Looking for Dad's Krag carbine

[Gibbs]

OK, so for my first post after joining, I figured it might as well be a doozy:

I've started seriously looking for THE Krag he carried when he took me hunting as a child, that was sold after my father passed away. It was sold in Adams, MA (of course it could've traveled anywhere) in 1991. I recently found, among Dad's personal effects, his list of firearms serial numbers.

I know it was carbine length, but the serial number doesn't seem to jive with even the most optimistic "true" carbine range, so perhaps it was cut down: #245721

Anyhow, I am hoping to re-acquire this fine shooter. I know it's a very long shot, but, hey, nothing's impossible...

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated as I begin the quest in earnest!

Thank you in advance.

[psteinmayer]

I checked the serial on my cutdown sporter, and it's not the one. But let me say welcome to the forum... Lots of great members, and a wealth of great experience and advice here! I hope you find your father's gun.

Paul

[butlersrangers]

Gibbs: Poyer ('The American Krag Rifle and Carbine') gives 244,218 through 268,055 as one of the serial number ranges for Model 1899 Krag Carbines. Your father's Krag fell within this range ( but not all numbers were necessarily 1899 Carbines). By the way, Krag #245721 was built in February, 1900. Good Luck in your hunt!

[rjc324]

Welcome to the forum by the way. Here is perhaps a helpful longshot, try running a classified in the regional papers, like the Post Star out of Glens Falls NY, The Albany Times Union, or other capitol area papers, my thoughts even though it was 20 years ago, the rifle might be still in that neck of the woods in a collection somewhere. Best of luck by the way,

[Gibbs]

I checked the serial on my cutdown sporter, and it's not the one. But let me say welcome to the forum... Lots of great members, and a wealth of great experience and advice here! I hope you find your father's gun.

Paul

Ha!

Thanks for checking, Paul (one down, not many more to check)--and thank you for the welcome!

[Gibbs]

Gibbs: Poyer ('The American Krag Rifle and Carbine') gives 244,218 through 268,055 as one of the serial number ranges for Model 1899 Krag Carbines. Your father's Krag fell within this range ( but not all numbers were necessarily 1899 Carbines). By the way, Krag #245721 was built in February, 1900. Good Luck in your hunt!

Wow--thanks!

I was going by a reference stating that 1898 carbines ran "117,536 and are scattered out up to 133,919", but that's great news on it being a "true" carbine!

And thank you for looking up the manufacture date!

I ordered the Poyer & Riesch book as I know I have a lot of reading to catch up on...

[Gibbs]

Welcome to the forum by the way. Here is perhaps a helpful longshot, try running a classified in the regional papers, like the Post Star out of Glens Falls NY, The Albany Times Union, or other capitol area papers, my thoughts even though it was 20 years ago, the rifle might be still in that neck of the woods in a collection somewhere. Best of luck by the way,

Thank you for the welcome, rjc, that's a good idea, too.

I figured I'd start with the Internet folks, but this particular carbine might be in the hands of someone who is not an avid collector/enthusiast, but just happens to own it. Such a person might be better reached via print media.

Fingers crossed!

[Dick Hosmer]

Rewind.

Was the missing "carbine" marked "1898" or "1899"?

Former would be a cut-down rifle. In that higher range (the 117xxx-133xxx 1898C info quoted is roughly correct) the arm would have to have been marked with the latter date to be real.

Hope that didn't spoil your day, and I wish you the best of luck in your search!

[Gibbs]

Rewind.

Was the missing "carbine" marked "1898" or "1899"?

Ha! It was definitely 1898. :'(

Former would be a cut-down rifle. In that higher range (the 117xxx-133xxx 1898C info quoted is roughly correct) the arm would have to have been marked with the latter date to be real.

Hope that didn't spoil your day, and I wish you the best of luck in your search!

As I had thought. I read "1899" too quickly earlier.

(I just finished trying to clean up my two hounds that were skunked, so no--this didn't ruin my day!)

But, as I've read many people have noted abut their/their father's/their grandfather's Krag-Jrgensens, I remember the cut-down barrel was done really well. Of course, I don't remember ever seeing the "C" stamps on the rear sight, but the non-carbine-ness seems to have been pretty well established.

Thanks, Dick. (Sigh.)

[rjc324]

This is the business end from my sporterized 1898 Krag, the barrel itself looks good, but the front sight was a dead giveaway that this was modified. The barrel workmanship is stellar though.