Krag Collectors Association Forum

After putting the better barrel on my action it got me to thinking about how Springfield fit these barrels to their actions. Did they drill and mount the sights after they headspaced the barrel and put the front sight on? Also when in the sequence of events did they cut the extractor notch and put the witness marks on the action and barrel? It would be interesting to read how these rifles were manufactured.

'Skeet1' - Much to my surprise and against my early assumptions, I have come to believe all of the manufacturing, proofing, and finish operations were performed on Krag barrels, (including extractor notch, sight holes, front sight base, and index mark), prior to the barrel being screwed on to the receiver.

This had to require very careful gauging of parts and 'timing' of the barrel and receiver threads.

A lot of the manufacturing process was documented by 'Scientific American' in April and May of 1899.

Franklin Mallory used a lot of the 'Scientific American' articles in the early chapters of "The Krag Rifle Story".

If you enter Sientific American in the KCA Forum 'search window', you may be able to pull up some posts with manufacturing content.

Scientific American pages from 1899 are viewable on KCA under - U.S. Military Krags - post titled 'De-Milled'.

Well today was the day I shot my Krag at paper and for the first go round it grouped at about 3". With some practice I'm sure the group will come down at least another inch. What I am using is 47.0 gr. of WC872, Winchester brass and primers, and for a bullet the Lyman 314299 sized .311. With this load it shoots to point of aim at my 80 yd. range. The barrel I replaced would not hit the paper.

Hurrah another Krag has been reborn!

In my research on using BLO is that you want to leave the rags that you have used in an open area (out of reach for kids and animals) until they are dry, then dispose of properly.

1911Ron,
you are right, using linseed oil I spread the used rags open and not wadded up, so they dry quicker and don't build up heat.