Krag in the Boer War

[butlersrangers]

This photo shows ZAR (South Africa Republic) General Tobias Smuts leaning on a Steyr made "Norwegian" Krag. The ZAR and OVS (Orange Free State) republics utilized a limited number of mysterious Krags in their war with Great Britain (1899-1902). The estimated 100 to 1,000 rifles were in 6.5mmx55mm, made by Steyr, and apparently lacked Norwegian markings.

[butlersrangers]

Krags may have come to South African War with Scandinavian Volunteers or purchase on open market. Attached is a picture of my Aunt's father, "Jimmy" Miller, from Wick, Scotland. He served in the British Army during the Boer War and again during W.W.I. The picture is believed to have been taken in South Africa, but would have to date from around 1904. The rifle is a Short, Magazine Lee-Enfield, No.1 Mk.1, the Charger guide floats on the bolt-head, the rear hand-guard has a distinctive sight guard. (Jimmy brought his family to Canada around 1921 and settled in Windsor, Ont.).

[mussonor]

Krag and Jrgensen had their own company, KJGCo (Krag-Jrgensen gun company) that was founded for selling krags thru agents world wide. The Boers bougth several houndreds krags after a test May 30 1896. These test rifles and carabines were actually made at kongsberg in Norway. The later deliveries was from Steyr production. These were mainly guns assembeled of parts not apprrved for delivery in the governmental order. But they were approved by the same control officer (Paaske) that the goverment used, but paid by the KJGCo for the control. Steyr had a huge scrap rate for the production of the complicate krag, so selling some of this on "private" market would compensate. For instance, 63.000 bolts were made to get out 33.500 rifles! 27.000 magazine covers had to be scraped due to wrong milling. (No TQM :o)

[butlersrangers]

mussonor: Thanks for the info. on what has to be a very rare Krag variant.

[butlersrangers]

(Up-dating old thread on Boer 'Steyr' Krags). According to Sigurd Halverson, in Brophy's "The Krag Rifle", 33,500 Model 1894 Krags were produced at Steyr, during 1896 and 1897, for Norwegian Army and Civilian orders...
"Army M/1894 Steyr Krags numbered from number 1 to number 20,000 and from number 30,001 to number 39,000. Approximately 10,000 rifles were made in 1896 and the rest in 1897.
Civilian M/1894 Steyr Krags were serially numbered from number 3,001 to number 7,500, all being made in 1897".
(I assume Steyr-made Krags used in Norway would have some type of Norwegian markings on them. A Steyr Krag dated 1896 and without Norwegian markings and a verbal tradition of coming from South Africa, would be a pretty compelling 'Boer Krag' - IMHO).

[butlersrangers]

The 'search' function on the KCA forum does not work well for me. I find it necessary to go page by page to find topics and threads that have been asked and talked about before. It does make for interesting reading!

[madsenshooter]

Wow, what a reject rate!