New Krag Owner, looking for info

Sporterized and unofficial modified Krags
brugmanncues
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2022 11:39 am

New Krag Owner, looking for info

Post by brugmanncues »

I just picked up my 1st 30-40. model 1898 with serial of 215xxx. I'm assuming it was sporterized, but here are some pics to tell the tale. Not sure exactly what I have, and looking for info. Any help would be welcomed, TYIA.
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brugmanncues
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2022 11:39 am

Re: New Krag Owner, looking for info

Post by brugmanncues »

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brugmanncues
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2022 11:39 am

Re: New Krag Owner, looking for info

Post by brugmanncues »

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FredC
Posts: 1991
Joined: Fri May 31, 2013 4:38 pm
Location: Dewees Texas

Re: New Krag Owner, looking for info

Post by FredC »

It looks like a nicely done sporter to me. The stock looks refinished to me. The front sight has been added to a shortened barrel. The crown has been nicely done. Your rear sight appears to be a rifle sight which means the long range calibration will be incorrect but could work very well for 100 yards. Nice look overall even though it is not original carbine.

Oh, and welcome to the KCA!

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butlersrangers
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Location: Below the Bridge, Michigan

Re: New Krag Owner, looking for info

Post by butlersrangers »

Tyia Brugmanncues, welcome to the KCA Forum.

That is a good set of pictures you provided to identify your newly acquired Krag.

As 'FredC' mentioned, everything about your Krag indicates it is a cut-down U.S. Model 1898 infantry rifle.
Krag rifle, #215XXX, would have been assembled at Springfield Armory around July of 1899.

Many U.S. Krags were sold to the public in the 1920's and early 1930's. It was common for the long rifles to be cut-down to carbine dimensions to make them handy for Hunting.

This ruins collector value but makes for a very useful utility rifle. Many of us started our Krag hobby with just such a civilian altered Krag.
Most of us still probably own one or more, such Krags, to shoot and hunt with.

Your front sight is a 'banded' 1903 Springfield sight. It was common practice to put surplus 1903 front-sights on shortened Krag barrels, as a cheap solution.
This works well but is a taller sight than the original Krag front-sight.
This will place shots low and likely will require the rear-sight to be set at around 400 yards, for shots to group near point of aim at 50 yards.

Your rear sight is the rifle version of the Krag model 1901 sight. This is a very popular and practical sight.

Your stock is a shortened model 1898 rifle stock. There is a wood patch where the rear butt-swivel was located.
The front swivel was part of your barrel-band. The front swivel is retained by the barrel-band 'clamping' screw.

The butt-plate trap door and stock cavity are to hold a 3-section cleaning rod and a nickel-plated oil bottle. The numbers on the inside of trap door are Springfield Armory inspection stamps

The front tip of your stock will have a square plug that fills a lightening-channel that was exposed when the stock was cut.
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brugmanncues
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2022 11:39 am

Re: New Krag Owner, looking for info

Post by brugmanncues »

FredC wrote: Thu Feb 17, 2022 8:09 pm It looks like a nicely done sporter to me. The stock looks refinished to me. The front sight has been added to a shortened barrel. The crown has been nicely done. Your rear sight appears to be a rifle sight which means the long range calibration will be incorrect but could work very well for 100 yards. Nice look overall even though it is not original carbine.

Oh, and welcome to the KCA!
Nice!....ty for the info!

Nathan

brugmanncues
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2022 11:39 am

Re: New Krag Owner, looking for info

Post by brugmanncues »

butlersrangers wrote: Thu Feb 17, 2022 11:31 pm Tyia Brugmanncues, welcome to the KCA Forum.

That is a good set of pictures you provided to identify your newly acquired Krag.

As 'FredC' mentioned, everything about your Krag indicates it is a cut-down U.S. Model 1898 infantry rifle.
Krag rifle, #215XXX, would have been assembled at Springfield Armory around July of 1899.

Many U.S. Krags were sold to the public in the 1920's and early 1930's. It was common for the long rifles to be cut-down to carbine dimensions to make them handy for Hunting.

This ruins collector value but makes for a very useful utility rifle. Many of us started our Krag hobby with just such a civilian altered Krag.
Most of us still probably own one or more, such Krags, to shoot and hunt with.

Your front sight is a 'banded' 1903 Springfield sight. It was common practice to put surplus 1903 front-sights on shortened Krag barrels, as a cheap solution.
This works well but is a taller sight than the original Krag front-sight.
This will place shots low and likely will require the rear-sight to be set at around 400 yards, for shots to group near point of aim at 50 yards.

Your rear sight is the rifle version of the Krag model 1901 sight. This is a very popular and practical sight.

Your stock is a shortened model 1898 rifle stock. There is a wood patch where the rear butt-swivel was located.
The front swivel was part of your barrel-band. The front swivel is retained by the barrel-band 'clamping' screw.

The butt-plate trap door and stock cavity are to hold a 3-section cleaning rod and a nickel-plated oil bottle. The numbers on the inside of trap door are Springfield Armory inspection stamps

The front tip of your stock will have a square plug that fills a lightening-channel that was exposed when the stock was cut.
TY so much for all the info! Is it possible to either file the front sight, or, replace the rear sight to get a correct poa/poi? Also, any chance what the price tag would go for something like this nowadays? Just want to see if i got hosed at the gun show i got it from. I'm obviously not looking for collector value, I just wanted a good shooter.

Thank you,
Nathan

FredC
Posts: 1991
Joined: Fri May 31, 2013 4:38 pm
Location: Dewees Texas

Re: New Krag Owner, looking for info

Post by FredC »

The common wisdom here is a nice modified sporter that would hard to convert back to original is worth $300.00. It has been the answer for many years. Seems like inflation would cause that number to go up after all this time. So maybe $301.00? If you plan on keeping it and not selling it, it really does not matter, you seem to have gotten a nice one. Enjoy!

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Culpeper
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Re: New Krag Owner, looking for info

Post by Culpeper »

brugmanncues wrote: Fri Feb 18, 2022 5:07 pm
TY so much for all the info! Is it possible to either file the front sight, or, replace the rear sight to get a correct poa/poi? Also, any chance what the price tag would go for something like this nowadays? Just want to see if i got hosed at the gun show i got it from. I'm obviously not looking for collector value, I just wanted a good shooter.

Thank you,
Nathan
Take it to a range and sight it in on paper until get in the black. Then make a note where the rear sight is and that is number at that range. I would say 200 yards is a good check. So let's say you sight in at a physical 100 yards and the rear sight shows you 250 then the next time you want to shoot with the buddies set the rear sight at 250 and have at it.

Do the same for 50, 100, 150, and 200 and you should be good to go come what may. No filing. No buying a new sight.

However if you want to get a repeatable dope sheet buy yourself a P.J. O'Hare Sight Micrometer, if you can find one.
Deacon in the Church of the Mighty Krag. Member of PETA (People Eating Tasty Animals).  Liberty Works Radio

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butlersrangers
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Re: New Krag Owner, looking for info

Post by butlersrangers »

There are different blade heights available for the 1903 sight-base. These items are not rare.
Blades can be filed to have shots register closer to point of aim.

Shooting your Krag is the best test to get things regulated to your liking.

There is not really a problem with having your rear-sight set at an "incorrect" distance, if the rifle is accurate and is shooting to the point of aim.
(For most people, sight graduations are just 'index numbers'. You just have to learn and remember or record the 'number' that has you sighted-in at a given distance).

Unless you are shooting in Service Rifle Matches or at a club with long range matches, you will probably be shooting your Krag with iron sights at 50 or 100 yards.

The sight micrometers, that 'Culpeper' mentioned, are expensive collectibles that were used in military target matches to return to known sight-settings for 200, 300, 500, 600, 800, 900, and 1,000 yards.

A nice solution for 'sportered' Krags, that will be used for Hunting or Target Range shooting at 50 or 100 yards, is using one of the old Redfield or Pacific "No-Drill" receiver sights. These sights show-up on eBay sometimes for about $60 to $100. These 'peep' sights generally work well with taller front-sights. They use the magazine cut-off opening and don't require gunsmith services.
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