Bluing Krag Receiver

[Jason60chev]

I work overseas, in Afghanistan. I will not be home until late next October to even get my hands on this project. Even then, I may not complete and will have to wait until Mid 2020 to work on it again.

I will not be home to attend any gun shows.

This is the only receiver I have seen. There was a complete barreled receiver on GB a couple of weeks ago, but I was way out bid on it. I think it sold for $420.

I could wait for cheap sporter to show up. I would rather not have to buy an example that I have to ship to an FFL. When I was home this last October, I picked up about 10 guns and receivers from my 01FFL. I really dislike having to ask them to hold onto things for nearly a year.

Am not so much concerned about the "beauty" of this project. It's going to be a bunch of parts put together by me. I can work on that receiver and clean it up better than what it looks like. IF I can get it cheap enough, all the better.

I bought a VERY nice 1898 long rifle at the Tulsa gun show while I was home. Very nice! it's a 127XXX serial. I didn't take any pics of it and I didn't really have time to play with it before I had to return to Afghanistan.

'jason' - You may want to look for a nicer receiver, more in keeping with the good original condition of your other parts.

Your bolt and cut-down barrel look quite attractive, but, your receiver is one of the worst, condition-wise, that I have seen.

Stripped Krag receivers are not hard to find and show up cheap at gun shows.

Criterion barrels are excellent and a true .308" diameter in the grooves. The sight holes do use a modern thread. The barrel comes 'in the white'. They are 'short-chambered' and probably require 'finish reaming'. All this adds to expense and requires skilled labor.

[butlersrangers]

'Whig' - You are correct. An alarming number of Krags are being 'parted out' by a couple of individuals on ebay. (One of them near Tampa, Fla.).

FWIW - I will not bid on their auction items. They are taking apart complete rifles, not just 'cut-downs', and on a weekly basis. (History and context be dammed)!

Receivers do show up on GunBroker. Pre-1898 ones do not require FFL.

[Whig]

We are losing Krags, good ones and sporterized ones, I have seen and we can't do much about it. I am trying to do my part at keeping my Krags together and fixing the ones I get. I won't do business with these Krag killers either.

Just a typo on your part I'm sure Butler, but the "antique" Krags that don't need FFL paperwork, for those out there who might not know, are any and all firearms officially built before Jan. 1, 1899. That would be based on the serial number and records that best verify serialized receiver manufacture.

To the best of my knowledge, I believe the BATFE uses 152669 as the cut off for the last "antique" Krag rifle. If anyone has more correct or updated info, please chime in. I may have older info.

Also, this is based on calendar year manufacture and serial numbers- not fiscal year. They are not always the same.

[Jason60chev]

I just found a nicer receiver, but is 1898 (Price is $150) and will have to be shipped to my 01-FFL, Which I really don;t want to do, but may end up having to.

This one looks like it could be used "as is" without any refinishing.

'jason' - You may want to look for a nicer receiver, more in keeping with the good original condition of your other parts.

Your bolt and cut-down barrel look quite attractive, but, your receiver is one of the worst, condition-wise, that I have seen.

Stripped Krag receivers are not hard to find and show up cheap at gun shows.

Criterion barrels are excellent and a true .308" diameter in the grooves. The sight holes do use a modern thread. The barrel comes 'in the white'. They are 'short-chambered' and probably require 'finish reaming'. All this adds to expense and requires skilled labor.

[Whig]

Jason,

That's a much nicer receiver and the price isn't too bad really. You are not going to have a highly collectible rifle when you're done wene you put together parts but you'll have a great Krag that can look nice and hopefully shoot great! That should be the goal.

Then, you can look for an unaltered collectible when you are done investing in this one.

[butlersrangers]

FWIW - That has $100 worth of small parts that you need for your present model 1896 receiver, so you are only paying $50 for this model 1898 receiver. Also, it is probably a lot easier to acquire a 'cut-down' model 1898 stock.

How's that for RATIONALIZING!

[Jason60chev]

Thanks. Don't know if I mentioned it......I purchased what appeared to be an unaltered, original 1898 rifle at the Tulsa gun show this past November. I didn't get to spend much time with it as I had to fly back to Florida, then the following Tuesday, I had to return to Afghanistan. Bt it is a VERY nice rifle, Stock and metal finish appears to be original and the color case hardening can still be seen on the receiver. I got it for $750. The gentlemen said that they were selling their father's collection. There was another Krag long rifle. It was almost an impulse purchase but a Krag was on my list. I bought a very nice bayonet from them, too.

I just might get both receivers. WHat the Hell! Why not?

Oh....Sarco is showing 1898 receivers for $29.95!

Jason,

That's a much nicer receiver and the price isn't too bad really. You are not going to have a highly collectible rifle when you're done wene you put together parts but you'll have a great Krag that can look nice and hopefully shoot great! That should be the goal.

Then, you can look for an unaltered collectible when you are done investing in this one.

[Mark_Daiute]

don't blue anything, even a parts rifle. My unsolicited .02. Truthfully re-blued antiques look pretty horrible and the receivers were not blued, maybe someone else will chime in but they were not blued per-se.I forget the process used and I'm too tired to look it up. Then again maybe I am completely wrong.

[FredC]

I am with Mark and Butlersrangers on the looks of a blued Krag. Another thing is the case is not very thick on a Krag sanding out the surface will only make it thinner. The metal under that case has been described as "butter soft", I have not drilled one myself, but have heard several accounts. Your modern case hardening steels have tremendous strength in the core or when "mock hardened' without the additional carbon in the skin. The material the Krags were made from probably softer than 1018 or other mild steels available today.

The men that heat treated at the arsenal had a lot of practice doing it. The Krag action has relatively heavy sections and knife thin sections any one trying to color case a Krag today would need to be real good not to ruin it.

I have made heat treated commercial screws that needed plating and the plater mentioned having to treat them right after coming out of the tank to prevent hydrogen embrittlement. We have also sent spring tempered parts out for bluing and never had the plater mention any need for post bluing treatment. I do not know all the bluing processes but I do not think any have an issue with embrittlement.
FYI the treatment to drive out the hydrogen is just soaking in an oven at about 300F for a while, not really a big deal if you do not forget to do it. It probably needs to be done quickly to prevent cracks from starting. Not an expert so I do not know how long you have to begin the treatment.
Just in case you think we all hate bluing, I did have my dad's 1917 Enfield blued.