1899 carbine

[Darreld_Walton]

Hi all, today I picked up my first Krag, an 1899 carbine. Couple of things, the rear sight is missing, and the cutoff and sideplate screw are gone where someone installed a "western" aperture sight. Are any of these things available?
Thanks

[Ned Butts]

Hi Darreld,
It's good to see a new name here! Your side cover screw and cut off should not be hard to find. S&S has both listed. The screw will be a repro. Also many collectors (and members here) have parts to sell. The sight will be harder to come by. Matching originallity will depend on serial # and if you have a hand guard on the gun to match the sight to. M'01 carbine sights seem to be the most common. A M'98 and M'02 just sold on ebay for between 2&3 hundred each! A little high for me! If you are patient, you can put a rifle sight on for now, you can usually find a carbine sight for a reasonable price.
Good luck,
Ned

[Hal_Beatty]

Carbine sights are expensive, but sometimes are available for a decent price. Check the gunshows for parts, and look at every hacked-up Krag on the tables. Sometimes carbine parts (stocks and sights) show up on real dogs, and the price is right for the whole gun. That I know from experience.
If you post the serial number and cartouche date, perhaps someone will be able to make a determination as to which rear sight would be correct.
Regards,
Hal Beatty

[Darreld Walton]

Hi again, the serial number is 230747, JSA 1899 cartouche left side, script firing proof P behind the grip. The handguard is humped, likely for the 1901 sight, as it's about an inch back from the band, and a short, low piece before the sight opening.
Took it out yesterday with a box of Remington factory loaded 180 corelokt, and it'll stay on a pop can at a hundred. It absolutely refuses to feed the spire point bullets, though. This morning I loaded up several boxes of the Hornady 220 round nose, 40 gr IMR 4350, and a Fed 210. It'll be next weekend before I can make it to the bench, but they do feed, and feed well.

[Hal_Beatty]

An early production '99 carbine like 230747 ( built sometime in August through October, 1899) would have probably been issued with an 1896 carbine rear sight and '96 rifle handguard. Many of them were updated with other sights at a later date. So your's likely had a 1901 sight on it. Unfortunately '96 carbine sights seem to be the most expensive to purchase and hardest to find, while 1901 carbine sights seem to be the most plentiful, in my experience.
Regards,
Hal Beatty

[Ned Butts]

You should have good luck with that hand load. I have been using the same (except for primers) for a couple of years with very good results. I have found that the front sights on my carbines have been filed over the years for diffrent loads so the elevation tends to vary with them.
Have fun at the range!!
Ned

[Darreld Walton]

http://www.imagestation.com/album/index.html?id=4291906051
Some shots of the carbine at this site.

[mikeallen]

Looked at your pictures.

Looks like a nice rifle with some nice figured timber


Mike

[Ned Butts]

Darreld,
I just looked at your pictures, that is a nice looking stock, too bad about the chip. Your hand guard is for the M'01 sight and it appears that the top of the hump was flattened a little probably due to the after market sights. You can get a replacement sight blade from S&S and should be able to find an '01 rifle sight to hold you over untill you can find the right carbine ones.
Happy shooting,
Ned

[Darreld_Walton]

I made it out to the range this morning with the 220/4350 load. It's a keeper! I had some problems with the Remington 180 Factory loads, they really expanded the brass ahead of the web badly. The 220 gr load has enough pressure to seal the neck well, no case swelling like the Rem factory 180 loads did. Beyond that, they shoot a lot better! The load is a lot more comfortable to shoot, to boot! I don't think that it'll knock down the timber on the way to a critter, but it'd sure do the job if I connect.
I bought a rifle this morning, too. I haven't taken the scope base off to see exactly what it is, but I know that it's a really well done older sporter conversion. Bishop stock with some decent lines, very nicely checkered at around 22 lpi, pachmayr pad, grip cap, forend tip, beaded cheek piece. The barrel has been replaced with a 24" 17 barrel, perfect bore, nice contour. Dad has been wanting a rifle to shoot Bullwinkle with this year, and it's hard for him to manipulate his other rifle, maybe this one will work out for him.'
Later...