Restoring my poor bubbaed Krag

[Evoken]

I have had this 1896 for 22 years or so, dad gave it to me when I was 16. It is quite the bubba sporter. Old bub cut up a remington stock, cut and brazed the bolt, and cut a dovetail at the base of the barrel to add a bolt to attach the fore end of the stock to the barrel. Someone also removed the military sight and put on a dovetailed buckhorn, although I don't think old bub did this as it was half decent as I recall.

This old 30-40 always shot low, no matter what. So dad found a peep sight for it and had it installed. Still shot low, front sight is too high. I started filing the front sight down to get it dialed in and the wrist cracked on the old bubba stock. Into the closet it went and I did not touch it for many years, other than to.give it the occasional lube job.

I finally started fiddling with it last may during dirty rona lockdown. This 1st set of pics is what it was when I started.

Here you can see old Bob's handiwork and the horizontal crack in the stock.277571277572277573

[Evoken]

Ok, so 1st things first. I set out to repair the stock. I drilled it out and epoxyed some wood dowels in vertically. Let it set up and put it back together for test firing. Unfortunately it must have had another weak spot in it as after 3 shots the stock broke in 2 pieces behind my repair, it is toast.

Here are some photos of what the rest of it looked like at this point. Old Bubba also took a grinder to the side plate so it would fit in the stock instead of cutting the wood out. The 3 shots I did get off still registered low, hmm front blade still too tall.
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[Evoken]

Fast forward a few months and it's time to get back to this project. I stripped the receiver down and began polishing some of the blemishes out of it. I left the barrel attached as although it is shooting low, it has a tight pattern and a beautiful bore for a 124 year old gun. I don't think it was shot that much due to how clean the bore actually is. This is the action and barrel now, after a bluing job and removing old Bubba's stock bolt.
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[Winger Ed.]

Cool project. I'd re-do it.

I'd have to do some research on stock repair, or look into a reproduction one.
What I found odd--
I could never bring myself to welding a bolt onto a barrel, I wonder why someone did that.

[Evoken]

I found an older sporter stock that I recently bought for a decent price. The stock was cracked vertically at the wrist and drilled and bolted together. It looks like a decent repair. The bolt looks really nice with the exception of old Bub's brazing work on the throw. So, I cleaned it up and powder coated the handle. I'm still a ways off from completion, but it is getting there. These pics are a mock up of the action in the new old stock. I still need to hollow out some of the wood and reinforce it in a few places with all thread and bedding compound, but it is close. For a front sight I used a clip on fiber optic sight I had from a shotgun. Trimmed it down to fit on the front sight riser, and epoxyed it on. It is now as low as it can be with the current riser.277587277588277589

[Evoken]

Cool project. I'd re-do it.

I'd have to do some research on stock repair, or look into a reproduction one.
What I found odd--
I could never bring myself to welding a bolt onto a barrel, I wonder why someone did that.

Ed, it is turning into a fun project indeed. I cant figure out why some meathead would put a stud midway on the barrel either. Thing is, he did not even get the dovetail cut in properly. It is not at 6 o'clock on the barrel, more like 4 o'clock. The new stock does not cover it, so I will most likely make a slug to fit it and blue to match the best I can.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Certainly an interesting project. Is the stock somehow 2 piece? I've never seen that before (if I'm seeing correctly), and if so, how is the forearm held on? I'm always a sucker for fiddle back or tiger stripe. It's not uncommon to have some sort of an arrangement out forward of the receiver to secure the stock to the barrel, as otherwise there's nothing forward of the front trigger guard screw. I've reworked a lot of these rifles, and I'd have to say that breaking as you've described is uncommon--but cracks on top of the wrist and around the magazine and bolt are not. Keep us up to date-- I'd like to see the finished product!

DG

[444ttd]

good lookin project!!!!!!!

[Winger Ed.]

I cant figure out why some meathead would put a stud midway on the barrel either. .

Maybe it was along the idea of the stock helping to strengthen/eliminate a thin barrel's harmonics.
Arms makers had barrel bands and full length stocks back in the old days- I think for that reason.
Somebody might have had a matching hole in the stock for a washer & nut.

By the way---Good looking new stock.

At the range, you should expect a lot of, "Wow..... what's that"?

[swheeler]

Pretty wood, is that a two piece stock?

[Texas by God]

The Krag sporter has to have something in front as DG says since it no longer has the forend handguard and band. That is a most unusual stock with the wide steel band in front of the action but it looks vintage. You improved the bolt handle tremendously and yes, please keep posting your progress. Did you replace the magazine side plate? I'm surprised that it could be ground flat as mine are quite thin sided on the curved surface.

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[richhodg66]

Looks great to me! Krags are cool.

[Evoken]

The stock is 2 pieces. It looks to me like someone took a bookend match of slab wood to carve it out and glued the halves together. It is left side, right side, not front/back. The band on it is a dummy just for show.

I think what I will have to do is reinforce it under the band just in front of the receiver. I will also have to come up with some type of band to secure the receiver where the barrel screws in. I would like to try and leave the barrel free floating.
I also plan on pillar bedding the 2 action screws at the trigger guard and adding some type of reinforcement just in front of the trigger assembly. Since the krags do not have a receiver lug I am hoping some of these things will help.
There is the area under the receiver that has a portion of the metal carved out towards the front that looks like a triangle. I am thinking if I can make a piece of hard aluminum to fit this, I will be able to add a stud to the front and attach it to the stock where I plan on banding it.
Those will be my 2 issues, making a recoil lug, and making a receiver band that both provide some rigidity.

[uscra112]

Much as I love my Krags, I'm not sure I Iwould have even tried restoring yours. Kudos!

[Evoken]

Much as I love my Krags, I'm not sure I Iwould have even tried restoring yours. Kudos!

It was/is a pig indeed, and worth nothing to anyone but me. However, it is very special to me. Dad had it in the back of the safe for many years before he gave it to me, because he knew it was a turd haha.
It will be a slow going process, but one day it will be a cast boolit shooter.
Krags are pretty special to me, dad has a nice unmolested one hanging on the mantle, and pap had one that he sporterized and hunted with my entire life. My cousin has pap's rifle now, and I hope to acquire it someday just for sentimental purposes.

[444ttd]

It was/is a pig indeed, and worth nothing to anyone but me. However, it is very special to me. Dad had it in the back of the safe for many years before he gave it to me, because he knew it was a turd haha.
It will be a slow going process, but one day it will be a cast boolit shooter.
Krags are pretty special to me, dad has a nice unmolested one hanging on the mantle, and pap had one that he sporterized and hunted with my entire life. My cousin has pap's rifle now, and I hope to acquire it someday just for sentimental purposes.


i too, have a sentimental krag. it was my great grandfather's, grandpappy's, dad, late uncle and now me. its sporterized(probably bannerman?) and it doesn't have any historical value, but its mine. when i am dead and gone, my son's will have it.

my pappy gave it to me before he died
https://i.imgur.com/72PElHf.jpg?1

i replaced the stock(pappy had the original) and i bought the redfield 102k aperture sight on evilbay.
https://i.imgur.com/7BTwpwD.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/bSgs759.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/PyhUcRt.jpg

i have two krag actions(without bolt) and one other sporterized krag. it was rusty but i took it down to basic pieces and evaporust it. then i took oxpho-blue to the krag and there it sits, waiting for the day the krag is chambered to 9.3/30-40 krag.

[flintlocke]

Hats off, a testament to your patience and craftsmanship.

[Evoken]

Hats off, a testament to your patience and craftsmanship.

Thanks, patience yes craftsmanship we shall see.... I figured I can't do much more harm to it. I have a plan devised in the old peabrain to make up a receiver band out of a solid stainless eye. I will need to get some odds and end parts and some bedrock.
Lots of filing, fiddling, and polishing for the next few steps.

[Texas by God]

I finished my built from parts Krag last year and will say that fitting a stock to a Mauser is easy compared to a Krag. Kudos, sir.
What brand is your rear sight? I used a Redfield 102 K also from online auction as above.

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[Evoken]

The sight is a Williams, it is stamped krag underneath. The stock is definitely tricky on these things. Not enough there to keep them strong and straight without making a bench rest stock.
When completed I plan on using this as a thick woods buster. It is a carbine 22" barrel.
Ordered a bunch of stainless bits and bobs to start reinforcement in a few key areas. Hopefully get them this week and start some layout before it gets the drill and router. Then it will be onto bedding some steel in and working on the barrel band.

[gnoahhh]

The protocol for Krag sporters since the beginning of time was to put a barrel band on to anchor a screw into up through the fore arm. Some crafty guys even d/t'ed a screw hole under the receiver ring (but that's darned difficult as the steel is harder than woodpecker lips). Sometimes you'll see them with a shallow dovetail cut in the bottom of the barrel into which a block of steel is fitted to accept a screw. Any way you do it, the front end of the gun must be anchored. The two trigger guard screws aren't enough - the barreled action will try lever itself up and back out of the wood with each shot with it merely anchored in the back end.

You say the gun is shooting low. Dumb question, but did you raise the rear sight staff to compensate before filing on the front sight? I've owned a pile of Krag Sporters in my life, including a couple right now, and they all had receiver sights on them - and I never ever had to mess with front sights, even issue front sights. If the answer is "yes, I have tried raising the rear sight slide", then I would throw a straight edge on the barrel or something, to make sure the barrel isn't bent down slightly.

[Evoken]

The protocol for Krag sporters since the beginning of time was to put a barrel band on to anchor a screw into up through the fore arm. Some crafty guys even d/t'ed a screw hole under the receiver ring (but that's darned difficult as the steel is harder than woodpecker lips). Sometimes you'll see them with a shallow dovetail cut in the bottom of the barrel into which a block of steel is fitted to accept a screw. Any way you do it, the front end of the gun must be anchored. The two trigger guard screws aren't enough - the barreled action will try lever itself up and back out of the wood with each shot with it merely anchored in the back end.

You say the gun is shooting low. Dumb question, but did you raise the rear sight staff to compensate before filing on the front sight? I've owned a pile of Krag Sporters in my life, including a couple right now, and they all had receiver sights on them - and I never ever had to mess with front sights, even issue front sights. If the answer is "yes, I have tried raising the rear sight slide", then I would throw a straight edge on the barrel or something, to make sure the barrel isn't bent down slightly.

As far as the sight, yes I fiddled with it until it was maxed and still shot low. The original front blade was long ago removed and another was soldered in. As far as the barrel being warped down, I did not straight edge it yet but it was a thought I had. It has a dovetail cut into the bottom and a bolt was soldered into it. I believe this was potentially why it was shooting low. The bolt was pulling the barrel down, the dovetail was cut to far forward I believe.

My plans are to make a barrel band that fits just where the receiver and barrel meet. I am planning on using a female thread eye nut to accomplish this. I will be able to use a bolt through the base of the stock to secure the front of the receiver and the rear of the barrel. Basically in the same location you would find a traditional recoil lug on a free float rifle. I plan on using 3/8" x 16 threads on this, they should certainly be strong enough. The material I am using is rated for 5000 or so pounds of hanging weight. Should be able to handle the old krags recoil. In the location of the barrel band I plan on routing out the wood and using bedrock to reinforce the area. In my pictures the stock has a dummy barrel band, that is purely aesthetic. I plan on drilling the screw holes all the way through and using some bugle head bolts and a coupler nut, also bedded in epoxy.

I will also be pillar bedding the 2 action screws at the trigger guard, this will also add some rigidity. When all said and done the wood will be a veneer more or less and there will be quite a bit of resin.
If I can have a free floating 30-06, surely I can accomplish this on a tame old pussycat such as the krag.

[Evoken]

Getting back at this a bit as some of my parts came in. As a few of you have suggested the stock is in fact 2 pieces, although it was pinned together. I pulled the barrel band and seen the seam. Whomever had made this did a fairly good job at hiding the seam where you could see it. They had pinned it with wood dowels.
Thus actually makes working on it a bit easier, as I can get at the critical areas now. I will have to come up with a solution to repin it when I am done removing material for the barrel band and reinforcement epoxy.

These photos show the stock pulled apart and the piece I will be using as a band.
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[Evoken]

Almost done now. Removed material from base of stock to accept a piece of all thread and epoxy. Made the barrel band. Started bedding everything.
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[Evoken]

More bedding, and now altogether drying.278598278599

[Evoken]

I pillar bedded the 2 action/ guard screws as well. Did not take any pics of that. I used commercial aluminum pillars and epoxy.

[444ttd]

Evoken,

i recently bought a 1896 krag stock for one of my 98 krag actions. (don't ask, but it was cheap, like i am:veryconfu) i will look forward to your posts.

[Evoken]

I am going to let everything cure and probably give it a few shots next weekend. If all goes well it will be time to finish off all the gingerbread.

[444ttd]

can't wait!!!!!

[Evoken]

278943
I have my test loads made up. These are both starting loads for the closest heavier weight in the latest lyman manual.
Both boolits are seated at the crimp ring and crimped with a lee fcd. Minimal pressure is required to close the bolt and the rounds are engraving ever so slightly.
If these rounds fire well with no observed stress on the action and stock I have some factory j rounds that I will run through after these.

[444ttd]

try a 165gr ranch dog(173gr my alloy) and h4198(1926fps) for deer. they go 1 1/2 - 2 1/4" at 100 yards(5 shots/benched) but when the wind and my eyes are all right, the earth lines up with up with the moon and stars it goes 3/4 - 1 1/4" at 100 yards.

the throat on my rifle is loooooooong, there is no way to engrave the boolits. so i crimp them on the crimp groove and thats that[smilie=l:.

[Evoken]

I like the way the ranch dog mold looks and would like to get one.
I will most definitely get to trying 4198. For my first test I wanted to use some soft low pressure loads to start with. Once I'm sure she can take it I will start trying put both 4198 and 4895.

[Evoken]

Shot the old girl today. I have some great and not so great news to report.

The great news is she held up just fine. I shot 25 rounds, including 9 round of full power factory Remington 180's. No new stress crack or fatigue that I could see whatsoever.

Now the not so great news.... Which will be easy to rectify. I am shooting WAY high. The original configuration with the bolt midway mounting to the stock must have been pulling the barrel down. With the rear sight maxed out I am shooting 2' high at 25 yds!!! So unfortunately the fiver optic sight will have to go, and I will have to make a nice tall front blade.

All in all, I am very pleased with the results so far. The sight is small potatoes.

[444ttd]

way to go!!!!!

[GregLaROCHE]

Shot the old girl today. I have some great and not so great news to report.

The great news is she held up just fine. I shot 25 rounds, including 9 round of full power factory Remington 180's. No new stress crack or fatigue that I could see whatsoever.

Now the not so great news.... Which will be easy to rectify. I am shooting WAY high. The original configuration with the bolt midway mounting to the stock must have been pulling the barrel down. With the rear sight maxed out I am shooting 2' high at 25 yds!!! So unfortunately the fiver optic sight will have to go, and I will have to make a nice tall front blade.

All in all, I am very pleased with the results so far. The sight is small potatoes.

You need to check how the gun is shooting at at least one hundred yards. Boolits don’t travel straight, they arc. Many military rifles are zeroed in for a hundred yards or more.

[Evoken]

You need to check how the gun is shooting at at least one hundred yards. Boolits don’t travel straight, they arc. Many military rifles are zeroed in for a hundred yards or more.

You are absolutely correct sir. However, I knew I was shooting extremely high at 100yds. I could not hit a sheet of plywood(my 100yd board) was shooting into the dirt behind/above it. This was holding at the bottom in the dirt on the target board. So even at 100yd I'm shooting at least 4'1" high, possibly higher yet.

[Texas by God]

It’s time for a taller front blade if you have the original issue sight on it. My Krag has a heavier profile Pac Nor barrel and it took a Remington 700 ramp front sight to line up with the Redfield 102K rear. Mine has conventional bedding with Acraglas at the chamber area and a home rigged barrel band.
You have fixed up a cool rifle; keep going and keep posting your progress, please.