1892/1896 modified serial 23624

[148Infantry]

Howdy all, long time member, first time poster. I'm not new to Krags, as I've owned and shot/reloaded for a few for years now. But I thought I'd finally post about my newest addition. I won this baby off an online auction a few weeks ago. Had a few questions. It is serial 23624 it was reported in the auction to be serial numbered to the 8th US Infantry in the Spanish American War. I was hoping to see if anyone could validate that claim. It is obviously a M92 that has been upgraded to M96. The stock is original with the cleaning rod channel filled in. No date cartouche remaining, but a Circle P is present. Profile of the stock is sanded down, and the finger channels are shallow. Good news is the metal is fantastic. Bolt is early featured with screwed extractor. The barrel I'm thinking is a replacement. It is absolutely gorgeous. Near mint, with no visible wear on the rifling. On the outside I see no proof marks, only a small "J" stamp. I have tried to take pictures of it. The downside of this barrel is that it is NOT indexed correctly! So the sights sit canted at this point. With this translating also to the handguard won't sit aligned on the rifle. Question, how can I get the barrel indexed properly? I've read on here that receiver wrenches are hard to find as is gunsmiths who are willing/able to properly work on these antique fragile Krags. I want my rifle to be indexed, but don't want to risk damage. Please see the link to a photo album I made of the rifle. https://imgur.com/gallery/Vqsw81P
Even with canted sights it hits a steel plate at 200 yards no problem. It pairs nicely with my M1888 Trapdoor.
I have recently purchased a few other Krags, and I will share when I get them on here.
Thanks for reading and any input is much appreciated!

[butlersrangers]

Hello '148Infantry' - Krag #23624 does not show up in Mallory's 'SRS' data.
#23599 and #23667 were model 1892 Krag rifles that were issued to the 8th Infantry in 11/08/1900 and 12/13/1899.
(Being close and not listed, means it is real likely your Krag did not go to the 8th Infantry).

Hey, #23632 is the closest Krag listed to yours. It was destroyed by the New Cumberland (Depot) Guards in 1929.

Your IMGUR photos do not 'open' for me. Any chance you can post photos directly on KCA forum? (I hate having to go in search of photos).

A picture of your "J" stamp would be interesting. Any chance it is just a poorly stamped "P"?

Original Krag barrels normally have a "P" and an index mark (at 9 o'clock) on the barrel & action.

[148Infantry]

Thanks for the reply. Here is a quote from the auction, which I'm seeing is more of a sales tactic than historical evidence. But for the price I paid, it really doesn't make or break the deal for me. I don't know how the serial number research evidence shows for each rifle or its a "range".

"This a Krag M1892/96 manufactured December 1895, serial 23624. Overall excellent 85%+ finish. Bore is very sharp and bright. Stock is excellent with clear P firing proof at wrist. According to Mallory and Olson, THE KRAG RIFLE STORY, P-258, and the Springfield Research Service rifles in the serial number range 23599 23667 were issued to the U.S. 8th Infantry Regiment in Cuba, 1898."

Bummer the pictures won't open. I will try to upload a few on here. But its a pain to individually upload. I have 15 pictures in the album to show all aspects of the rifle.

By chance, could anyone see if Serial 7336 has any date in the Mallory book? This is another rifle I just purchased at auction. I don't have it in hand yet, but it looks like a promising early Krag as well. Bluing isn't nearly as nice, but the stock looks good. Here's a link
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/867089369
If this one has a date cartouche on the other side, I'll be a happy camper, the seller didn't say when I asked. So I'm thinking not. BUT when it gets here I'll find out. I think for the price with random Austrian Werndl bayonet, its a good deal. I love Krags, do you think 3 Krags in a month is too much???!!! :D

[butlersrangers]

No SRS listing for #7336. This Model 1894 Krag was manufactured around October, 1894, to December, 1894.

Your other rifle, #23624, did not likely get issued to the 8th Infantry, as implied in the auction description.

Mallory's research shows rifles relatively near your number, but, they were issued to the 8th Infantry in 1899 and 1900, as I stated above.

IMHO - The auction description was a bunch of Flim Flam and Blarney!

#23624 sounds like a nice rifle. It has a history. It just didn't get documented.

[148Infantry]

No SRS listing for #7336. This Model 1894 Krag was manufactured around October, 1894 to December, 1894.

Mallory's research found the rifles issued to the 8th Infantry in 1899 and 1900 as I stated above.

Auction Blarney!

Thanks very much for the insight! Any advise on trying to index/align a barrel on a Krag?

[Whig]

148- Welcome to KCA. You have found a home to share your Krag adventures.

You are falling right in lock-step with the old saying that collecting Krags is addicting. Your two will quickly morph into four and then eight! Who knows where it will go after that.

Too bad about the canted barrel. That would not have come from Springfield Armory. Some Bubba gun Smith must have twisted that thing on and went too far.

I have seen many times what you have discovered the hard way. Many shifty sellers will use that exact wording, or close, to describe a Krag. "This rifle's serial number is in the range of those that went to war with Teddy Roosevelt" or whatever. Now you have a resource, us, to ask about a Krag or serial number listing before buying it.

But, if, as you said, you bought it for blasting away, it really doesn't matter. That's what Krags do best!

So blast away and keep us informed.

Good luck.

[Lead Snowstorm]

Nice job on 7336. If you dont mind indulging my curiosity, is the seller going to ship it to you directly? I was tempted to throw in a bid but what with the viral craziness and general uncertainty of the day, the verbiage on the add made me decide a potential struggle over the shipment wasnt worth the hassle (yes, Ive had to wrangle with sellers in the past insisting they *had* to send firearms to an FFL).

[Mark_Daiute]

I am curious. Is the forend a replacement, it looks like there is a seem under the barrel band as well as a change in color.

Beautiful rifle! Nice 1892 parts on the bolt and 92 handguard

[butlersrangers]

'148th' - More on your 1st rifle, #23624.

I am guessing your sights are canted to the right?

I don't know where your barrel came from or if it is an original Krag barrel?

I was finally able to squirrel around and look at your pictures.

Two observations:
1. The front-sight is a reproduction (and it doesn't look very securely attached).

2. The barrel was not fully screwed in to the index mark.

I wonder what the barrel notch for the extractor looks like?

FWIW - Numrich use to sell a reproduction barrel with a front-sight installed. Criterion makes a 30" barrel for the Krag, which requires installation of a front-sight.

[FredC]

If the photos in Butlersrangers last post are the rifle in question the barrel is not tight enough. Did the installer quit because the torque required was too much for his tools or the barrel needed a few thousands faced off the end and tightening further would have broken something? Or maybe the installer just forgot to finish the job after his coffee break? If it were mine I would loosen it, clean, and lube the threads and try again. A couple of us have made tools for doing this and each of us have loaned them out before.
Because Krags were assembled from barrels that were indexed with extractor cut, sights already machined, the final assemble torque can vary greatly to get everything to line up. To loosen and retighten the barrel, you need some big wrenches and a heavy vice attached to a very stout bench, a 6 inch vice on a Bridgeport class milling machine would work well also. You might strain the limits of the tools or it might go easy and you will wonder what all the fuss was about.

I second BR's question how did the extractor line up with the barrel that far off? In a parallel thread just a tiny fraction off caused the bolt not to be able to close. Maybe the index mark was added to Krags after assembly and they do not all line up? Possibly the system was not all worked out on the early 92/96 Krags?

Parallel thread: http://www.kragcollectorsassociation.org/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1584929120/15#15