1898 Sporterized Krag

[leadman]

Bought an 1898 sporterized Krag yesterday. The guy told me it hadn't been out of the case for 25 years. He inherited it from his grandfather 25 years ago. I kinda felt bad thar he didn't want to keep it, but he had no interest in it. I'll give it a good home.
It has a 22 inch barrel with a 1903 front sight. No sight on the barrel but it has a receiver sight mounted on the left side of the receiver. No name on the sight but there is what looks like a deer jumping with a circle by the front of the deer. Has a lever on it so the sight can be raised to remove the bolt.
A piece of walnut was inlet into the stock to form a pistol grip and then this area was checkered. Very good job whoever did it, the seam is barely visible and an excellent match for color.
Slugged the barrel and the throat. Barrel is almost .310" and the throat is .312+".
I loaded up some .313" 311299 with various charges of Unique.

I know alot of people look down on this old sporers, but they are a part of our dads or grandfathers history. It is really amazing the quality of some of the conversions.

[Dean D.]

Congratulations on your new find Leadman!

Don't worry about the detractors of sporterized Krags. Done is done, enjoy shooting that fine piece of history!

[4570guy]

You won't ever find me looking down on a sporterized Krag.
I agree that you wouldn't want to chop an original Krag today as they are now valuable collectors items, but the sporterized rifles hold their place as well. We have to remember they were once sold for $1.50 to $5.00 each and turned into inexpensive (yet very effective) hunting rifles.

Owner of my grandpa's sporterized Krag...

[303 Epps]

I own a cut down 1896 Krag. It's shoots better than my full size 1898. You can still bring home a deer with a Krag.

[TAWILDCATT]

It is an excelent rifle for sport.for combat it was obsolete before it was made.

[BPCR Bill]

When I was kid growing up in Montana I saw alot of Krags taking deer and elk. I still have my Dads, and I am not the least bit shy about taking game with it.

Regards,
Bill

[leadman]

Well, got about a 100 years of crud out the barrel. Worn but not too bad. After cleaning with Hoppe's #9 I put my Outer's electric cleaner on it. did not get anymore copper out of it.
I'll take some pix and try to post.

Anyone have an idea what brand of reciever sight this might have? No name but has a deer on the side with the head in a circle.

[leadman]

Will try to upload some pictures of the Krag I just bought and an old 1903a3 sporter I bought a couple months? ago.

The 1903a3 did not have the scope base or scope, was missing the tang screw. Will replace the rear sight blade after I shoot it.

Both guns have miilitary stocks. The Krag had a piece of wood inlet into the stock for the pistol grip.

The 1903a3 was a "C" stock.

Any ideas on the Krag receiver sight brand?

[280Ackley]

Very nice guns both. The 03A3 very much like one that followed me home last weekend from the local gun show. With a little luck I'll find a Krag to match. Put some targets up after you take em to the range.

[Texasflyboy]

Any ideas on the Krag receiver sight brand?

There is some external similarity to the following Lyman Model 21 Receiver sight...the photo shows a Model 1895 with a Lyman Model 21 sight:

[stillhunter]

Your sporterized Krag dates to the 1920s. The sight is an original Lyman. The barrell is probably a cut down '03 done by Bannerman. The rifling will tell you. The original Krag and some '03 rifling was narrow groved and rounded top. If yours looks broad and flat, like your 03-A3, the barrel is a Springfield. You have a fine period keeper, Care for it and enjoy it. Congrats..!!

[Shiloh]

These are some pics of my 1898 Krag cut-down. Mine looked a lot like yours, however not as professional. The splice job where they added a comb and grip was not as nice. Plus, they shortened the stock. The enclosed pics are with the cut-down stock I won on E-Bay. I stripped it to bare wood, steamed out some good size dents over the next month, and removed years of crud clogging the cartouche. I found a cut-off and ejector, as well as cleaning rods and oiler to put inside the buttplate

It was colored with a water based red mahogany analine die, and then coated with many coats of natural organic boiled seed oil. If mine was as nice as yours, I probably would have kept it that way. The Krag and "03 are my favorite rifles







Shiloh

[leadman]

The rifling looks different than my 1903a3. The lands are narrow and the grooves are wide in the Krag. Looks like the rifling in my 1891 Arg. Mauser.
If my sight is a Lyman (which it appears to be) you would think they would have put their name on it. But who knows, maybe it was refinished at some point.

Even trying to figure out a piece of the history of these old rifles is fun.

[leadman]

Shiloh, nice looking rifle! I think mine looks worse in person than the pictures show. The added in pistol grip was done very nicely though.
If I can find another stock I may do the same as you. It will never be collector, but it would still look more original. Or I may look for an original, but they are alot of money and how do you know that someone hasn't made one from parts?

[Bent Ramrod]

Leadman,

I believe your rear sight is either a Lyman #33 or #34. The difference was the former had the little flip-down insert in the peep while the latter had screw threads so an eye cup could be fitted.

A lot of gunsmithing books during the period gave directions on how to fit higher combs and pistol grips to the basic Krag stock to make a sporter out of it. Even if the fitting is done right, matching the wood is a skill in itself. The Krag is a great rifle.

[Shiloh]

Shiloh, nice looking rifle! I think mine looks worse in person than the pictures show. The added in pistol grip was done very nicely though.
If I can find another stock I may do the same as you. It will never be collector, but it would still look more original. Or I may look for an original, but they are alot of money and how do you know that someone hasn't made one from parts?

Thanks Leadman!!

The stock that came on it was quite Bubba'd. Mine won't ever be a collector as it is a cut-down. The 1907 front sight as on the '03 Springfields is a dead give away. Mine also has a 1901 style rear sight. I don't really mind though, if it was an original '96 carbine it would be to valuable to take to the range, at least on a regular basis. I like having a shooter and still have lots of folks come up to look at it. Put better than 600 cast boolits through it last year. That is the only type of ammo I shoot through it.

There was an 1896 carbine on one of the gun auction sites a while back. The vendor wanted $3500 for it. Several of the more knowledgeable folks pointed out That this was a parts gun from the enclosed pictures. This was varified by other more knowledgeable Krag afficionados. A lot of money for a '96 carbine, and outrageously overpriced for a parts gun. Caveat Emptor!!
Let the buyer beware.

Shiloh

[Throwback]

Nice Krag. Sporterization is part of the Krag history as this was done in large quantities by Bannermans, NRA and others. Many of these are coming out of the woodwork these days and they are a popular and fascinating field for collecting. I came into a Sedgely Krag a couple of years ago that had been shot with corrosive and would not shoot. I found a fine action bedded in a butchered stock within weeks at a favorable price and happily the bore was nearly mint! This is a rare find in a Krag. So I swapped actions and now I have a wallhanger and a great cast bullet rifle. An earlier pick up in good shape now belongs to my father. They are marvelous rifles.

[leadman]

Bent Ramrod (how did you get that handle?) The sight is threaded for an eyecup so it is probably a #34. Don't think I will install an eyecup though what with wearing trifocals!

Thanks to all for the info. After the range session I'll decide if I want to clean up the stock or what. Am leaning to cleaning it up and shooting it alot!

[Hardcast416taylor]

I came by my sporterised Krag thru a widow selling her late husbands firearms and reloading equipment. I paid $150 for the rifle with nobody else being interested. Later the widow contacted me to stop by the house. She pointed to a box on the floor for me. In it was a deer skin rifle scabbard, 16 boxes of reloads and some brass and several boxes of Speer 165 gr. bullets (favorite bullet) also about 1000 primers abd 3 powder cans. Wouldn`t take cent further for the additional items. I`ve been keeping her driveway clear of snow for some time now as my way of repayment. Robert

[Throwback]

You're good people Hardcast. One good turn deserves another.