Krag in WW1??

[BruceB]

Go to freerepublic.com, latest articles, at 6:26 this morning.

There are some superb photographs by an English lady, taken during WW1.

One of the photos shows an American unit on parade at Wellington Barracks (London), and the rifles stacked in front of them are most-definitely the 30"-barreled Krags.

I wasn't aware that these rifles had made it that far toward the front lines in 1917. Can anyone shed a bit of light on this?

Click on the "Daily Mail" title (in blue) to see all the photos.

[Guesser]

And why not, the Krag was in WW2, but on the "other" side. Just check out Sgt. Schultz with his weapon in an episode of "Hogans Heroes". Very definitely a Krag rifle!!!
Now thats funny!!!!!!!!

[beagle]

Don't know about WWI but many Krags probably made it to Englad during WWII for the Home Guard as well as .45/70 Springfields.

The Brits were hurting during those days./beagle

[doubs43]

The Krags were primarily used as training rifles during WW1 AFAIK. It's more than likely that some National Guard units were equipped with Krags and many NG units were called into service. They would have arrived in England or France still armed with Krags. Those arms would have been replaced before the troops reached the trenches.

However, I don't believe that any Krags saw front line action as that would have further complicated the supply system charged with delivering 30-06 and 45ACP ammunition to the Doughboys for their small arms.

[Mike Venturino]

The American Rifleman magazine had an article some years back showing photos of WW1 American soldiers arriving in France with Krags but the caption noted that they were turned in for '03s or 1917s before going to the front.

MLV

[Guesser]

My Grandfather purchased a Krag carbine with U.S.N markings from the NRA in 1919 or 1920 for $2.50 plus Railway Freight of $1.00 shipped to Soda Springs Idaho. The Krag is still in the family and unaltered except for 90 years of use. It has taken Mountain goats and elk in the Selway and untold #s of mule deer, coyotes, and marauding dogs, put down injured horses and used to kill hogs, beef and lambs for slaughter on the ranch. and is still in use doing the same thing today. Probably a pretty good gun!!!
And has never had a round of handloaded ammunition fired in it.

[Deliverator]

Guesser, if I were you I'd change that. Use lead, or you will need a new barrel... well it probably does need a new barrel but still!

[KCSO]

Krags and Springfield Trapdoors were used for training as late as WW II. Also in WWI American troops near Russia were armed with M/N rifles made by Remington for Russian contracts. When the ruskies didn't pay Uncle Sam took 'em. I once had a M/N sporter marked Remington with US bomb. Too bad it was cut down.

[BruceB]

Thanks for the comments.

I was well aware of the training-purposes use of the Krags even as late as WWII, but didn't know that some troops shipped-out to combat theaters with them.

My Grandfather, Wallace Anderson of the UP of Michigan, VOLUNTEERED for a transfer from the US Cavalry to Infantry, just so he could get to France. He carried a 1903 Springfield to France, but changed over to the '17 Enfield as soon as he could. This was due to the vastly better sighting arrangements, and he was a rifleman of the first water even then. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre by the French government.

He became a gunsmith and custom gunmaker later in life. I'm fortunate to own a Springfield which he customized for one of my Uncles....he made a custom rifle for each of his five sons, ALL of whom saw combat in WWII or Korea.

My own Krag is an "NRA Sporter", bought at Silver State Arms in Reno in 1997 just after we immigrated from Canada. It has a perfect bore, and was a screaming bargain for $169. One of my favorite rifles, and no mistake. Contrary to the one in Guesser's family, mine has never seen a factory round in 12 years, but it sure has been fired a bunch.

Those photos are very sobering to me. The casualty rate among British units was astronomical, and it's a positive guarantee that many of the men in the pictures died in combat.

[Guesser]

Deliverator; as per my uncle and cousin who still use it, it shoots just as good as they can, probably no more than 40 rounds a year even when it was used for everything on the ranch. People didn't shoot as much then as now. I know that my father was a farmer and had one box of shells for his 32WS and took his deer with it and that one box ten years running.
As an aside, I always wanted a Krag in 6.5X55, but never had the money when I saw one.

[4570guy]

In Bruce Canfield's book US Infantry Weapons of the First World War, he mentions that at least one Krag-armed engineer unit came under German fire in November 1917. I believe he stated that perhaps as many as 10,000 Krag's initially went to France, but as others have stated above, were quickly replaced by '03s and '17s.

The Krag did see some action in WW2 in the hands of the Japanese (captured presumably in the Philippines or maybe in China). See John George's book Shots Fired in Anger.

The Krag also soldiered on in the bananna republic wars up until WW2.

I love the Krag - it is my favorite range rifle and an amazing work of machinists art.