Krag Collectors Association Forum

BTW - The Krag model 1899 carbine front-sight blade, (when removed from its base), is .355 inches tall.

The rifle blade for the 1901 rear-sight is .413 inches tall.

Curious though while were talking carbines, why does my 1899 school rifle have a carbine stamped rear sight on it? Also has the humped handguard. And of course the milled bbl for the bayonet. Was it originally a carbine that was restocked into a school rifle as opposed to a cut down rifle? Do I have a carbine in sheeps clothing?

School rifles were usually (not always) M1899 carbines that had a rifle stock cut down slightly to be able to have a front barrel band used that had a bayonet lug and the end of the 22 inch carbine barrel, which was thicker than the muzzle end of a Krag rifle, turned down to hold a bayonet ring.

So, the "school rifle" would often, correctly, have one of many carbine rear sights.

But, many bubba-ed carbines were made to be like school rifles which could have been a rifle cut down which would not necessarily be wearing a carbine rear sight.

What is the serial number of your carbine? Is it a Model 1899? All Model 1899 Krags started life as a carbine.

My school rifle is an 1899, sn 280506.

I have a school rifle made from a M1896 carbine, SN: 68128 with a M1896c rear sight.

My Philippine Constabulary rifle is made from a M1899 carbine, SN:225798 with the unusual M1902c rear sight.

'Lead Snowstorm' - The rear-sight comes off by removing the two mounting screws. (Model 1901 rifle sight shown in photo).

Then remove the barrel-band by sliding it forward, while compressing the band-spring. (Remember the "U" on the band goes on the right-hand side of the Krag).

Remove the stock by removing the two trigger-guard screws.

Now, the hand-guard can be slid down the barrel toward the muzzle. As it moves down the barrel taper, the pressure is relieved on the hand-guard's spring-clips.

Coins (a Quarter and a Nickel or Penny) can be twisted into the loose hand-guard's 'spring clips' to counteract the spring pressure. This will help hold the cracked wood in position for gluing.

Ah, excellent. I thought the little lever in front was somehow involved in removing the sight. Need to do some familiarization with the sight.

I also seem to have misplaced my calipers. Ill hunt them up by the weekend hopefully and measure the front sight blade.

The 'lever' locks the upper sight-base to the lower sight-base.

When the lever is swung to the left, the upper base is free to pivot on the front mounting-screw. This allows sight adjustment for windage correction.

When the lever is swung back to the right, it locks the bases together in the 'adjusted position'.

The increments at the rear of the sight-base are for sight adjustment.

This is off topic in regard to OP'spost on his model 1899 carbine, but, FWIW:

The, so called, "school rifles" and "Philippine Constabulary rifles" were made from model 1899 (and updated model 1898) carbines, fitted to modified rifle stocks and front barrel-bands.

IIRC - Some Philippine Constabulary rifles, altered at the Manila Ordnance Depot, could have been made from model 1896 carbines.

The carbine sights were on these arms before alteration and would be correctly sighted for the, still 22 inch, barrels.

I was under the impression that there were no real Philippine Constabulary rifles in existence as they were thrown overboard into Manila Bay but there are school rifles but even the real school rifles are not particularly well documented. Guess things were so much more casual then, outdated surplus rifles were one step above scrap metal so it wasnt worth the trouble to record and keep actual serial #s of individual rifles and where they went.

The sale of School Rifles (by year, institution, and number of rifles purchased) is partially known.

IMHO - Because specific sales by serial number are not known, NOW, does not mean documents did not once exist (or haven't been located & reported).