The Krag in South Africa.

[Bernt]

In the Norwegian shooters journal "Norsk skyttertidende" 10th of july 1901, there's a short article called "The Krag Jørgensen rifle in South Africa". It's referring a letter from a British officer, published in a British paper "The spectator". Here's a translation.

The Krag-Jørgensen rifle in South Africa.
“An English officer on active duty in South Africa has sent home a letter about the rifles used in the war, in which the following is stated in the English magazine "The Spectator", which we reproduce after the "Ørebladet": " Our rifle is certainly a rotten weapon. The stock is not strong enough for military use. Among the hundreds, which I could have obtained in Pretoria, hardly one was undamaged, many looked like a flail, with the loose stocks. Many were tied together with bootlaces. The barrel is good enough, but there is no relationship between the sights and the bullets trajectory. - No wonder, that "Tommy" prefers- the bayonet. " Brother Boer" can pick a man off the horse at a distance of 1,000 yards, but the sights of the Lee Enfield rifle do not lead the shooter to the acre of land, where the projectile was to hit the ground. However, it has some advantages. The fact that the magazine can be kept in reserve and the rifle used as a single loader is an admirable thing. The short extractor spring are better than the long ones in the Mauser rifle, which easily can break. But the magazine is clumsily arranged, so the cartridges do not enter without fingering. The Mauser rifle's stripper clip is not a safe arrangement, as it often jams. The Krag-Jørgensen rifle is undoubtedly a very superior rifle. Its magazine is easier to load, and no charger is needed. But it contains five cartridges, which are to few, and its caliber is too small. Anyway, it is the best rifle used here. Its sights are simply beautiful and shows itself exceedingly when it is in the hands of an intelligent man. I have annexed such a rifle from "Brother Boer" and have often shot with it to good effect. Those foreign manufactured rifles are superior in construction and work, as modern automatic machinery, profiling and milling machines are used on them. Compare their finish with the handwork on our rough bolts." In the last remark, the letter writer is wrong; Modern machines are used in the preparation of English rifles, just as these are carefully manufactured”.

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[butlersrangers]

Interesting observations by a British Officer during the Boer War. Thanks for sharing.

[scottz63]

Cool to hear this retrospective view. Thanks!

[butlersrangers]

Boer General Tobias Smuts, with what is now one of the most sought after (Steyr made) model 1894 Norwegian Krag rifles.

[waterman]

The Boer purchasing agents in Europe had a lot of hard currency (gold coins) at a time when other currencies were less desirable. Steyr (and Mauser) sold the agents (who apparently didn't know much about rifles) almost anything in the odd corner of their warehouses. The purchase of 5,000 Guedes single shots and several thousand Kropatschek repeaters (both in 8x60R Kropatschek, with compressed BP loads) apparently cost some of the agents their jobs. The purchase of thousands of Mod.1888 Commission rifles (even as sporters) were only slightly less unfavorable. They were tied to a steady supply of new clips, as were the turn-bolt Steyr-Mannlichers. Nobody wanted the straight-pull Mannlichers. The Boers' war of horse-mounted infantry, most of them superb marksmen, lots of maneuvering, lots of dirt and dust, long-range rifle fire and unpredictable resupply lines left Steyr-made Krags a pretty good option. Their drawbacks were caliber (not 7x57 Mauser, so running out of ammo was always a possibility) and a lack of clip loading. That lack was a real drawback when rapid aimed rifle fire was a key Boer strength.

[skillest]

There's an interesting series of books called "carvings of the veldt" by David C. George which displays rifles with art carved on their stocks by soldiers who fought in the Boer war, some of which were Krag-Jorgensen rifles. There's a really great example at the Royal Armouries of a Norwegian Krag that was used in the Boer war: https://royalarmouries.org/collection/o ... ject-52503

[butlersrangers]

Thanks for the link! That is a very interesting Steyr made model 1894 Norwegian Krag, serial #70.
(The text wrongly states Norwegian manufacture).

This rifle is beautifully carved with the battle honors of J.F.W. Mostert, who became a very prominent Boer leader.

Definitely a museum piece, with only 275 such rifles going to South Africa.