You Don't Say!?

[Knute1]

From the 5/16/1903 issue of the "Army and Navy Register".

"Although the type of the U.S. Springfield magazine gun has been practically decided upon, the manufacture will not commence for six months and all the Army will not probably receive this gun before the expiration of two years. In the meantime it is desirable that the national guard of the states should, in place of their obsolete Springfield rifles shooting black powder, receive a modern gun using smokeless powder and with a flat trajectory. Instead, then, of waiting until the government has manufactured enough of the new Springfield rifles, it is desired by the department to arm the national guard at once with the Krag Jorgensen. This Krag Jorgensen as issued is of the model of 1898, which differs in no respect from the latest model in use by the Regular Army. The Krag Jorgensen guns to be issued to states will be those that have never been used. Most all of the guns will be issued with the wind gauge sights of 1901 model, but some few of them may possibly have the sights of 1896, which is considered by some better than the sight of 1901, and as fast as they can be manufactured sights of 1902 will be sent to the states to replace the sights of 1896. The policy of arming the national guard with an inferior and out of date gun has been definitely abandoned by the War Department. The department proposes to furnish the national guard with the latest models of field guns at once, and it is probable that within a few years, as soon as the new type of gun has been manufactured, steps will be taken to replace the Krag Jorgensen rifle with the new Springfield. For all practicable purposes the Krag Jorgensen will always be as good a gun as the new Springfield, and by many it will be preferred. There is no such difference of desirability between the new Springfield and the Krag Jorgensen as there was between the Krag Jorgensen and the old Springfield"

[butlersrangers]

Useful period commentary regarding "new" model 1898 rifles going to the State National Guard units and the rear-sight intentions, circa 1903.