.30-40 Krag

[TNsailorman]

I have wanted a Krag for some years now(I am 79) but just did not have the money when I was younger with a growing family. I walked into my local gun store today to buy a RCBS .224 case trimmer pilot and 2 steps inside the store my eyes locked onto a Krag sitting in a side gun rack with a bunch of pretty sad cases that had been traded in but were not deemed fit to sit in the long display racks behind the long counter. Picked it up and was really surprised at the condition. Original blue and no rust anywhere. Stock has seen better days but no cracks or gouges or dents. And it is a Carbine. I bought the RCBS pilot and left to go home. Got home and just could not get that little Krag off my mind. 30 minutes later I was getting dressed to go back to the store. Went back to the store, took my bore light and checked out the bore and it has strong rifling and I saw no pits or evidence of rust in the grooves. Now, barring a disaster between now and Monday evening, I will be the proud owner of that little Krag, with some ammo thrown into the deal(I don't know how much ammo yet).. Depending on tax, it will come in around $500.00. The deal has not been completed as yet. The store owner has some medical problems and will not be back to the store until Monday. So I can't get possession until then anyway. I will be a nervous wreck until Monday evening. james[smilie=w:

[ShooterAZ]

From the sound of it, I'd say you done real well....Congrats!

[Krag 1901]

Sporter or Military. Sounds like a good deal, did you check the bolt for cracks around the lug? The sights are a big variable with Krags.
Check out Small Arms of WWI Primer 063: U.S. Krag–Jørgensen Model 1898
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQAqNqaiQwY&t=5658s

This is a rabbit hole, but a great series. They also have programs on the Danish and Norwegian Krags.

[Baltimoreed]

Good luck. They are very cool rifles. Don’t feel bad, I didn’t discover them until I was near my retirement. Have 3 now, a fake carbine, a correct 1899 school rifle and a very nice 1896 rifle. Did you think to get the year off the recvr? The Krag Collectors forum is the best for info on all things Krag and a fine bunch of knowledgeable guys.

[Mk42gunner]

$500 sounds like a screaming good deal these days, even if turns out to be a cut down rifle. If in fact it is an original carbine, you should not waste money on a lottery ticket since you already used your luck.

Krags are addicting. My first exposure was a friends dad had a sporterized one with Bishop stock that he bought from Sears when deer seasons started again in MO.

Robert

Robert

[444ttd]

good job!!!!!

i have 4 krags.

2 sporterized and 2 actions sans bolt.

the first one i was given by my late grandpap, which he got it from his dad.

[Texas by God]

A friend with an FFL got one at a police auction for $35 and sold it to me for $35. It was a 30” barreled cut stock bubba with a Lyman peep. It shot great, but was too long for my 1964 Ford stepside’s cab-so ( cringe)- I cut, crowned it to 22” and resweated the front sight back on. It still shot great and I stalked a nice buck on a very windy day and killed it at 20 yards. Alas, it’s just a good memory now. My keeper Krag only has an original 1898 action- the rest of it is aftermarket. I’m liking it too. A lot.

[elk hunter]

Good luck. They are very cool rifles. Don’t feel bad, I didn’t discover them until I was near my retirement. Have 3 now, a fake carbine, a correct 1899 school rifle and a very nice 1896 rifle. Did you think to get the year off the recvr? The Krag Collectors forum is the best for info on all things Krag and a fine bunch of knowledgeable guys.

How about some pictures of your school gun. Not that many of them around. Bubba cut the wood and drilled and tapped mine. I keep thinking I'll restore mine to it's correct configuration.

[Baltimoreed]

Here’s my Philippine Constabulary but it’s really a school rifle from when high schools and colleges had centerfire rifle teams. The bowie bayonet is a fake that I made from a buggered up Bolo knife. But the rifle is correct with the ‘c’s on the rear carbine sight.

[Pirate69]

What was the name of that Shop again??? LOL

[TNsailorman]

Shangri La

[TNsailorman]

Krag 1901 mentioned bolt lug cracks, so I will check that out. But I need more advice on what to look for in this Krag. Thanks, james

[Baltimoreed]

Look at the front sight, a ‘03 or williams ramp sight means a cut down rifle not a carbine. Thats the biggest tell as to whether your carbine is real. If it has a Krag front sight and the bbl is 22 inches its possibly a real carbine. Still could be a put together. Of course then is the stock, handguard, rear sight correct to the year and sn stamped on the recvr. There were a ridiculous variety of sights and handguards used on US Krag rifles no longer than it was in service. If the front sight and bbl are legit I’d buy it. Post some pix and questions on the Kragcollectors forum, they know their krags there.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Krag 1901 mentioned bolt lug cracks, so I will check that out. But I need more advice on what to look for in this Krag. Thanks, james

James--I've looked at a lot of Krag bolts over the years, and have only seen one that had a cracked lug. It was very obvious. I wish I would have taken a photo, but by the time I thought to do so I had already shipped it back to the seller.
They do exist and turn up every now and then, but aren't all that common. They seem to be entirely the result of shooting overloaded ammo, and of course one wants to get rid of them, but replacement bolts aren't that hard to find. If a rifle was sound otherwise I wouldn't let the bolt be a deal killer.

DG

[Krag 1901]

As for the bolt. I had a double charge and chrony'd the 160 gr boolet at 3,755 fps! It didn't hit the target or frame at 100 yards, the bolt held but was a bugger to get out. It bent the lug about 40 degrees and the primer fell out of the smoshed case head. But no gas came back at me and the case didn't separate until I tried to drive it out with a rod!

The smith replaced the bolt and she kept shooting, but I'm very careful now! Still the Krag is a lot stronger than most give them credit for and smooth as butter. The old 1901 barrel was a bit pitted so I replaced it with a CMP Criterion barrel. THe accuracy hasn't improved but the barrel is a lot easier to clean now.

[TNsailorman]

Well I hate to admit it but I let myself get carried away when I first saw the rifle on Thursday. It would make a good cast shooter but it is not original as I thought nor in as good of condition as I thought. When I got it under some good light in the store today and checked it out and checked it with some suggestions here and also some drawing and schematics on the internet, I was discouraged to say the least. The barrel was 24" and had obviously been cut and crowned. The front sight was a add on sight(looked military but not like the drawings of the Krag showed). The rear sight was gone and replaced by some kind of peep sight that I have never seen before. The stock was a cut down rifle stock and not too bad of a job but definitely not carbine. The fore end was a completely different than a original Carbine stock. The blueing was about 80% with fading in areas but the lettering was dished out some showing that it had been reblued at some time. The rifling looked fairly sharp but there was some corrosion in the grooves(I had missed that on first inspection). The butt stock had been cut and some kind of cupped butt plate that looked like it was made out of aluminum had been poorly fitted to it. I knew about the butt plate on first inspection but thought I could live with that or change it myself. There were a few other lesser details I didn't like. It was just not what I was looking for or thought I had found on first quick inspection. The shop owner was very nice and said "no problem" when I said it just was not what I was looking for. I still would like to have a Krag but I would want one more original than this one. It would make a fine hunting rifle but I have a .30-30 Marlin and 3 30-06's and so don't need another hunting rifle. I just got a little carried away by the thought of a historic firearm that had fought at San Juan Hill and in the Boxer Rebellion defending the legations. Thanks for the help, james

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Too bad, James--but one with your name on it will probably come along. I had a "Krag period" in my life, and rebuilt many of them into nice rifles. A couple of days ago I got the inspiration to check e-bay's parts offerings and Gunbroker's rifles, and came away with the impression that $1,000 is low for a good Krag. What would at first appear to be junkers go for $450-$600, but if you've been around a lot of them you discern that some of them could be rehabilitated into good rifles. I came away with the impression that good used stocks are probably the most difficult and expensive part to find.

DG

[gnoahhh]

Hmmm. Depending on what that rear sight is it may have more value than you think. Example: Lyman 48K (for Krags) fetch $200+ (and$400 for new-in-the-box). Redfield "No-Drill" sights $100-150, and even the lowly Pacific and Rice sights are fetching princely sums. Ditto the "cupped aluminum butt plate". Pacific made an aftermarket butt plate out of aluminum that duplicated the Springfield Model 1922 butt plate (used on M1922 .22's, NRA Sporters, and Style T target rifles). The only real difference was the Pacific butt plate was aluminum and the Armory butt plate was steel. They have some pretty decent value today.

24" barrel with an added-on sight? Springfield '03 barrel? Quite a common switch back in the day.

Next time when faced with something like this take some snapshots. It's altogether too possible for newbies to overlook interesting/valuable features.

[Baltimoreed]

Sorry it wasn’t what you hoped it would be. My first krag was that way except I bought it. Some of the parts got sold to defray the cost but it eventually became a decent Krag scout. The next two were 100 % legit, an 1899 school rifle and an 1896 rifle, as I had done my homework. Pick yourself up a copy of Joe Poyer’s The American Krag Rifle and Carbine. Better luck next time.

[uscra112]

The Krag cartridge is IMHO the finest .30 caliber cast-bullet cartridge there ever was or ever will be.

[uscra112]

I've got pictures of cracked lugs, but the server is currently choking on something and won't let me access them. Will try later.

[alamogunr]

The Krag cartridge is IMHO the finest .30 caliber cast-bullet cartridge there ever was or ever will be.

Sorry to go off topic but this comment on the .30-40 cartridge got me thinking. I've got a 1895 Browning Miroku in .30-40 Krag. Right now it is a safe queen. I've never shot it but have dies and brass. Haven't given much thought to a mold. I have several .30 caliber molds, just not sure which one would work best.

The only reason I bought it was it was different and I understand that .30-40 is not very common in that rifle.

[uscra112]

Almost anything will shoot well in the 30-40. It likes heavy ones. The .311284 was designed for it, and I can testify that even my worst worn Krags liked it. Only modern rifling with narrow lands will upset it, because it's a bore-rider. 311299 is another bore-rider that is supposed to be good in worn barrels. For a while I played with the little 115 grain 311008 (3118) .32-20 bullet for plinking, using 6 grains of Red Dot. (Bullseye would do as well.) In a pinch that would make a usable small game load out to about 50 yards. The Ranch Dog ought to work fine. In all cases size to fit the throat, not the bore.

Here are the cracked bolt pics.

[444ttd]

here are some pictures of 165gr ranch dogs in my krag.

https://i.imgur.com/67l4Fmq.jpg?1

165gr rd with .429" boolits
https://i.imgur.com/4pV0D7p.jpg?1

100 yard groups (bench)
https://i.imgur.com/xEA6Z29.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/eqVnKIw.jpg?2
https://i.imgur.com/ebk7JpN.jpg

7-10 shots(h4198) are a group. 1-6 shots i was trying to zero my krag
https://i.imgur.com/LG8vMD3.jpg

[MOC031]

Sorry to go off topic but this comment on the .30-40 cartridge got me thinking. I've got a 1895 Browning Miroku in .30-40 Krag. Right now it is a safe queen. I've never shot it but have dies and brass. Haven't given much thought to a mold. I have several .30 caliber molds, just not sure which one would work best.

The only reason I bought it was it was different and I understand that .30-40 is not very common in that rifle.

I have an original, stamped "30 U.S.", manufactured circa 1897 according to the collectors. The barrel is so worn or was manufactured so oversize that it has a rifle bore that should be on a .303 British despite the chambering; it's a barn door rifle with jacketed bullets for hunting until I load it with cast bullets of the proper size.

This probably doesn't help nor would fit your modern Miroku's barrel, but these two from Accurate Molds really make my 1895 step up to the plate; maybe a similar design in an appropriate bore size would work in your modern 1895.

280547

[alamogunr]

I have an original, stamped "30 U.S.", manufactured circa 1897 according to the collectors. The barrel is so worn or was manufactured so oversize that it has a rifle bore that should be on a .303 British despite the chambering; it's a barn door rifle with jacketed bullets for hunting until I load it with cast bullets of the proper size.

This probably doesn't help nor would fit your modern Miroku's barrel, but these two from Accurate Molds really make my 1895 step up to the plate; maybe a similar design in an appropriate bore size would work in your modern 1895.

280547

I'll have to look into those two. Accurate should cut a mold to whatever size I need.

My problem is that I start in too many directions and don't do justice to anything.

[MOC031]

I'll have to look into those two. Accurate should cut a mold to whatever size I need.

Indeed. And if you look at the pic, that's exactly what I had him do after I'd done a cerrosafe cast of the chamber/ball seat/leade and micro'd it up. The bullets dropping from the mould are bang on; couldn't ask for better.

The measurements were of a Lee-Enfield chamber, not for my 1895 that has a barrel with bore and groove dimensions that belong on a .303 British, but his moulds drop exactly what I asked for. I'm pretty lucky that the one mould works very well for both rifles of supposedly two different calibers. If my 1895 needed smaller .30 cal bullets, I'd be checking through his catalogue to see what he offered in a .30 cal equivalent like the two above.

[alamogunr]

I looked up the two molds you showed in your post. They are both in his catalog. Number 31-184C differs in his catalog in that the diameter of the driving bands is .311 instead of .315. One other dimension that differs is what may be a bore ride diameter and location on the nose of the bullet. I didn't go any further comparing dimensions. So apparently that mold is available without modification for normal .30 calibers.

The other mold(31-170Y) shows .315 dia. drive bands and other dimensions look the same as your mold. I also didn't compare every dimension for this bullet.

I'm not a bullet designer so I might be inclined to order 31-184C as shown in his catalog if it matched my barrel after a pound cast but not the other since it is beyond my understanding of other dimensions.

[gnoahhh]

Decide what alloy you intend to use before having custom molds cut, and tell the man what the alloy will be. Surprising size differences occur between hard and soft alloys, tin/lead alloys, and alloys containing antimony.

I gave up looking for a better mold for Krags long ago, once I tried good old 311284. Ten or fifteen Krags later, it still cuts the mustard across the board. (How's that for a mixed metaphor?) Granted though, I was never unfortunate to get a Krag with an oversize barrel. (I've heard plenty of tales of woe in that regard but, knock on wood, it never befell me.) The two I currently own are a moot point as they both wear new Criterion barrels, but still the 311284 shines in them.

[Krag 1901]

For lighter boolets the Lee 312-160-2R is excellent in my rifle. The nose is almost a 314299 shape and fits a bit tighter. With 2400 or 4198 it has done well.

[Baltimoreed]

I recently bought a lee C312-155-2R. Is this the same mould? Thinking about pc’ing them but haven’t cast any yet.

[Krag 1901]

I recently bought a lee C312-155-2R. Is this the same mould? Thinking about pc’ing them but haven’t cast any yet.

No, the 312-155-2R is a lot more pointed and does not have the full nose of the 312-160-2R. I have both and find the 155 works well in my .308 but not as well in the Krag. I believe this is due to the lead in the Krag which is made for the heavier boolets. I don't think that you can load the 155 long enough to be as accurate in the Krag as the 160. the 160 has a good BC of .267 as well. Not as good as the BC of the 314299 which has a BC of .377!

The 170 gr ".30-30" boolets seem to work okay as they have a full flat nose and might be a better hunting boolet.

[Baltimoreed]

Thanks 1901. My usual Krag and ‘03 BAMM load uses a 193 gr .311 GC Hunter’s Supply flat point boolit. I thought that I’d do some ‘sperementing with the Lee. Also curious if it would work in a 300blkout I'm trying to get to run.

[444ttd]

try the bull shop. its cheaper than the $60 that hunter's supply is selling you.

https://bullshop.weebly.com/-30-caliber-cast-bullets.html

[trenches]

When I worked at the shop I snagged a bubba'd krag. looked like someone had stuck the muzzle in the dirt for awhile. The stock had been cut down but nicely done.
Bought it for $75. Cut the muzzle back to good rifling then recrowned it. I refinished the stock with artist grade linseed oil. Removed the piece of 1/4" rubber that was the butt pad and installed a Pachmyr rifle pad. Dog-gone I forget how to spell Pachmyr. Getting old. Also put a picatinny rail on it and long eye relief sight. The old eyes aren't what the used to be. It does have a receiver sight of unknown origin mounted on the cocking knob.
Anyway the rifle loves Hornady 220gr SN bullets. And 200gr. cast ones.
Nice find OP. You'll like that old rifle.
last time I went hunting I carried that old Krag. But didn't see a deer.

[NorthMoccasin]

Try the Lyman 311299 or the NOE clone. Shoots really well in my 1895 Winchester and my Krag sporter.

[DxieLandMan]

You will love the Krag. I bought one and then started reloading for it. Shoots like a tack driver

[Rich/WIS]

Had a sporter that loved the 311284 sized.310. When I thinned the herd it went down the road. Still have two Krags, but they Ruger No 3's that have had the stocks replaced with pistol grip styles, they prefer the 311291 sized .310. As stated the Krag is a really fine cast bullet cartridge.

[bob208]

i have 7 rifles and three carbines and they all shoot the 311299 bullet

[DxieLandMan]

You will love the Krag. I bought one and then started reloading for it. Shoots like a tack driver

Went to the range with my gunsmith yesterday and he could not get over how much he loved shooting it. You will too

[Baltimoreed]

This is what my first Krag ‘carbine’ evolved into. Kraghaus scope mount, nikon EER scope, 19 inch bbl, sporter stock, butt pad cheek rest and ammo band.

ATTACH=CONFIG]288032[/ATTACH]

[Texas by God]

They are quite the rifle. I Enjoyed shooting mine today.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210912/a67bbaea1235d41ae8a8a8e1aaa4a996.jpg

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

[uscra112]

I'm getting to the point in life where I'm thinking a lot about paring down my collections. The .30-06s and the .300 Win Mag will all go, but at least one of the Krags will stay.

[trails4u]

The one in my avatar is amongst the favorites in my collection...... Rings steel at 100yds with boring ease.

[elk hunter]

In military rifles I don't believe there is one better suited to cast bullets than the Krag. Slick, smooth action, rimmed case that doesn't get driven ahead in the chamber buy the firing pin so it changes the head to shoulder length. Easy on the eye and the shoulder. What's not to like.

[Pressman]

In military rifles I don't believe there is one better suited to cast bullets than the Krag. Slick, smooth action, rimmed case that doesn't get driven ahead in the chamber buy the firing pin so it changes the head to shoulder length. Easy on the eye and the shoulder. What's not to like.

What's not to like? The price they are selling for. I should have bought one 30 years ago. :cry:

[444ttd]

my great grandfather, grandfather, dad, late uncle,me and my oldest son have killed deer with the krag.

krag #1 heirloom
before
https://i.imgur.com/cBi4FhJ.jpg?1

after
https://i.imgur.com/DVr4IEx.jpg

krag #2 i bought for $120
before
https://i.imgur.com/QnjWSxh.jpg

after
https://i.imgur.com/XNOrQfY.jpg


two 1898 krag actions(i have the stocks)
https://i.imgur.com/9FtYpNK.jpg

[alamogunr]

Interesting thread. I don't have a Krag rifle but I do have a Browning/Miroku 1895 in .30-40. I've not reloaded for it yet. I think I only bought it for it's uniqueness.

I don't hunt so one of these days one of my sons will either hunt with it or it will go down the road. Or, it could be a grandson that will hunt with it. Won't matter to me either way by then.

[444ttd]

Interesting thread. I don't have a Krag rifle but I do have a Browning/Miroku 1895 in .30-40. I've not reloaded for it yet. I think I only bought it for it's uniqueness.

I don't hunt so one of these days one of my sons will either hunt with it or it will go down the road. Or, it could be a grandson that will hunt with it. Won't matter to me either way by then.



my son and i have about 14-15 deer killed with the krag. my son has the longest shot with a cast boolit, 173 yards-laser range finder thingy:redneck::redneck:. the first year i took it out(9 - 10 years ago), i got a doe that was measured at 93 yards. boom, thwap, dead deer. i and my son can say that we have never tracked deer after the shot. i am waiting for the deer to run, jog or walk after the shot, but they aren't cooperating!!!! i use a 165gr ranch dog(.311") with 25.5gr of h4198 going 1926fps.

i've seen a old 1895 winchester with a peep sight in 30-40 krag(30 army) that i just luv, but can't afford.

peep sight pictures
https://i.imgur.com/fUsLLbY.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/qc9q76n.jpg

[Baltimoreed]

288711288712288713288714288715
Here’s my 1896.

[rmcc]

I have (2) Krags, a 1900 & a 1901. I think they are one of the finest shooting rifles out there. As the above stated, they love cast!! Lyman 311467 over 20 gr of IMR4227 shoots great!!

[gnoahhh]

Here's one of my Krags. Converted to single shot with bull barrel, .22 Maximum Lovell. Pacific double set triggers (push the front trigger forward to set the rear trigger). All work done by Hervey Lovell himself.

https://i.imgur.com/oGu2JvFl.jpg

[444ttd]

Here's one of my Krags. Converted to single shot with bull barrel, .22 Maximum Lovell. Pacific double set triggers (push the front trigger forward to set the rear trigger). All work done by Hervey Lovell himself.

https://i.imgur.com/oGu2JvFl.jpg

:awesome::awesome::awesome::awesome:

i love that lovell!!!!!!!!!

[tdoor4570]

Last weekend I went to a local gun show and added another 30 Army to the collection . I have 2 model 1898 Krags and 1 1894 Krag now I have 1 1895 Winchester 1928 build date all in 30 army, my son has 2 1898's so all in all we are now feeding 6 krags.

[TNsailorman]

You guys are killing me. The Krag is one of the rifles I have always wanted but could not find the "right" one. I am still looking though. May sell one of my modern rifles to buy one yet. My shooting days are about over but at least I can pet on it. james

[toot]

remember that even a blind pig finds a nut every now and then!

[toot]

at $500.00 you did not go wrong. I have a PHILLIPINE CONSTABUATLY CARBINE , with original sling, that I paid $1200 for a good while back. and yes the rear sight is marked with a C, on it.

[KCSO]

I have a 95 with the Climin Lyman in a 22 inch barreled carbine and it is an excellent shooter and a good deer gun But it will never replace my 98 Krag with the side mount and the 2.5 Weaver Post.

[toot]

with a cracked bolt head would it cause a catastrophic failure, if so what would happen? can it be shot with this condition?

[Der Gebirgsjager]

That's an interesting question, and is an "unknown" to me. Common sense would dictate that if one discovered that the bolt was cracked that they would replace it.

Nevertheless, having been interested in them for years, examined and shot many of them, I've never heard of a massive failure like occurred with some of the early M1903 rifles. The pressure is lower and the receiver metal different in composition and heat treatment. All damaged Krag receivers I've encountered were damaged by amateur gunsmithing or conversion to another cartridge.

I bought one once that I'm convinced was run over by a pickup truck and squashed. Some "body and fender" work returned it to functionality and it shoots just fine. The metal didn't break or crack when it was originally damaged, and with a little prodding here and there it returned to it's original shape also undamaged.

Also, it should be noted that later models were constructed in such a way that the bolt handle serves as a safety lug. Given a front lug failure at normal pressures the bolt handle would perhaps save one's bacon, and it would be incredibly stupid to then shoot it again without replacing the bolt, which may account for no injuries or widely publicized reports. It does not normally contact the sides of the channel in which it sits when the bolt is closed, but some custom "smiths" when re-barreling have lapped the front lug, setting it back until the bolt handle does touch it's channel seeking improved accuracy. This would make a more rigid action and perhaps lessen or eliminate the Krag's propensity for gradually increasing headspace.

DG

[fgd135]

I have an 1896 Krag infantry rifle in original configuration, and in excellent condition. Surprisingly has a bore that mikes at .308". It's good shooter with cast boolits, except that the 1896 sights have no windage adjustments. I've never fired jacketed bullets in it.
I have only a few dozen .30-40 cases, so lots of my reloading is done with resized .303 cases, which seem to work just fine.

[uscra112]

Y'know, Graf has had .30-40 brass in stock right along. Still does:

https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/73152

Not expensoive, either.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Congratulations, fgd135, you have a treasure indeed. Not so many full length rifles remain, as so many were modified into sporters. A .308" bore is a big plus. You can swap out your issue sight for a windage adjustable model as the screw holes were the same distance apart on all of them, but like everything else Krag the sights have become expensive for a nice one. Yes, .303 and .30-40 are pretty close, and using .303 is pretty common as the availability of .30-40 brass seems to come and go. I have 4 full length rifles. One original, one I built completely from parts when they were less expensive and more readily available, and two that had cut down stocks but the barrel remained original. I "stretched" the stocks by adding a piece of wood with the joint being under the rear barrel band. Nothing quite like a Krag....the action is very unique.

290873


DG

[toot]

that is a nice shot, pun intended, of 8 nice weapons, 30/40's.!!

[Shiloh]

I have wanted a Krag for some years now(I am 79) but just did not have the money when I was younger with a growing family. I walked into my local gun store today to buy a RCBS .224 case trimmer pilot and 2 steps inside the store my eyes locked onto a Krag sitting in a side gun rack with a bunch of pretty sad cases that had been traded in but were not deemed fit to sit in the long display racks behind the long counter. Picked it up and was really surprised at the condition. Original blue and no rust anywhere. Stock has seen better days but no cracks or gouges or dents. And it is a Carbine. I bought the RCBS pilot and left to go home. Got home and just could not get that little Krag off my mind. 30 minutes later I was getting dressed to go back to the store. Went back to the store, took my bore light and checked out the bore and it has strong rifling and I saw no pits or evidence of rust in the grooves. Now, barring a disaster between now and Monday evening, I will be the proud owner of that little Krag, with some ammo thrown into the deal(I don't know how much ammo yet).. Depending on tax, it will come in around $500.00. The deal has not been completed as yet. The store owner has some medical problems and will not be back to the store until Monday. So I can't get possession until then anyway. I will be a nervous wreck until Monday evening. james[smilie=w:

That kind of shape sounds like a fine deal. It's being held for you though right??

Shiloh

[pworley1]

The best way to find a nice one is to buy a "sporterized one. After looking for a long time for an unmolested Krag, I gave in and bought a Bannerman. It was nice enough, but it was in a converted 1903 Springfield stock and was re-barrelled with one off of a 1903 Springfield as well. It still shoots very good. Within a year I found three original Krags,
a 1896 and two 1898s.

[Baltimoreed]

Usually the way it works, when you stop looking things fall in your lap. My first was a bubba’ed up Krag that loosely resembled an NRA Krag but wasn’t. My second was a correct 1899 School rifle with the turned down muzzle and properly ‘C’ stamped rear carbine sight. One of my favorite rifles.