Is this a cut down rifle?

[OregonMike]

There is a carbine for sale at Merz Antique Firearms of Minnesota on line and is listed as "Antique US Krag Carbine" Item # MR754 . I believe it is a cut down rifle. Am I correct?

[Dick Hosmer]

Yes, you are correct. Not only were no such carbines made, but the front sight is not even from a Krag.

Mr. Merz (being an old hand at selling antique guns) knows his Winchesters, and probably his Colts, but is not too sharp on the US military stuff. Sadly, he has not grown with the times and taken advantage of the explosion of knowledge made available starting in the 1980s. Such b/s may be expected on Gunbroker, but a dealer of his longevity should know better.

[OregonMike]

I have bought a couple of Winchesters from him and always thought I at least got what I paid for. In this case his asking price is way out of line. I am glad I knew enough to know the truth about this "carbine" I wonder if it would be prudent to email him? I don't think he would intentionally mislead someone.

[butlersrangers]

Wow, not even a carbine stock! At a gun show, you would expect this 'hunting' rifle to be priced under $450.

[Dick Hosmer]

I have never heard anything bad about him - the observation was simply that some of his ads read right out of the 50's and 60's, when a short gun was a carbine, and a long gun was a rifle, and no one knew or cared about the finer points. TDs and Krags were seen almost as throwaways. Now, some ignorant (check your Funkinwagnalls!) older dealers, seeing the high prices of legitmate scarce/rare ones, want to get on the bandwagon, and are afraid they will miss something. Again, nothing personal - and no insinuation of anything sinister, beyond a lack of knowledge.