1898 Krag carbine ??

[butlersrangers]

'leadhead' - Welcome to the KCA Forum. It appears you did very well getting your model 1898 carbine for $600!

When first manufactured at Springfield Armory, your carbine would have had a 'short forearm' stock and hand-guard, a model 1896 carbine rear-sight, a 'sight-protecting' barrel-band and a sling-bar & ring.

During 'refurbishing' your carbine received a model 1899 carbine stock, sight-protecting hand-guard, 1899 carbine barrel-band, and a 1901 carbine sight. This made it identical to a model 1899 carbine.

It is believed that 1898 carbines updated to 1899 configuration at the armory will have the 'Circled Script P', indicating they were proofed and tested for function. They will normally lack an 'acceptance cartouche', because they had already been accepted into the service with their original stock.

(Your carbine originally had a stock like this one):

[Whig]

Front site base, when the picture is tweaked, actually looks fine. The muzzle would be nice to see. The replaceable front site blade is an easy fix.

Price is great! Any way this was a great find! Sure has been great to see. Nice start to a nice Krag collection.

Keep reading these posts and you'll get the fever. We'll help you spend your money building your Krag collection.

Pictures of the Proof Mark and Cartouche area would be nice.

[98src]

Most real 98SRC Krags were upgraded to the M99 SRC as I believe yours was. M98 carbines had the M96 carbine rear sight , M96 carbine band, and M96 carbine hand guard when originally issued. Still a great find as yours is one of only 5,000.

[butlersrangers]

There was no "saddle-ring" on a U.S. model 1899 carbine. No need for "src" term. (Never was official nomenclature, just a 'collector phrase').

[olderthansome]

.you can't have an authentic 1898 carbine if the serial number is out of the 120,000 area.

Actually, according to Brophy, 1898 Carbines were found with numbers between 118894 and 135256. Mallory was even more liberal in saying numbers can be found with numbers between "113669 and 200,000+". I found with a quick look, 17 carbines with numbers above 130000. Most were in the 130058 to 138944 area with a few higher (highest found was 154770 and several between 140190 and 149054). I didn't look for anything earlier than 130000, but I imagine that there will be numbers to fall in line with both Col Brophy and Mr. Mallory. There could be other sources I can't see that can offer even more specific information. With so few being made, it has always seemed odd that we cannot find more specific information.

[Whig]

Thanks for the details above. I didn't have my references with me when I wrote that but I knew it had to be around the 120,000 area, plus or minus 8-10,000! Lots of Krag Rifles mixed in with these numbers, of course, which really complicates the whole authentication process!

[leadhead]

Quick question.....Are the Krag rifle and carbine front sights
the same height? From the top of the base to the top of the
sight. Thanks,
Denny

[Ned Butts]

Bases are the same but blades are different heights for diffrent rear sights

[leadhead]

I'm talking about the 1901 rear sight of the carbine.
Denny

[butlersrangers]

The model 1898 U.S. Krag Rifle blade height, when removed from the base, is .413".

The carbine blade, (for use with model 1901 or 1902 rear-sight), when removed measures .355"

Contour of the top of both front-sight blades is the same.

IIRC: The model 1901 rear-sight bases are the same height for rifle and carbine versions.

The 'ramp' and 'slide' graduations are different on the rifle and carbine versions.

Also, the carbine sight does not correct for 'drift' as the elevation slide is moved for increased range.
The rifle version has built in correction for 'drift' and angles the 'eyepiece' to the left, as range increases.
Krag carbines proved to shoot differently than the rifles and did not require this 'drift' correction.