I need some help with an 1894 Krag

[Bill]

Thank you again for the information. I like the original look as well. I have to say though, I have refinished a few stocks. I figured the previous owner already took away it's chance of being "original", so I'm not going to be able to reverse that. I probably will take the shiny stuff off. I don't know about dying the stock though. I don't want to make matters worse if it doesn't turn out well. We'll see. I don't think I could replicate the original dark walnut color, and I'd hate to have uneven color, or a stock with a bad dye job.

[Zgun]

Hi Bill,

If the stock is not dark to your liking after you get rid of the shiny stuff, I would recommend Fiebings dark brown Leather dye. (can be sourced at Tandy Leather craft) Get the alcohol based dye, not the water base. This dye goes on and wipes off easily and I think provides excellent results. It is virtually a dead ringer for the color of old Springfield stocks that were dyed with logwood stain and has the reddish tint that all old riles made by Springfield exhibit. I just stained a 1889 Danish Krag stock (made in 1910) with this dye that had been stripped, sanded and refinished with probably tru oil by a prior owner. Now it looks like a 104 year old rifle stock should look, not like a leg on a coffee table. Before and after pics. I have not put any BLO on the stock yet.

[Bill]

Thanks for the info. I do have some of the dye, but it's medium brown. I tried a few things on the finish, and it must be a urethane finish...I think. I tried denatured alcohol and acetone; neither of which removed any finish.

[Bill]

I just received the extractor and a hand guard band with a sling swivel. Also won a bolt on auction. A few problems so far. One. I have no ideas how to remove the pin for the extractor (my rifle has the pin installed with no extractor). Also, the screw for the hand guard band does not fit through the sling swivel I just bought. And, the new hand guard band doesn't quite match the metal on the rifle (this new band is brownish and my rile is mainly just worn bluing). I guess the sling swivel saren't interchangeable.

[butlersrangers]

Bill: When you remove the side-plate from the left side of the Krag action, the tip of the ejector pin should be visible (projecting just below the hole for the side-plate screw) . There is a notch or groove on the tip of this pin to assist pulling it out of its hole. It usually comes out pretty easy and a small screwdriver can be used to 'lever' it out.

All U.S. Krag sling swivels are interchangeable. If a correct screw will not fit through the hole on a swivel, it is not a U.S. Krag swivel.

I am a bit confused by your 'swivel/band problem'. I thought your "Model 1894" came with its front-band (bayonet/nosecap/stacking swivel) and rear-band (sling swivel). Why are you replacing a band?

p.s. It is not unusual for Krag rear barrel bands to have a 'brownish' cast. The different component parts of the U.S. Krag received distinctive specified finishes. A U.S. Krag is not a uniform 'blued' color on its metal. The subtle coloring differences of the Krag's metal parts are something you study, get use to, and recognize for authenticity.

[butlersrangers]

Some pictures showing Krag barrel-bands and components.

[Bill]

I bought the band to get the swivel. Figured I could just resell the band. Also, the magazine cover has some type of repro screw. Its not original. Not sure why the screw on my band won'tfit through the swivel. Its just a little too tight.

[butlersrangers]

Bill: Some Krag swivel screws were 'mushroomed' on the tip, after assembly, so that if they loosened up they would not fully unthread and be lost. - IMHO

(If it were mine, I would dress the threads at the tip of the screw with emery cloth or a small file. Another option is to slightly enlarge the hole on the swivel. These would be invisible adjustments).

Side-plate screws show up on ebay, often with a side plate, for around $15. I believe S&S Firearms sells a reproduction screw for $5.

[Bill]

Not sure if the photo shows the difference very well, but I got most of the finish off of the hand guard, and the wood seems to still have the dark brown color to it (although it looks well sanded). I did remember to remove the rear sight so that I could slide the hand guard down the barrel. I'll have to clean some more of the flakes off, and can start on the stock. Not looking forward to the long nights of scraping off old finish. Glad that I disassembled. The hand guard retainers are rusting and started to rust the barrel.

[butlersrangers]

Bill: Is that a bit of No.5 Mk1 Lee-Enfield 'Jungle Carbine' on the edge of your picture?