Safety for scope use

[GBertolet]

Hi, I am a new member, and I have a question. I recently aquired a 1898 Krag. The Krag had been sporterized with an aftermarket stock, the barrel was cut to 25", and a side mount scope was added. The rifle has little collector value, so I got it at a good price, and intend to use it just as a shooter with cast bullets.
My question is, a previous owner added an aftermarket safety to use with the scope. Unfortunately when applied, it hits the bell of the eyepiece, which limits it's travel, therefore the striker is pulled back only just enough, to take pressure off the trigger. The safety does it's job, but this condition concerns me. If I take the scope off and allow full safety travel, all is fine. Who makes aftermarket, scope friendly safety for the Krag that would clear the scope bell?
I am attaching a few photos. They didn't turn out as good as I had hoped.

[GBertolet]

Another photo. The system would only let me post one photo at a time.

[GBertolet]

Last photo.

[Dick Hosmer]

Actually, that safety - which appears to be a Buehler - is as low as they come, and was made for that very purpose. Krags do not kick badly, and you appear to have enough play in the mount to slide the scope back enough for the safety to clear the bell?

Could the barrel be 26"? Where did you measure it? What is serial number - anywhere around 387/388xxx?

[madsenshooter]

Someone did quite a job of getting that scope mounted as low as possible. Dick is right, that's a Buehler safety. The only other low scope safety I'm aware of was made by Wlter H. Loewick of Portland OR. I can't say if it would operate any lower or not. If the Buehler works, I wouldn't fret over it being close to the scope.

[GBertolet]

The SN begins with 313, and the barrel is 25" long, measured from the bolt face. there is a notch at the muzzle for the front sight. The rear sight holes are plugged and finished over, but I still can see the outlines. Maybe it is not an original Krag barrel. As I feared, moving the scope back is still not enough clearance. Maybe a different scope is in order.

[butlersrangers]

What brand of side-mount do you have? My Weaver places the scope higher.

[madsenshooter]

You might find a scope with a smaller ocular bell. An old Weaver K-6 has a bell 1.359" in diameter. Seems to me an old Weaver 4x I used to have had a smaller bell, it would work on a Marlin 336 I had whereas the 6x wouldn't. The Lodewick safety I mentioned starts out lower, one has to cut a little slot in the bolt shroud, at the front of the grasping grooves on yours, for it to fit into, but it may swing just as far. I only have one left anyway.

[Dick Hosmer]

Thanks for the barrel check - it isn't what I thought it might once have been. Some people measure barrel length incorrectly, which could, in this case produce a figure of approximately 25".

[GBertolet]

I don't know what brand of scope mount it is. It has only U4 on it. By the looks, it was designed to be mounted low.
The Krag turns out to be a good shooter, despite the handicap of a 12 lb trigger, and a coarse, post and crosshair reticule. Correcting the trigger pull will be on a future post. 2 inch groups at 100 yds with Lyman 311291 175gr and 18 gr 2400 @ 1640 fps. The barrel originally looked like it was fired with corrosive ammo years ago, and never cleaned, sort of rode hard and put away wet. Two days of cleaning with copper solvent and some JB bore paste improved it somewhat. No leading with cast bullets though. I think I am being to be OK here with the barrel.