would have been a much handier and quicker rifle to carry and shoot, but that the P17 would have been a great (though not necessarily a better) sniper rifle due to its weight and long barrel.

American Rifleman had an article about York's 1917 or 1903 about 5 years ago. It gave some evidence that it may have been a 1903.