Parkhurst carbine

[waterman]

I must have missed something. Where did the Parkhurst clips come from? Are they originals?

[Mike4MSU]

I must have missed something. Where did the Parkhurst clips come from? Are they originals?

S and S shows the clip for sale on their site.

[https://www.ssfirearms.com/proddetail.asp?prod=K574]

That was where I first heard of the device, back in the 70s. Was going to get one, never did. I'd jump on that one! Never know when you'll see another.

As to the finish, I'd probably do a GENTLE cleanup. That tape would annoy the heck out of me, but you know that if you remove it, there will be a "patina splotch' no matter what.

[Tom Butts]

Butlersrangers, I have given your theory thought. It is as good as any other I can come up with. Maybe a will put a bolt with a '96 handle in it sometime just to see how everything lines up.

Waterman, yes they are original Parkhurst clips from S&S Firearms!

[waterman]

S&S Firearms is a story all in itself.

[butlersrangers]

I've always had good dealings with S&S Firearms.
IIRC - The company's founder(s) had a connection, through marriage, to the Bannerman family.

Back in 1968 to 1976, when I went to CW shoots at the North-South Skirmish Association range at Winchester, Virginia,
S&S Firearms had a large booth in 'Sutlers' Row', selling antique military gun-parts and original uniform items.

They knew their stuff!

[butlersrangers]

A quick experiment:

Today, I put a NOS model 1896 bolt into a model 1899 carbine. It did not rotate fully closed.
The underside of the 1896 bolt handle made slight contact, with the stock wood of the model 1899 bolt notch.

However, I was surprised the bolt did close far enough that the striker released, when the trigger was pulled.

I took a lit candle and 'smoked' the bottom of the 1896 bolt-handle, to leave a layer of soot.
A clean piece of paper was placed in the m-1899 stock's bolt-notch.

The model 1896 bolt was put in the model 1899 carbine action and 'dry-fired'.
A smudge was left on the paper, which indicates a small area of stock interference, when the incorrect model 1896 Krag bolt was used.

The photo showing the side view of this 1896 bolt and 1899 action reveals that the bolt is not quite fully rotated 'closed'.
The tips of the two red 'arrows' (that I have drawn) should practically touch.

I imagine with some Krag model 1898/1899 actions & stocks, matched with an incorrect 'early' bolt, the amount of interference might be greater, than my trial example,
however, I no longer think this explains the reason for the alteration to Tom' Parkhurst carbine stock.

Actually, I tried several model 1898 and 1896 Krags, with their bolts held 'out' of the full rotated and locked position. They all 'dry-fired' with the bolt-handle slightly raised.
On a 'lark', I just 'dry-fired' three 1898 and one 1896 model Krags, with a wooden stick-match trapped between the bottom of the bolt-handle and receiver notch.
All four of the Krags released their striker with gusto. All four slightly compressed the wooden stick-match, by imparting a downward thrust to the bolt-handle.

[Tom Butts]

Interesting experiment!

[waterman]

I've always had good dealings with S&S Firearms.
IIRC - The company's founder(s) had a connection, through marriage, to the Bannerman family.

Back in 1968 to 1976, when I went to CW shoots at the North-South Skirmish Association range at Winchester, Virginia,
S&S Firearms had a large booth in 'Sutlers' Row', selling antique military gun-parts and original uniform items.

They knew their stuff!

The story I heard back in the late 1950s, after the fire, was that some pre-hippie lass (maybe a beatnik?) was found to be the sole heir to the Bannerman mess. She was shacked up with Mr. S at the time. She discovered that she was the owner of a million or so salvageable uniform buttons, that the Civil War centennial was approaching, and that usable buttons sold for $1 each. Mr. S promptly married her and they became respectable serious students of Civil War militaria. Last I heard, their grandchildren ran S&S.

[Dick Hosmer]

Great story. My dealings - with Phil Siess ( don't know where he fits in the family tree) - have always been first-rate.

[butlersrangers]

The scant 'index', in Frank Mallory's "The Krag Rifle Story", makes it easy to miss some good content.

On page 90, of the 'KRS', second edition, there is some good Parkhurst device information.

Actually, Mallory showed photos of two different Parkhurst adapted Krags:

One has earlier Krag features. The extractor is retained with a screw and the magazine-gate is either a model 1892 or 1896.

The second Krag picture is of a model 1898 or 1899 action. The extractor is retained with a pin, the magazine-gate is an 1898 type, and the bolt has a 'knobless' cocking-piece.

Of special note is Mallory's comment, that the Parkhurst Clip-Guide may be attached with a screw that has a left-hand thread.

(This may only apply to early prototype Parkhurst conversions using model 1892 actions.
Poyer wrote that later Parkhurst Clip-Guides were retained by a 'dovetail').

Also of note, the cartridge guide-lip attached at the bottom-rear of the magazine box, (as shown in two of Mallory's photos), is not a standard Krag guide-lip.