$6,000 Krag

[MPF]

I almost fell over when I asked the clerk at a gun store how much they wanted for the Krag in the rack.

I don't know anything about Stevens Pope 22 Krag's but is $6,000 what these are going for? I know "whatever the market will bear" But wow.
1898 serial number a little over 461,000, 1902 rear sight, 1903 cartouche, looked like a period barrel, very flat crown.

Anyway, if anybody finds themselves in Stockton Ca with a bunch of money burning a hole in their pocket..

[Culpeper]

The answer is they have a copy of that book regarding gun prices or gun values and that is what they go by. A friend of mine has a few year old copy and finally I learned where people get all of the outragous prices for the Lee Navies even though though the guns are hacked up, cut down bubba guns. But, hey! They are Lee Navies. They are more rare than Singer M1911s. Don'tcha know.

[reincarnated]

Is there such a book? If so, it has been around awhile.

I retired in 2007 and really wanted a Lee Navy. I had $2500 in my budget and went to the big Reno show. I saw 2 for sale, both over $4000. Then that guy was killed when the striker blew out. End of my desire. A more pressing desire is being alive.

There was someone on this forum awhile back, wanted a lot for what looked to be a nice one. IIRC, he was from the same general area.

[Culpeper]

There has been plenty of discussion about DeRuitter and his unfortunate demise. It has pretty much been determined that he was using reformed .30-40 Krag brass (GENERAL WARNING: DO NOT USE KRAG BRASS IN A LEE NAVY) and perhaps a double charge of pistol powder in a "reduced" load. Krag brass was also responsible for a Lee Navy being destroyed a couple of years ago.

So go ahead and buy yourself a Lee Navy. There are safe loadings out there.

Good shooting.

[reincarnated]

Why would anyone use Krag brass to form Lee Navy cases? The easy way is to get 220 Swift, turn off the rim and FL size. Then seat the bullets out, because the necks are short. I did that with a sporter and it worked fine. The other way, with a really strong press, is to trim .30-06 brass back a bit and FL, probably with a forming die. Takes lots of muscle, but produces safe, workable brass.

[Dick Hosmer]

I almost fell over when I asked the clerk at a gun store how much they wanted for the Krag in the rack.

I don't know anything about Stevens Pope 22 Krag's but is $6,000 what these are going for? I know "whatever the market will bear" But wow.
1898 serial number a little over 461,000, 1902 rear sight, 1903 cartouche, looked like a period barrel, very flat crown.

Anyway, if anybody finds themselves in Stockton Ca with a bunch of money burning a hole in their pocket..

One can ASK whatever one wishes, but, at that price, he'll have it forever. Maybe his wife told him to try and get rid of it and he doesn't really want to? They, like the SA extractor-plate guns, will move - albeit slowly - in the $3000 area. I may be selling mine in the not too distant (5 yrs. or so) future.

[Culpeper]

I almost fell over when I asked the clerk at a gun store how much they wanted for the Krag in the rack.

I don't know anything about Stevens Pope 22 Krag's but is $6,000 what these are going for? I know "whatever the market will bear" But wow.
1898 serial number a little over 461,000, 1902 rear sight, 1903 cartouche, looked like a period barrel, very flat crown.

Anyway, if anybody finds themselves in Stockton Ca with a bunch of money burning a hole in their pocket..

One can ASK whatever one wishes, but, at that price, he'll have it forever. Maybe his wife told him to try and get rid of it and he doesn't really want to? They, like the SA extractor-plate guns, will move - albeit slowly - in the $3000 area. I may be selling mine in the not too distant (5 yrs. or so) future.

Dibs! ;D ;)

[Culpeper]

Why would anyone use Krag brass to form Lee Navy cases? The easy way is to get 220 Swift, turn off the rim and FL size. Then seat the bullets out, because the necks are short. I did that with a sporter and it worked fine. The other way, with a really strong press, is to trim .30-06 brass back a bit and FL, probably with a forming die. Takes lots of muscle, but produces safe, workable brass.

Very good question. I saw where some company had commission a run of krag brass reformed into Lee Navy ammo. I don't recall the name of the company. I passed on it knowing what I know about the two incidences. However somebody new to the rifle could buy it and possibly land themselves in a bad place.

The ammo I bought years ago from Bufflao Arms was made from .25-06 brass. The earlier of the two batches had mostly neck spilts in it and that was shortly after I had purchased it.

[reincarnated]

If you set out to reform 25-06 or 30-06 brass into 6mm Lee Navy, annealing the case neck is probably necessary.