Krag comes home

[historicfirearms]

My dad is leaving for Florida in a couple of days. Yesterday he calls me up and tells me he has something for me before he goes away for the winter. It turns out to be my grandfathers m98 Krag! I haven't seen this thing in over 20 years since before grandpa died. Dad said that my grandmother bought it for gramps around 1950. I remember him using it to go deer hunting every fall when I was a kid. I thought it was long gone, I didn't even know that my dad got it when grandpa passed.

Anyway, I just had to tell someone that likes guns as much as I do. I showed my wife, but she just doesn't get it. The old girl (rifle, not wife) has been sporterized sometime in her long life. Its got a Redfield peep site on it, the stock has been cut down, and the original military rear sight is long gone. My first thoughts were to restore her to original military condition. I don't usually like guns that have been modified. But after thinking back of how grandpa loved this old rifle, I'm going to leave it exactly as it is. Next year I'm even going to take her deer hunting once again.

[KCSO]

I hunt with a Krag Sporter or my Sedgley Krag and woudn't changer either one. When my grandkids get my Krags they wil get a booklet with each gun telling when I got it what i did to it over the years the cast bullet loads I used and how many of each animal the gun took.

You got a honey as the karg is one of the two best cast bullet guns going.

[GBertolet]

I love the Krag. I inherited my 1899 carbine from my grandfather. He bought it after WW1 from the DCM for $1.50. It is a great cast bullet gun with that long neck case.

[leadhead]

KCSO, What is the other cast shooter?
Denny

[Hamish]

Let's see here.

You now have a Krag. Which means you now have the sublime task of working up loads and shooting it.

And it was your Grandfathers.

Jackpot!

[gnoahhh]

Good deal! Krags are right up there at the top of my list of favorite milsurps. If the barrel hasn't been shortened (30" and 22" were the only lengths that came from the arsenal, with a tiny handful of exceptions), and the Redfield is a no drill and tap model, and it hasn't been re-blued during its life, then yes it can be restored to originality. You would only need to stretch the fore arm (if it's a 30" rifle) or get a replacement stock, and scare up a correct sight and hand guard. Personally I would leave it alone as it is how your grandfather used it.

How about a pic? Krag porn is ever the best!

[leadman]

The NRA sold a Krag sporter that had a 23" barrel IIRC.
I have an old sporterized Krag with an early Lyman peep on it and it is a blast to shoot. Usually takes me a couple shots before I quit checking the chamber to see if a cartridge actually was in it.

We do need pictures.

[gnoahhh]

The NRA Krags had 22" barrels, I do believe. (I could be wrong, but am pretty sure.) They are pretty rare today, not because they didn't sell a big pile of them but because few survive with the original paperwork verifying what they are. The modifications that went into making an NRA Krag were pretty basic- shorten the barrel and stock, essentially. Such modifications have been done by countless smiths and hobbyists over the last 100 years, so it's really hard to confirm the provenance without those old papers.

The neatest Krag I had was a 24" barreled full stocked "school rifle", altered from an infantry rifle. (Looks like a Cadet Rifle.) It came from out of the attack of an old boy's school in Pennsylvania years ago. One of those I should have clung to, but didn't.

Another anecdote: When looking through some historical papers here at the small liberal arts college I work at, I found that one of the old brick ivy-covered buildings had caught fire in 1913. Students, faculty, and onlookers formed a bucket brigade to rescue the rifles and ammo stored in the basement. Several dozen Krags, and 30,000 rounds of ammunition were saved. Believe me when I tell you I went on a thorough scavenger hunt into all the nooks and crannies of the school in a vain attempt to see if any of that stuff survived the decades! I still have yet to crawl up into the attic of the old gym (which pre-dates the last century). So maybe, just maybe...

[BruceB]

"NRA Krag Carbines" did in fact have 22" barrels. The front sight is a 1903 Springfield assembly, a band-type base with the dove-tailed sight element mounted to it.

The stocks were not cut down (at least in most examples); rather, they were original Krag Carbine stocks with the sling-loop bar on the left side ground down flush with its mounting plate.....meaning, the sling-loop base is still there, but it's inletted flush with the stock's surface.

This makes for a very slick-handling and effective rifle. I'd be quite content to hunt almost anything in North America with my NRA Krag and the original 220-grain bullet weight.

I found the rifle in a Reno NV gun-shop fifteen years ago , priced at the "steal-deal" price of $169. I grabbed it on sight, and didn't let go until I had it in my vehicle....

[historicfirearms]

Gramps rifle may just be one of those NRA carbines. It's got the band type front sight on it anyway. I'll have to take a good look at it when I get home. This weekend I will try to get some pictures up.

[Dobetown]

Your lucky or blessed, use it as is.

[KCSO]

IMHO the long necks and low to medium capacity cases of the 30-30 and the 30-40 Krag are ideal for cast loads. Either one will shoot bullets from 90 to 200 grains with velocities from 650 to 2200 fps. You can match the hunting effectivness of jacketed loads with ease and both can be just as, if not more accurate than factory jacketed bullets. I have a 220 grain rnfp bullet that Mountain Moulds made up for me that has dropped a BUNCH of deer. I have dropped small game galore with the light loads and my scoped Krag is sighted 3" high with the 220 at 100 yards and dead on with a Lee soupcan light load at 25. In addition brass is, or was plentiful and if you lube the inside of the case necks case life is excellent. I have some 30-30 brass that has been fired 20 times or more with 3-20 velocity loads and iis still in use.

[historicfirearms]

I just got done cleaning up the rifle and checking her out. The bolt looks good, no cracks that I can see. The bore cleaned up really nice, no pits and still bright and shiny. Groove diameter slugged out to .3095, throat diameter is .3110". This should be a good shooter, unfortunately I only have one round of 30-40 ammo and its marked 30 US, so I am not going to get to shoot it today. Anyway, here are some pictures to look at.

[madsenshooter]

It's just crying out for some sort of carbine shaped nosecap forward of that barrel band, don't you think?!

[gnoahhh]

It's a dandy! I agree with Madsenshooter re: needing a couple inches of wood ahead of the band. Krags like that are ageless tools- having done the job for way over 100 years, and counting. The neat thing is they served guys from all walks of life, from dirt poor hunters who could barely afford the couple of bucks to buy one, to well heeled sports who commissioned Griffin&Howe and other high-end builders to build beautiful custom rifles based on them.

[madsenshooter]

Here's a boolit I got from Accurate molds. Cast in a high tin alloy (10%) they weigh 220gr checked and lubed. When seated to 3.07" OAL, which will function in the magazine, the nose is in the rifling and the gascheck is just forward of the neck/shoulder junction. I haven't got to shoot it much yet. It's Accurate's 31-230-E.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_12364f2dfafd649fe.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=3777)

[Gtek]

I have several handed downs and I cannot change a thing. That was your grandfathers rifle, it may be exactly how he wanted it. Once you alter it backing up is sometimes difficult. Love and care for it, shoot it, and figure everything out in regard to like/don't like and go find another one and make it just how YOU want it. Two rifles-win, win, your rifle, your choice. Would it not be a day if you took grandpa hunting and slammed a big one. Gtek

[CLAYPOOL]

Some times things are best left "AS IS"..my dads Model 12 is so loose that you can grab the barrel and stock and ALL will rotate differantly...it hasn't been shot since the 70's..but o the stories..

[rhbrink]

madsenshooter how did you get that pointy end on that boolit is that something that Tom is starting to do or did you add that myself?

Richard

[madsenshooter]

Just an angle I add to my flat point bullets with a Lyman top punch. I do it to about all my flatpoints when seating the check. Like these:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_12364eee94013661c.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=3063)

Eagan MX3-30-G and MX2-30-H

[Lance Boyle]

My dad is leaving for Florida in a couple of days. Yesterday he calls me up and tells me he has something for me before he goes away for the winter. It turns out to be my grandfathers m98 Krag! I haven't seen this thing in over 20 years since before grandpa died. Dad said that my grandmother bought it for gramps around 1950. I remember him using it to go deer hunting every fall when I was a kid. I thought it was long gone, I didn't even know that my dad got it when grandpa passed.

Anyway, I just had to tell someone that likes guns as much as I do. I showed my wife, but she just doesn't get it. The old girl (rifle, not wife) has been sporterized sometime in her long life. Its got a Redfield peep site on it, the stock has been cut down, and the original military rear sight is long gone. My first thoughts were to restore her to original military condition. I don't usually like guns that have been modified. But after thinking back of how grandpa loved this old rifle, I'm going to leave it exactly as it is. Next year I'm even going to take her deer hunting once again.



yep, I too prefer the old guns in the original military trim but this rifle with your family history should probably stay just the way she is. Please do go out and take a deer just like gramps would have!. :smile:

[1Shirt]

Good thread about a great rifle issue or sporterized, it is still a Krag!
1Shirt!:coffee:

[uscra112]

Been adding Krag sporters to my safe every couple of years for some time now. I love 'em because every single one has a human story behind it. One is a .219 Zipper conversion which has a date scratched inside the action - 1942. It wasn't quite finished when I got it. I will always wonder if the builder/owner was called to war and never came back to it.

So I'm also in the "leave it alone" camp.

[missionary5155]

Good morning
Have several Krags also which I generally use for bowling pin matches at 50 and 100 yards.
Check your rifle's throat. Grooves also vary but you must have a good throat filling boolit to get things started out correctly on ignition.
Dedicate 20 or maybe 50 (for a real favorite) pieces of brass per rifle and neck size only your brass. In doing so you will probably never loose any brass. Some of my brass is at 17+ reloads.
I will get a picture of my favorite up here shortly.
Mike in ILL

[missionary5155]

The photos of my 1898 Krag which resides at the Danville War Museum on dislay while we are in Peru.

[jlchucker]

I agree with the "leave it alone" sentiment, for all of the reasons stated. You may want to shop around for a vintage '03 Springfield, and either leave it alone or do like your grandfather did and create your own custom sporter. Then, you could pass BOTH along to your own grandchildren.

[Buckshot]

http://www.fototime.com/93A0FC305FC889C/standard.jpghttp://www.fototime.com/D0D7166B1E9D8B1/standard.jpg

............I also have a "Sports-terized" Krag, but it doesn't have a neat story with it like yours. I bought it from a buddy maybe 15 years ago for $200. It has a very nice barrel and shoots quite well. My plans are to put it back into it's military dress. I have a new stock and handguard from Boyds. All the metal was purchased at one of the last big LA gunshows several years ago. The way things are going is I'll probably die before it gets done :-)

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

[frnkeore]

" at one of the last big LA gunshows several years ago"

i went to one of the last 2 and that was more than 15 yrs ago :)

regarding sights on these rifles, i had to go to the click adjustable redfield because mind has a lot of windgage change from jacketed to cast. does anyone else have this problem?

frank

my krag

54342

[nwellons]

This thread reminds me of the first high-power rifle that I shot. My grandaddy had a Krag on loan from a friend (was that the way he bought guns to hide the fact from grandma?) It was sporterized, I later realized. He said that they had been shooting 30-30s in it but getting split cases. I was 16 back then and don't remember how I researched and found it was a 30-40 but I took a lot of my paper route earnings and bought a box. Man that was fun and I really hated it when he said he had to return it.

Forward about 50 years when I saw one like it at a gunshow. It may not be be the same one (who knows) but at least I have one now. And it is just as much fun to shoot but I haven't reloaded for it - yet.

[TCLouis]

A Krag in full dress original or The typical 1950s sporterized version would be the "Cats Meow".

Clean her up, find a good 150-200 grain boolit/load and bang away.

[Shiloh]

I
You got a honey as the karg is one of the two best cast bullet guns going.

Mine shoots great with a 314299


KCSO, What is the other cast shooter?
Denny

For me, the 1903 Springfield.

Shiloh

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Man, I'm jealous of you guys that have a Krag. I'm always wanted one of the carbine versions.

[willy3]

Smoothest action of any military gun ever!! .30/40 was the first hi power gun I bought (age 15, many years ago) Wish I still had it.. Pass it down to your son if you have one...