Krag questions?

[Ragnarok]

I've aquired an old Krag 'sporter' from a yard sale last weekend.

I've looked it over..and educated myself as much as online sources(google) provide.

The rifle appears perfectly servicable...I have cleaned it up..dismantled it as much as I dare..examined the bolt lug/body for cracks..examined the receiver for cracks..cleaned the bore..and cleaned the bore..and cleaned the bore some more..and determined that the rifle is probably more or less in shootable condition.

However..I've seen some references to checking the bolt lug with a 'gasoline test'...as in dipping the stripped bolt in gas..wiping it off..and looking for gas to 'weep' from a crack. Has anybody done this to a Krag bolt and have any advice to add to the technique(besides not smoking!)??

The magazine assembly...I've got a book that details Krag dissassembly including the magazine box..however the pictures stink..and the task eludes me. Any advice for taking the mag-box/follower mechanism apart?

Thanx..Rag

[nicholst55]

If I was worried about a cracked bolt, I think I'd take it to an engine rebuild shop and have them perform a magnetic particle (Magnaflux) test on it. While I haven't priced the work recently, I once had a rifle receiver and bolt tested for $20 or so.

[bob208]

i have used that test many times only i have used lacquer thinner or carb cleaner. the way it works is the thinner seapes into the crack. then when you dry off the surface if there is a crack you will see a thin line.
it is a veriation of the die check used in weld shops. you spray on a die then clean off then spray on a delvloper. which is a white powder is there is a crack you will see a nice red line.

i have a few krags and have never found the need to take the mag. apart.

[Hardcast416taylor]

Unless the magazine looks as filthy as a country road, I`d leave it alone. Slug the bore before trying to shoot lead thru it. The solvent wiping test on the bolt isn`t a sure fire test, the MAG test is.Robert

[gnoahhh]

Of all the Krags I've owned in my life, I don't recall ever having the need to dismantle the magazine. For piece of mind I would have the bolt Magnafluxed too. Less than perfect Krag bores often shoot ok, but lead bullets may foul quicker than in a shiny bore.

[Ragnarok]

I really don't believe anything is wrong with the bolt..and if it was a 30-40 year old Rem 700 or Win Model 70..or something like that..I wouldn't even bother. Just give the rifle my usual take it apart and examine safety inspection. However I don't know didly squat about Krag rifles except what you read.

I may just take the action apart as except the mag-box again...flush the thing out with brake cleaner and blow it out with compressed air. There is some sort of rather powerful spring in the magazine..and my take-down destructions have some warnings about improper disassembly. Not taking it apart sounds like a good idea.

I'll have to think about the bolt deal..I'll try the gasoline test..and maybe do a bit of looking to see if any magnifluxing equipment even exists nearby.

My bore is really pretty good...Better than my double-heat treated 1918 made Rock Island 1903. The 1903 has suffered some from corrosive ammo..the Krag not so much.

[Johnk454]

The loading door is held on by the hinge pin and it runs the full length of the door. Has to be tapped out while pressure is held against the door at the hinge to defeat the spring or else it binds the pin. Not bad, but not really necessary to take apart. Easier to just hose it out with brake cleaner like a .22lr.

[Multigunner]

This may come in handy
http://books.google.com/books?id=XKEtAAAAIAAJ&oe=UTF-8

[Ragnarok]

Ehh...I looked at the google-book link..and discovered my rear sight elevation slider is missing a knob..more like has the elevation set knob twisted off. :sad:

I wondered what was supposed to hold the slider in place on the ramp. Now I know..

[madsenshooter]

I've been seeing Springfield binding knobs for sale on ebay. Ah yes, here's one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/US-Military-Springfield-1903-Rear-Sight-Binding-Knob-/400146819474?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d2a9be992

However, I don't know which model rear sight you have, and they're not easy to get apart in some cases. This particular knob would work with the model 1901 rear sight. I sold one to a fellow who had a watch repairman install his.

[Char-Gar]

I have stripped Krags down all the way and it is not all that hard. I just examine the bolt and lug as well as the lug recess in the action with a magnifies and a strong light and forget about the rest.

[madsenshooter]

I agree with Char-Gar, not at all hard. I have several of them laying around my room, if I'd put the bits and pieces back together! I have ran across one with a crack behind the locking lug recess. The receiver was brittle, probably overheated and had a lot of the carbon cooked out of it. Serial # was in the 13,000 range. I've been lucky in my loading experiments with the Krag, and I've found they will take a lot more than the 40,000psi loads. I don't recommend such things, but it's good to know there's more of a margin of safety there than one would suspect.

[Trifocals]

Spend the few bucks to have the bolt body magnaflux'd. The receiver too. Also, if you can find someone that does industrial X rays that is also a good idea. You must remember you are dealing with a rifle that is 100+ years old. Heat treating was not the best in the early days. Keep your loads within recommended pressure limits and don't attempt to magnumize them. Having the emergency room or the undertaker remove a Krag bolt from your head is nothing to laugh at. I have dealt with a Krag bolt that had a cracked locking lug. I had the above tests done before I fired the first shot and am very glad I did. I also had the replacement bolt body checked (it was O.K.). Better safe than sorry!

[Ragnarok]

Uhh..I forgot..I own a dye penetrant kit for checking cylinder heads..Hope the stuff hasn't gone bad in the cans. I've used the stuff before..consists of cleaner, dye, and developer.

I've been sending cylinder heads off to the machine shops for that sort of work.

I'll use that on the bolt...maybe the action if I strip it all the way to the barrel and receiver.

I'm not spending more money on the old Krag than I paid for it by checking every aspect in every way.

[frnkeore]

In P.O Ackley's blow up test of the Krag, The bolt stayed in the action as did the enter parts of the bolt.

Frank

[Ragnarok]

I'm not particularly scared of it blowing up. I did install a new A3 bolt in my Rock Island 1903(double heat serial) because it was a straight handled affair with no markings and not too good of shape bolt. I'll do the dye check and do a tire-fire..and if it don't blow apart consider it good.

Off the 'Krag blow-up' issue...Does anybody know the ballistics of Graf and Sons PCI .30-40 ammo..what brand of brass, etc?

[madsenshooter]

Drop P.C.I. an email: sales@precisioncartridge.com My guess for a 180gr j-word in the 30/40, around 2400fps.

[Multigunner]

I figure the damage to Krags from a piddling 3,000 CUP increase in pressure was more due to increased maximum deviation pressures of that load rather than from a steady 43,000 CUP diet. Smokeless powders of all sorts were still in the teething stage. A powder might give very consistent pressures when the ammo was manufactured, then begin giving a high deviation after a few months of storage.
Increases in average working chamber pressure can result in much greater increases in Maximum Deviation pressures.

[Ragnarok]

I don't know what the US was using for powder in the late 1800's/early 1900's..but the old stranded cordite and ballestite stuff some of the countrys used is some interesting looking stuff.

[Ragnarok]

I'm not particularly scared of it blowing up. I did install a new A3 bolt in my Rock Island 1903(double heat serial) because it was a straight handled affair with no markings and not too good of shape bolt. I'll do the dye check and do a tire-fire..and if it don't blow apart consider it good.

Off the 'Krag blow-up' issue...Does anybody know the ballistics of Graf and Sons PCI .30-40 ammo..what brand of brass, etc?

Still don't know the ballistics...but PCI .30-40 is in Winchester brass..pointed softpoint bullet..and does flow through the Krag magazine just slick!

I was afraid the Krag wouldn't feed pointy bullets..and that the rims might get tangled up inside the mag..but however the Krag mag works..it works great!

When you start dropping cartridges into the box..it appears it ain't going to work..won't hold 5...but put them in and snap it shut..and the magic takes over..and it feeds and ejects live ammo like a dream...and this without having anything in common with the fabled Mauser action.....I ain't seen anything this impressive since I first got an M1 rifle with it's mysterious pile of internal parts that know when a clip is empty of full...about the coolest thing I've seen firearms related in a longtime..this Krag!!

[Multigunner]

I don't know what the US was using for powder in the late 1800's/early 1900's..but the old stranded cordite and ballestite stuff some of the countrys used is some interesting looking stuff.

Up till 1910 at least there was an element of risk in handloading due to variations in powders from one lot to the next, and even factory smokeless loads had a tendency to generate extreme overload pressures if the loads were worked up in Britian or northern Europe then shipped out to India or Africa where average temperatures were much higher.
To some extent this is still true. Some who handload for maximum performance in Long Range competition have reported problems with pressure when loads they worked up in the Northeast were used in competitions in Southwestern states.

Some more recent military powders are said to actually begin to give slightly lower pressures at high temperatures. These show an increase in pressure up to a certain temperature, then at higher temps pressures go back to normal.
This is especially important for ammo stored onboard armored vehicles for any length of time.

Near as I can remember most powders used for .30-40 milspec loads were double base. These powders when used with the 1903 .30 cartridge burned out the throat in less than 8,000 rounds, with accuracy begining to decline rapidly around 4,000 rounds.
"Pyro-cellulose" powders were single base and these allowed high velocities with much longer accuracy life.
Degradation in storage remained a problem.

[madsenshooter]

Still don't know the ballistics...but PCI .30-40 is in Winchester brass..pointed softpoint bullet..and does flow through the Krag magazine just slick!

I was afraid the Krag wouldn't feed pointy bullets..and that the rims might get tangled up inside the mag..but however the Krag mag works..it works great!

When you start dropping cartridges into the box..it appears it ain't going to work..won't hold 5...but put them in and snap it shut..and the magic takes over..and it feeds and ejects live ammo like a dream...and this without having anything in common with the fabled Mauser action.....I ain't seen anything this impressive since I first got an M1 rifle with it's mysterious pile of internal parts that know when a clip is empty of full...about the coolest thing I've seen firearms related in a longtime..this Krag!!

Yea, that's how it starts, being intrigued. Next thing you know, you got bits and pieces of several scattered around your room, and you're watching for more!

[Char-Gar]

You know your are a hard core Krag man, when you start building them from parts. I have done that twice now.

[Johnk454]

Oh yeah....

http://home.comcast.net/~johnk454/pics/Kragleft.jpg

[Multigunner]

Oh yeah....



That is one beautiful Krag.

[Ragnarok]

Yep is a very pretty gun.

I did my dye check thing on the bolt..clean the bolt with special cleaner and blow dry..spray on dye(red)...clean off dye...spray on developer..and look for cracks.

Fine and dandy..anywhere you do a sloppy job cleaning off the dye..you get a 'crack/flaw'..so I did the dye check like three times. Near as I can tell my bolt is fine and crack-free.

I have ammo now...the rifle needs a bit of repair on the stock to meet my standards and some rear sight slider work. But I think the gun is ready for a test-fire.

[Ragnarok]

TEST-FIRE!!!

Went ok...but that's all...rifle shoots way low...shoots right too. mechanical function was perfect...I had to crank the windage substantialy to the left..and set the slider to approx. 450yd mark to be dead on at 50yds...everytime I fired..the slider slid back to 200(slider set knob is twisted off)...I whitteled a stick and stuck under the leaf to keep it set...and I think it will be accurate enough...I think the front sight may be just slightly 'off' to the left...and definately too tall!

May have more muzzle wear than I thought...passes a bullet test..but didn't look like I was getting copper on the lands at the muzzle...I think it's a little big.

All in all..I felt it worked well..I would have prefered to have it to hit dead-on every shot from the git-go..However I feel it has some promise..just needs some more work.

[RayinNH]

The front sight blade is just pinned in the base. You can whittle one out of sheet metal the proper thickness.

My rear sight is typically set at 3 or 4 hundred yards depending on boolit or load as well. Actually it's fairly typical of most mil-surps to have to do that...Ray

[swheeler]

Oh yeah....

http://home.comcast.net/~johnk454/pics/Kragleft.jpg

Very nice indeed!

[Johnk454]

Thanks, guys - it shoots as good as it looks with 311284s and a case full of WC872.

[mustanggt]

That is a classy Krag. One of the best looking sporter models I have seen. Nice to see a sporter not hacked to death.

[Multigunner]

A friend has a family photo album with many pictures of his mom's father, uncles, and brothers on hunting trips back in the good old days, mostly 40's and 50's from the clothing.
Theres quiet a few Krags prominent in those photos, along with some mighty fine trophy Deer on the ground in front of the proad hunters.

Next time I see him I'll ask if I can scan some of those photos and post them here.

[tacklebury]

My great grandpa's Krag. Got my first deer with it 24 years ago. ;) Took a partridge's head off at 30 yards the same day. Sweet shooting gun. ;)

http://www.myhostedpics.com/images/tacklebury/us3040kragright.jpg

[frnkeore]

Here is my sporterized 1898 Krag with Redfield sight and excellent 26" lg. .310 groove barrel.

Frank
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_88524ea1fb8e7ed4e.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=2462)http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_88524ea1fbaad935c.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=2463)

[leadman]

My old Krag sporter shoots cast better than jacketed. Might do better if I shot .310" jacketed, but not really interested in pursuing jacketed loads.
Parts are around if you need them. On the CMP forum there is quite a variety available. The heavier boolits, around 200 grains seem to shoot better for me.

[Ragnarok]

I've been busy this week..and have not accomplished much on my new Krag..it's in a dozen pieces.

I need to make a couple pieces to glue on the stock...glue a crack in the stock..fill gouges in the stock..sand and stain..and BLO the stock.

Re-fit the front sight..fix on the rear sight...touch up the barrel blue..decide what to do(if anything) with the action/small part finish.

I was fairly satisfied that the gun will produce useable accuracy from the bit of shooting I did with it in it's run-down condition...just have to see how it will do when fixed up.

I think it will be a super-cool nostalgic iron-sighted sporter when I'm done...I was quite impressed with the PCI 180gr. ammo...seem plenty mild enough to suit Krag standards..and recovered bullits expanded admirably...I may not make this deer season with my Krag..but I got future Krag hunting plans for sure.

[mroliver77]

There is just something about the lines of a Krag that shouts " Deer rifle!".
Johnk's rifle is gorgeous! tackleberry and Franks guns are great examples of our heritage taking a milsurp and with a little work and a couple special parts converting it into a very handy and attractive hunting rifle.

There is no other rifle that cycles as velvety smooth as the Krag!

[Ragnarok]

I was just preparing to go try my Krag again.

I recycled the recycled front sight...the original slotted base had been brazed onto a hunk of tubing..and soldered back onto the barrel...crooked!

I heated it up with a butane torch and removed it. Drilled and tapped a 10-32 threaded hole down through the center of the blade slot..so I can set-screw it to the barrel. This way I can adjust it for windage..and keep my rear sight's windage adjustment tor windage..and not have to use all the left adjustment up to make up for the crooked front sight!

I've taken a spare Ruger 77 brass beaded sight blade..and laborously whittled it down to fit the slot...trimmed the height some..and have it wedged into the slot(hope it don't fall out).

If my test-fire works out..and my front sight blade is close to the right height...I'll drill it and pin it in place..If not..I'll adjust it as needed and have another test-fire.

[3006guns]

I've had numerous Krags over the years (one of my favorites) and never concerned myself with cracking bolt lugs, etc. If the rifle looked good, it was shot pure and simple. However, the advice about using Magnaflux or the penetrating dye methods is a good, since you have no idea how many "hands" that thing has passed though. Chances are that only standard sporting ammo was fired through it but a little caution will give you piece of mind.

As a wee lad, my uncle did some hunting in Alaska and he told me that many of the guides were packing Krag "sporters". It sure wasn't because of the cartidge's stopping power, but because they could be reloaded rapidly with big snow mittens on!

Like you, my present Krag was a yard sale find......$75 with an excellent bore! You're going to fall in love with that gun.

[Ragnarok]

Coincidently..the guy that sold me the Krag..told me he got it in Alaska when he worked on the north slope oil fields.

My test fire went fairly decent this evening. I had bore-sighted the sights...and I was still hitting a bit right and low. I went back to my truck and rotated the front sight a bit..and tried it again. Still a bit to the right...and my front sight base was starting to get noticably off-centered to the right..so i relented and took the adjustment on the rear sight.

The elevation I adjusted with the rear sight...which I originaly didn't want to do..but thinking about it..if I'm going to reload for this thing..it might not be a bad idea to have some adjustment up and down on the rear sight instead of dialed in and no way to lower the point of aim.

I didn't really shoot for groups..but i did shoot a 3 shot group with my last three rounds..and put them into approx 2" at 50 yds. I didn't think that was too bad.

[leadman]

I bought a Universal brand M-1 carbine once that shot way to the right. Took the action out of the stock and found the barrel slightly bent. "Straightened" it with my foot! Shot fine after a couple adjustments with the sights centered.
Might want to check your barrel.

[Ragnarok]

My Springfield Trapdoor has had the sight beat-over to the right...I got to really looking the poor old long rifle over to see why..all I ever could see was that the 4 foot walnut stock..while straight past the action and well down the forearm..started to twist towards the front..and was actually under the left bottom of the barrel..instead of directly under the barrel as it should be...the stock's barrel channel was literally spireled around the barrel..must have been throwing the shots to the right. Some desperate armorer whacked the front sight a good one..and it shoots perfect!!

I ain't sure what's up with the Krag...I don't think it's got a bent barrel..I'm going to checkout the crown..and check the stock...maybe remove the barrel band and see if that effects it.

I got it shooting straight...but it sure liked shooting right!:-|

[Buckshot]

...............I machined a Krag reciever removal nut once for a guy. I suppose you've seen a stripped Krag action by now? It was said when the Springfield Armory went to making the M1903 actions, the workers there heaved a huge sigh of relief.

http://www.fototime.com/AFAA00BBB05054B/standard.jpghttp://www.fototime.com/E802FCD0E8185CF/standard.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/77D4C8B8E6232AD/standard.jpghttp://www.fototime.com/0B70F154CE0FFF8/standard.jpg

Making it was a lot of fun.

http://www.fototime.com/D2525DEA889AD3A/standard.jpghttp://www.fototime.com/AF0B9C80F77D8E0/standard.jpg

After turning the OD and boring it, all the other work was done on the milling machine.

http://www.fototime.com/1295B50E89293C7/standard.jpghttp://www.fototime.com/BC9C6548FC68881/standard.jpg

LEFT: Almost done. Some final cleaning up to be done. RIGHT: A final check fit.

................Buckshot

[Multigunner]

My Springfield Trapdoor has had the sight beat-over to the right...I got to really looking the poor old long rifle over to see why..all I ever could see was that the 4 foot walnut stock..while straight past the action and well down the forearm..started to twist towards the front..and was actually under the left bottom of the barrel..instead of directly under the barrel as it should be...the stock's barrel channel was literally spireled around the barrel..must have been throwing the shots to the right. Some desperate armorer whacked the front sight a good one..and it shoots perfect!!

I ain't sure what's up with the Krag...I don't think it's got a bent barrel..I'm going to checkout the crown..and check the stock...maybe remove the barrel band and see if that effects it.

I got it shooting straight...but it sure liked shooting right!:-|

Whenever we see a old milsurp rifle with cutdown fore end we automatically assume its a bubba'ed sporter, but many of these old rifles had the end of the fore end cut back to restore accuracy after a stock warped.
If no replacement stocks were available the rifle might never be put back in original trim before being sold off. The altered rifles relegated to range work as long as ammo was available.

In some jurisdictions civilian ownership of a former military rifle with bayonet lug intact was prohibited by law. Fore ends with upper band and lug were lopped off to comply with law.

I noticed that many Krag parade rifles offered for sale have had the fore end and bayonet lug lopped off just a few inches back.

[Bulltipper]

I picked up a 1894 model made in 1896 at auction a couple months ago. It has a beautiful bore and rifling and has a 20,000 serial. The barrel has been cut to 24" and the top handguard is missing (removed). The front sight is original and appears to be way too tall (about.225 by my calculations) I shot it at 50 yds and was way low until I dialed her up to 500 yds on the rear 1901 model sight. I hate to go filing on that front sight and mess it up so I am kind of in a holding pattern at this point. Very cool rifle and a perfect platform for cast boolit shooting! Can anyone tell me how the top handguard is attached? I saw them for sale on Ebay and I was hoping to be able to put one on my rifle.

[swheeler]

I picked up a 1894 model made in 1896 at auction a couple months ago. It has a beautiful bore and rifling and has a 20,000 serial. The barrel has been cut to 24" and the top handguard is missing (removed). The front sight is original and appears to be way too tall (about.225 by my calculations) I shot it at 50 yds and was way low until I dialed her up to 500 yds on the rear 1901 model sight. I hate to go filing on that front sight and mess it up so I am kind of in a holding pattern at this point. Very cool rifle and a perfect platform for cast boolit shooting! Can anyone tell me how the top handguard is attached? I saw them for sale on Ebay and I was hoping to be able to put one on my rifle.

Spring clips that are riveted to the handgard, they snap over the barrel.

[Bulltipper]

Anybody venture a guess at why a few of these mil-surp rifles (mine included ) are shooting so low with their original sights?

[Ed in North Texas]

I picked up a 1894 model made in 1896 at auction a couple months ago. It has a beautiful bore and rifling and has a 20,000 serial. The barrel has been cut to 24" and the top handguard is missing (removed). The front sight is original and appears to be way too tall (about.225 by my calculations) I shot it at 50 yds and was way low until I dialed her up to 500 yds on the rear 1901 model sight. I hate to go filing on that front sight and mess it up so I am kind of in a holding pattern at this point. Very cool rifle and a perfect platform for cast boolit shooting! Can anyone tell me how the top handguard is attached? I saw them for sale on Ebay and I was hoping to be able to put one on my rifle.

The front sight blade on the Krag and 03 rifles were pinned to the base. A new sight blade can be made (or buy a Springfield 03 blade, fits with a little file work on the bottom of the blade IIRC) and set it up to work with your load. At one time using a piece of sheet brass to make the new blade was popular, sort of like using a gold colored ball topped front sight.

[MtGun44]

Bulltipper -

Because most were sighted to be "ON" with original sights at 300 or 400 meters. They
apparently taught a belt buck hold for walking soldiers.

Bill

[leadhead]

Bulltipper,
Make sure you order the right handguard.
They have different ones and are based on
what rear sight you have. I think they made
4 different rear sights.
Denny

[Bulltipper]

Mtgun44, If they were on at 300 to 400 meters, wouldn't they shoot high when set to 100? Mine shoots 20" low at 50yds when set to 100 on the rear sight.
Leadhead, thx for the heads up, I know which one I need for the 1901 rear sight.

[leadman]

I think alot of the sighting issues are:
we are shooting cast boolits that may or may not be close to the original bullet weight
we are shooting cast boolits normally much slower than original velocity loads
the guns have many years on them and have been thru many hands.

[Multigunner]

Hitting low with issue sights could be due to the sight being intended to be filed down when sighted in after delivery to the unit.
Theres detailed instructions on sighting in of WW1 era rifles after delivery in Farrow's Manual of Military Training. These mainly covered rifles fitted with barreled receivers to repalce worn out barrels. The rifle to be repaired was stripped and all usable parts transfered to the barreled receiver, the old barreled receiver was then sent back to the armory. I suspect this was part of the plan to replace suspect low number 1903 receivers, but no distinction was made between the 03 and the M1917 in that section.


The barrel has been cut to 24" and the top handguard is missing (removed). The front sight is original and appears to be way too tall
Since to remount the original sight to a shortened barrel they bored out the cut of portion with sight to make a sleeve, then turned down the barrel and silver soldered the sleeve to the shortened barrel, I wouldn't worry too much about filing this front sight down.

Since moving a high front sight closer to the rear sight automatically changes the angle of line of sight compared to bore line, if a hair high before moving the front sight back multiplies the divergence.

Barrel flip and harmonics can change radically when a barrel is shortened. A high front sight may have been suitable when the barrel was full length. The barrel time would be longer in a longer barrel, so the bullet would leave the muzzle further into its up swing.

Other causes of shooting low with issue sights may be ammunition related. A lighter faster bullet often hits lower than a heavy fairly slow bullet. Thats dependent on a multitude of other factors like burning rate and acceleration curve.
My No.4 when using 150 gr bullet handloads hits dead center at 100 yards using a center hold, but a six o'clock hold is necessary for the MkVII and similar milspec ammo at that range.

I've seen a eastern European bayonet which had an auxillary front sight to be used when firing while bayonet was mounted. A higher front sight was called for under those circumstances, at least for that particular type of rifle.
Some military rifles may have been sighted in with bayonet fixed for some reason. The Russians originally mandated that the Mosin Nagant socket bayonet remain mounted at all times in a combat zone, and the rifles were sighted in with bayonet mounted.
I haven't heard of any such order concerning U S infantry rifles, but who knows, it could have been a short lived and limited practice.

PS
Regardless of the reason a sportered Krag might as well have a sporter front sight with blade height compatable with the ammo you'd wish to use.

[Bulltipper]

Multigunner, thanks for that info, I believe you are spot on and now I can proceed with filing that front sight down. here is a pic of the sight as it is before modification.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_113974ec3ed753ead8.jpg ('http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=2722')

[Char-Gar]

Bulltipper,that is not the original Krag front sight. It is a Springfield 03 band and sight fitted to the Krag barrel. This was common practice years ago when a Krag barrel was cut. These 03 bands could be had for pennys.

I fitted one to my first Krag with a barrel cut to 22" in 1960. The band was heated with a torch so it would expand and driven onto the barrel. When it cooled and shrank, a cross pin was installed. It is still there today.

You can buy all sorts of sights that go into that band. I recently installed an 03 band on an 03A3 barrel and used a Redfield Sourdough front sight. Redfield made these to fit the 03 band years ago.

It certainly won't hurt to take a file to it, as if you go to far, replacements are readily available.

[Bulltipper]

AHA! a picture is worth a thousand words! Into research mode I go, thanks for the info!!

[Char-Gar]

The 03 sight was for a 26" barrel and a faster and lighter bullet. It works on my Krag as I have a Pacific Receiver sight and have plenty of elevation adjustment. If you are using the original Krag barrel mounted sight, you are probably going to have to take a file to it. That is not a big problem.

[Bulltipper]

Short story. I filed the front sight, it looks really cool. I took it out to the pond and threw in an empty beer can. I fired my 170gr cast boolit handloads with 23gr IMR 4198 from 50yds. Beer can is DOA. I am a happy camper!

[Bob S]

The 03 sight was for a 26" barrel and a faster and lighter bullet.

The M1905 front sight (which that is) went on a24" barrel; the rifle originally fired the same 220 grain bullet as the last Krag service loads, but at 2300 FPS. The change of the sights in 1905 (both front and rear) from the original M1903 patterns was part of the change to eliminate the rod bayonet. With the adpotion of the M1906 cartridge, the front sight was not changed ... the rear sight leaf was recalibrated for the 150 grain 2700 fps M1906 cartridge.

The "Springfield" front sight was fitted to Krags by many civilian gunsmiths and owners, but also by the Government when they were trying to sell off Krags in the 1920's. The carbines sold out quickly, but no one would buy the long rifles ... so the government had the rifles shortened to carbine length, and part of that alteration included The M1905 front sight. Most were done at Benicia Arsenal; they are sometimes called "Benicia carbines" or "NRA carbines".

Resp'y,
Bob S.

[Haggway]

Make sure the locking lug is bearing corectly, and have the head space checked. I have had taht done on all my Krags.