1898 Carbine

[4rowdy]

Have an opportunity to buy a Krag carbine marked Model 1898 with serial number 168168. Is that a valid serial number. Thanks.

[butlersrangers]

'4rowdy' - Only around 5,000 U.S. model 1898 Krag carbines were made.

They fall largely in the range between #117536 to #133791 (lots of model 1898 Rifles are also between those numbers).

It is most probable, Krag #168168 was built as a Rifle.

[Dick Hosmer]

Yup, stay away from that one unless it is less than $400 and you want a knockabout plinker for your truck gun.

And, sincere congratulations for being smart enough to ask before you buy. Sadly, the gun boards/forums are chock-full of guys whose first post is along the lines of "Hi, Newbee23 here, just bought a Krag for $1,500 - I don't know anything about them, how did I do?" Well, in many cases, the answer is that they did very badly, and you worry about how to sugar-coat the reply.

[psteinmayer]

Sadly, I was once one of those "Newbies," thinking my cutoff 1898 sporter was the real deal because the front post was correct (LOL it doesn't even have the correct barrel length for a carbine). I've since become steeped in Kragdom, and I'm still learning!

[4rowdy]

Thank you very much for your reply's. Just joined yesterday. Had an opportunity a few months ago to shoot a friends Krag rifle in a competition and loved it. I bought the book by Joe Poyer on Krags and it has been very helpful. Also, the carbine I was looking at buying had a sight on it that is not in the book and doesn't have a C on it anywhere.
That's again for your inputs. Love the information you have on KCA.
4Rowdy

[4rowdy]

Here is a photo of the sight on the Krag carbine that I am considering buying, that I can't identify. Does any one recognize it?

[butlersrangers]

Somebody altered a 1903 Springfield rear-sight & base and put it on this Krag.

Springfield Armory did not do this.

[4rowdy]

Fantastic, thank you for identifying the sight me. I'm going to see the seller of the rifle tomorrow.
Thanks,
Rowdy

[psteinmayer]

Do you have a picture of the front sight? Many times, a cutoff rifle will have a 1903 front sight installed. Can you tell us what he's asking price wise?

[Dick Hosmer]

Also note that real Krag carbines do not - for the most part - have sling swivels!

Since you have Poyer's book, you can look this up. A few hundred guns were altered for issue to the engineers, and a few more were later "officially modified" for troops that so wished, but, if you want a real carbine as issued to the cavalry, it should not have sling swivels on the band and butt.