Picked up an 1895 dated Carbine - Please comment

[OR Hunter]

Hi all,

This is my first post here and I wanted to get some input on a saddle ring carbine I picked up yesterday. I'm fairly new to Krags, so please let me know what you see that I'm probably overlooking. From what I've been able to find online and by looking at the gun I know it's dated 1895 with serial number 29278. The stock is 30" long which I understand is correct, and the rear sight has a "C" on the base and ladder. Overall it's in good, unmessed-with condition but with considerable pitting under the handguard and visible on the barrel band. The bore is nice and shiny but the lands are worn and there's a slight bulge just behind the front sight. That's about all I know about it so far. Can anyone else add anything? I've got more pictures if needed.

[OR Hunter]

Here's another picture. Is there a way to post more than one picture per post?

[98src]

Nothing on that serial number in the SRS data, but it's definitely a carbine.

[Dick Hosmer]

That's a nice find! Pretty piece of wood! There is no data listed for that serial number, but there is no question but that it is a carbine number. 29269 and 29290 are logged. I'd take very good care of it, and insure it well. It almost certainly saw Span-Am War service, and is not far from numbers associated with the Rough Riders.

[OR Hunter]

Thanks for the info guys. Bummer it's not listed in SRS. The stock does have some nice striped grain on the butt. Appears to have been sanded long ago and I can barely see the remainder of the 1896 dated stock cartouche behind the saddle ring.

Since you brought up the topic of insurance value, what do you think that would be for this carbine?

[Dick Hosmer]

$2500, minimum, if it were mine.

[OR Hunter]

Thanks Dick. I appreciate your input. It wasn't cheap (paid $999) but I figured I better get it since it was the first, and probably the last time, I would find one out in the "wild". It goes nicely with the Model 1896 rifle that I picked up earlier this year. :)

[Dick Hosmer]

Au contraire, IMHO, that was cheap for a nice 1896 carbine, even in today's buyer's market.