“New” Reloaded Ammunition

Ammunition, reloading, shooting, etc
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JosiahWorm
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2022 10:54 pm

“New” Reloaded Ammunition

Post by JosiahWorm »

Hello all.

I am new to Krag Rifles, and I hope to own a full size rifle and maybe a Carbine one day, I’m just enamored by the magazine mechanism and the uniqueness of these rifles. I do have one major question.

Why does no one reload and sell “new” ammo en masse? Is 30-40 brass that very hard to find that no one does Factory style new loads? I’ve been doing research and hunting around the internet for a few months since first being struck by these wonderful guns, and heard that .303 British brass works if reconfigured and loaded properly. Does anyone have any information as to why no one makes new 30-40 cartridges in .303 brass and .308 caliber bullets? Any information would be much appreciated, and I may be interested in mass producing Krag rounds if the demand is enough.

Thank you.
-Josiah Worm
-Josiah Worm
New to Krags, yet to own one. Hope to resolve the lack of Ammo and support for these fine rifles. Thank You All for keeping History alive.

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Parashooter
Posts: 706
Joined: Thu Feb 04, 2010 5:14 am
Location: Kragmudgeon House, CT

Re: “New” Reloaded Ammunition

Post by Parashooter »

JosiahWorm wrote: Wed Oct 19, 2022 11:02 pm Why does no one reload and sell “new” ammo en masse?
Regulations and liability make it impractical for most small operations.

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Culpeper
Posts: 1520
Joined: Wed Mar 30, 2005 2:01 am

Re: “New” Reloaded Ammunition

Post by Culpeper »

Welcome to the greatest Krag forum this side of the Moon. You certainly have bad timing falling in love with the Krag. Glad you did though. We could always use another Krag-ite to stand shoulder to shoulder with on the firing line. You can take it for what it is worth but now that you picked out the type of gun you need to secure the ammo for it. The guns will always be out there but the ammo has always been a problem. Remington and Winchester had run batches of .30-40 about four or five years apart. The first batch I can recall in my Krag journey was in was late '05 or early '06. The second run I think was around 2014/15. There may have been one in-between but I was in Afghanistan at the time so can not say for sure.

So the obvious answer is find every out of the way hole in the wall gun shop within a hundred miles of your location. Be careful of scammers on-line. It is a scam if they say they have ammo and every reputable place is out. It is also a scam if they only take Zelle or some cash other transfer. Run away if they do not take credit cards.

And even if you do find ammo. You probably won't find too much so you will need to reload. I don't know if you have other arms but here is the roster of things you need for your krag. I include this for other first timers to any guns who may read these pages. In order of priority

reloading books (plural)
Large rifle primers
IMR-4350 or other suitable powder per the reloading manuals
ammo or brass
typically 220 Round Nose bullet
.30-40 die set with shell holder
A loading press.
A rifle or carbine.

The guns will always be out there. Ammo not so much. And if you are a young guy plan for the next however many years you have left above ground. You can reload Krag brass many times before you have to pitch in the scrap bucket. Make it a life long theme to buy two boxes and shoot one. You will never run out of ammo or brass.


Culpeper the Great and Wonderful

.
Deacon in the Church of the Mighty Krag. Member of PETA (People Eating Tasty Animals).  Liberty Works Radio

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butlersrangers
Posts: 9827
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2009 11:35 pm
Location: Below the Bridge, Michigan

Re: “New” Reloaded Ammunition

Post by butlersrangers »

'Josiah Worm', welcome to the KCA Forum.
I don't want to rain on anyone's parade, but, there are some potential market issues with your 'selling reloaded .30-40 ammo' idea.

1. Demand for .30-40 ammo is relatively small.
Less than 1/2 million U.S. Krags were made.
Other rifles chambered for .30-40, Model 1899 Remington-Lee, Model 1895 Winchester, Ruger #3 SS and Winchester High-Wall SS are few in number.

2. Remington and Winchester still manufacture batches of loaded .30-40 ammo and naked brass, from time to time.
Hornady offers loaded ammo as well as brass. Graf and Sons offers un-primed brass, periodically.

3. A comparatively small segment of the shooting population is interested in old traditional cartridges and 120 year old rifles.

4. Most Krag shooters are reloaders and also know how to improvise, when supplies are short.

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psteinmayer
Posts: 2677
Joined: Tue Aug 30, 2011 2:31 am

Re: “New” Reloaded Ammunition

Post by psteinmayer »

Just want to reiterate what Butlersrangers and Culpeper have already stated. Remington and Winchester, along with Hornday still occasionally produce live ammo. Brass is available from both Hornday and Graf and it's good brass too. I was fortunate to have the forethought to save brass over the last 35 or so years, so I still have several hundreds of rounds worth (most of which is Remington and Winchester, and well into double digit reloads... more than 20 on some). I also have a couple hundred of the Graf and some of the Hornady brass in reserve. Reloading is a must with Krags... and most of us will be glad to help with our favorite "Pet" loads. I shoot my rifle several times a year in Vintage Rifle matches, including shooting every year in the National Rifle Matches at Camp Perry! The Krag is an absolute JOY to shoot, and with the right loads and practice, can be just as competitive as anything else out there!
Last edited by psteinmayer on Fri Oct 21, 2022 12:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Whig
Posts: 1992
Joined: Sat Sep 24, 2016 12:53 am

Re: “New” Reloaded Ammunition

Post by Whig »

Welcome as a new Krag lover. Don't hesitate to try to find a nice Krag rifle because of the ammo question. Seek and you shall find!

I have seen many, many boxes of new manufacture .30-40 Krag ammo in the past couple years traveling around to small gun shops. There are many small shops that do have .30-40 ammo on the shelves. Usually, it is $1.50- 2.00 a round but it is there. I have been reloading for decades and, like most Krag lovers, reload my own brass. I have also been acquiring large quantities of brass and bullets for years. I won't run out for a long time! But, planning is important. Again, components are out there but keep looking. It won't come all at once.

If you have any desire to reload, work on finding what you need and do it for yourself. I reload a ton but will not sell my reloads. I rarely even offer others my reloads because, as OCD as I am about checking everything over and over, I can never guarantee 100% that I have not created a squib round. (I will gladly share factory loads, though! That's always fun to do at the range.) Overloading a case with most rifle loading is very difficult but under-loading, or missing a case, is more likely. I just wouldn't take the chance. In all the years I have reloaded, I have never had any reloaded round of mine cause any problem. But, I shot a .45ACP reload my best friend made when we were out shooting years ago and I had a squib load I didn't know about and the next round jammed in my barrel and ruined it. Didn't hurt the pistol I was using but I did need to buy and fit a new barrel to the gun. It does happen. I think you would need many tens of thousands of dollars to set up an automated system that professionals use to reload reliably enough that an insurance carrier would cover you to sell your loads. Just not feasible, as others have stated!

But, the hobby of Krag collecting IS addicting, as I can testify. I am an addict. We hope you find what you need and keep us informed. If you need help in evaluating a potential Krag purchase, we would be glad to assist. Good luck!

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