Krag magazine insights please

[Jack Stanley]

I've been fooling with the old Krag rifle and have been using the magazine it has . It has worked fine untill I went to a shorter (311291) bullet , now , it will sometimes hang up with the fourth round from the magazine . When I try to push the round into the chamber it tips the bullet nose back toward the magazine . Overall length is 2.825" , any ideas ?

Jack

[madsenshooter]

Which model you have Jack? There were some modifications made to the 98s to improve feeding of the roundnose. So if you have a 92 or 96, it may not be pushing them at just the right angle. The biggest difference is in the carrier and follower. See here: http://www.jouster.com/forums/showthread.php?11809-Making-your-98-feed-sptizers I was trying to make 98s feed spitzers better, but you might find something there to help. In the 98 the cartridges are actually pushed primarily by the carrier and not so much so by the follower, which is at the tail of the carrier, they are pushed at more of an angle and ride higher in the feed rails. Also, look to see that the follower isn't scraping across the top of the magazine box, perhaps hanging up a bit there on that 4th round.

[buck1]

Mine dont like short spitzers. but a fast moving bolt fixes most trouble in mine.

[Jack Stanley]

Honestly Madsenshooter , I don't know what it is other than a Krag with a six digit serial in the 422 range . It was running a much longer cartridge and never had a hitch so I was puzzled when ammo only a quarter inch shorter gave a problem .

Guess I oughta go look and see if it says a model number on it huh? :holysheep

Jack

[madsenshooter]

It's a model 98 Jack. The one they supposedly fixed to feed the roundnose better. 4th round only, that's an oddity. There aren't many parts involved in moving those rounds across the magazine, must be something catching somewhere. Seat longer if you can, leave a couple of those lube grooves out of the case and it'll be closer to the throat. I use some 168gr bullets that have a longer nose, and there's only about 1/8" of the shank in the case neck. They outshoot a Nosler 168 going the same 2000fps.

[Multigunner]

I've seen several complaints about Krags not feeding a shorter than standard cartridge well. I'd guess its just something to take into account when handloading.

You might try tilting the rifle to the right when on the fourth round. That might discourage the nose from dropping back.

Not seating the bullet as deeply might work if the lube grooves allow for it.

I ignore position of crimping grooves when handloading for my No.4 Enfield, since I don't crimp any way. I seat shorter 150 grain bullets to the same OAL as the longer 175-180 grain bullets.
This also takes up slack in the troat, but is not always suitable and depends on whether the throat leaves much jump room or not, and the nose profile. Seating too far out when a barrel has a tight throat can cause excessive pressures.

[Jack Stanley]

Yes , I am seating a 311291 right to the crimp groove so it's a rather stubby looking round compared to a two hundred plus grain bullet . I was trying to cover lube grooves for a "field" use sort of thing but this isn't something I have to make work , it could be seated out .

If the ninety-eights likes longer pointy bullets I do have a 311334 that I could make a few bullets with and see if that over all length works better . What seems odd to me is all I need do to fix the "jam" is just retract the bolt fully then open and close the loading door . All I'm really looking to do with the old rifle is make something reliable and easy on the rifle so I can enjoy the history a little . The loading of the magazine is just so unusual to what I am accustomed to . It would be fun to watch someone good with the Krag at a highpower match using one .

I do like the cartridge though I'm not really sure why . I've even thought it might be fun to find a really niced faked carbine for a shooter and sell the infantry rifle to a collector but haven't gone anywhere with the idea . I've got a nice 03A3 that I think will be what I use most .

Jack

[madsenshooter]

Jack, there are fellows who practice enough that they can reload and get their 10 shots within the time allowed using loose rounds. I'm not one of them, so I built this charger, using ideas posted on Jouster's Krag forum by member Parashooter. Mine isn't as nicely done as his, but it works without a hitch. I think that 190 will work better for you, feeding-wise, and accuracy-wise. Best function should be found with an OAL of 3.08". If you haven't already, be sure to slug the bore, groove diameter varies quite a bit, but I've found bore diameter to be fairly consistent, usually around .301, with exceptions of course, for worn ones.

[4570guy]

Some Krag's just don't like to feed shorter than "standard" bullets. I suspect your Krag would feed a 180 gr or 220 gr round nose just fine.

[Jack Stanley]

That's a real neat gizmo for loading quick , I'm glad to hear it works so well . I just got to thinking , I have a 314299 that cast smaller than it should on the body . Perhaps it would work well in this nearly .311" groove rifle better than the 311334 which has a slightly smaller nose than the 299 . I think I even have some already cast , just need size and lube . That should get the length up and over three inches .

Jack

[madsenshooter]

Sounds like the plan Jack, long as the nose is big enough to fit your rifle, and I'm sure you've already considered that. I'm a little partial to NOE's 311284, but that's probably only because I haven't tried any other heavies yet. Unlike Lyman's present version, the nose on the NOE comes out at .302 in my alloy. I actually haven't had a chance to play with it much in my Krags, but loaded some for a friend, and he wants more. The gizmo is made of .030 sheet brass, took awhile for the cuts on my fingers to heal after making it! If you dig around on jouster's krag forum, you'll find the dimensions in photo form. I'd like to have some made by a local plastic injection company for me to sell. The really neat ones are the ones the Norwegians use. They're spring loaded. You put the charger in the gate like mine, release the catch, spritz, they're loaded and all you have to do is remove the charger and shut the gate. Oh, I think you'll find .311 is about as large as you'll be able to size your bullets. In all of mine, with Remington brass, .312 is a no go without a little neck turning happening, and I've found no reason for that to happen yet.

[Bret4207]

Sweet little gizmo! Is that based on the rig they had made up to solve the charger loading issue back after the S-A War? It goes to figure the Norskies would come up with a good unit, they used the 6.5 Krags forever. I passed a 6.5 Krag up a few years back, bubba'd and ugly to boot, yet they still wanted $450.!!

[Jack Stanley]

This particular 314299 is one of Lymans recent attempts at mold making . It would have been sent back for being undersize but for one detail , it casts round and it fits a worn thirty caliber barrel pretty well . The body casts at .312" and the nose at .302" so , depending how much rifling I've got left in the old Krag this one might be good also .

Jack

[madsenshooter]

No Bret, the little attachment they made for US Krag to take a stripper was known as the Parkhurst device. It was a little piece that attached on the rear of the gate and took a stripper clip more like the 03 uses, only wider. Even repros of those clips cost $150! I can't find a pic of the durned thing, except in Poyer's book "The American Krag Rifle and Carbine". That sounds like your Krag bullet to me Jack, should take care of the feeding problem too.