1896 Carbine stock mystery

[Cat Man]

Here are two 1896 Krag carbine stocks. One has the saddle ring where it should be on the left side. The other stock also has the 1896 relief cut for the bolt handle but is not inletted for the saddle ring?

They are not cut down rifle stocks. Both are the same correct length and have no inlet for a sling swivel.The forend shows no indication of a wood filler block. The wrist is also slightly different between the two.

I've studied the reference books and don't know what to call the stock with no saddle ring cut. What am I not seeing?

[Dick Hosmer]

How many cleaning rod holes in the thin-wrist stock? Three, or just two - one directly over the other? What is with the two holes where there is no mortise? Plugs? Something else? Just seeking more info - do not have an easy answer.

My GUESS would be that it might be a 1901-vintage field replacement stock which someone has fooled with at the wrist. Basically, such a stock should not exist.

[madsenshooter]

1901 was when they were using the Italian walnut. I have a sporter that used to be one of the 96 carbine stocks. Interesting to note the slots in the wood on each side of the trigger slot. Most 92s have them, but they were done away with later. The sporter stock doesn't have them, but it had extensive woodwork done inside. I bought a repro stock off ebay that still included them. Well copied by someone from a 92 stock. If only they'd done a better job on the barrel channel!

[Cat Man]

I have heard from a couple other Krag collectors that tell me there are 1896 replacement stocks that were made after the 1899 carbines. Since the late 1898 and 1899 carbine models did not have the saddle ring, replacement stocks for any 1896 carbine remaining in service did not require the saddle ring feature?

Sounds reasonable. Can anyone else confirm?

Thanks

Cat Man

[butlersrangers]

'Cat Man' - You did not answer Dick Hosmer's question about the 'Butt-Trap' cleaning rod holes on the 'Mystery' stock (2 or 3?).

'madsenshooter' made an interesting observation about the small notches (next to the trigger-slot) on the 'Mystery' stock.

Those notches and the thin wrist & comb shape suggest an early stock, rather than a post 1899 'Field Replacement'.

I wonder if this could be an early carbine stock that got rejected? Maybe those cracks developed as the stock was being drilled, prior to 'machining', for the carbine swivel/bar?

[Cat Man]

Guilty as charged! Sorry I did not complete the inspection task for DH.

Both stocks have locations for three cleaning rod sections. The mystery stock does not have the relief cut for the oiler in the upper opening.

In Frank Mallory's book, the author does answer some questions in Appendix 9 about 1896 stock changes.
- Cleaning rod holes standardized to three in all stocks. March 1896
- Oiler seat cut added August 1897
- Swivel ring and plate omitted Dec 1898

So still a mystery of sorts. If mfg after Dec 1898 it should have the oiler cut in the but and we still don't understand the cuts on the sides of the trigger cut out.

Thanks for helping.

Cat Man

[Dick Hosmer]

Thanks for the update. You are right, it is still a mystery, but I am fairly sure that it was massaged, at least partly, by hands other than those of SA - or - it is some sort of recycled defect/reject. Definitely not 100% "mainline". Thanks for sharing.