New Acquisition 1896 Krag Carbine for your comment

[Whig]

I picked this treasure up recently while on vacation at a small LGS for a great price. I have a couple Krags and love the rifle, along with many other milsurps I collect. Have never thought I would actually run into a nice carbine.

Serial Number is 68128. Looks all correct, if not original, to me except the rear sight which appears to be an 1896 rifle sight. I know some carbines were rearsenalized with the rifle sight. I would still love to find a correct sight.

I am uploading pictures for your review. You all are the experts. The bore has very nice rifling but does show mild pitting throughout. Obviously used. Not deep pitting as my Hawkeye borescope shows. Excuse the carpet fibers on the muzzle in the pictures.

Beautiful stock. Patina on barrel matches that on the rear sight/stock band. Cartouche shows JSA 1897. The proof stamp is clean but actually looks like an additional proof stamping is partially visible above the standard, full one.

LGS seller didn't even know the cleaning rods and oiler were in the buttstock.

Any comments would be well appreciated. Let's see if I can get pics loaded. Looks like I can only do 5 pictures at a time.

Thanks.

[Dick Hosmer]

Sorry, but I am not aware of any 1896 carbines being "rearsenalized" (whatever that means) by applying a rifle sight.

The reason they show up is because 1896C sights were/are not readily available for any reasonable price, and the rifle sight - which could be had cheaply - made a good '5-foot' stand-in, while one was looking for an original.

You are certainly not alone - many collectors are 'making do'; some have used fake or "replica" sights; which to my mind is an even worse choice.

Nice-looking piece; falls between recoded carbines 68123 and 68138. You might want to look really close at the s/n to be absolutely sure it is not 68123. :) :) :)