Dad's old carbine #56822

[Captwhiz]

Help me out here. I think this is a carbine based on the year 1896 and the serial num 56822. I inherited it several years ago. I'm not sure if the 4 holes on the top of the fore stock where for a scope or not. I never saw the gun with a scope on it. The front sight looks different than all the orther sights I have seen. What is the lever? just behind the rear sight on the left side of the rifle?
(more pics to follow...I have to resize them)

[Dick Hosmer]

Actually don't need to see the pics for ID - from that serial number, it is a cut-down M1896 rifle, not an original carbine. The lever behind the rear sight is the magazine cutoff, which allows the rifle to function as a single-loader or a magazine gun at will. The front sight - if it "looks different" - is probably from a 1903.

[butlersrangers]

Dick Hosmer answered your questions, that it is a cut-down model 1896 rifle, and about the magazine cut-off lever.

It appears your front sight was fashioned by making a 'sleeve' out of the original rifle muzzle/front-sight base section of the barrel. The rifle barrel was cut to desired final length, lathe turned to create a 'step', and the 'sleeve' with sight was slidand soldered into place. A much larger blade was then pinned into the front-sight base. (The large blade may be soldered to the original blade).

It is visible where your wooden hand-guard was patched to fill the opening for the original military rear sight. The "four holes", you are asking about, are probably the four rivet heads that are part of a Krag hand-guard. There are two spring-clips riveted to the underside of the wood and hold the hand-guard onto the barrel. (Caution - The hand-guard is removed by sliding it forward off of the barrel, after removing the stock. Pulling the hand-guard off of the barrel will likely crack the wood).

It is neat to see your family heirloom and BTW, Welcome to the KCA Forum!

[Captwhiz]

Thanks for all the info. The front sight is a little loose. Don't know if it was always like that or if the solder came loose from picking up the rifle from the barrel instead of the stock. Last question, what is the range of serial numbers for rifles vs. carbines??

[butlersrangers]

'Captwhiz' - Short answer - Model 1896 Krag serial numbers start somewhere around 24,000 and end around 109,000.

Most model 1896 carbines occur in two blocks of serial numbers: approx. between 24,709 to 35,792 and between 67,010 to 79,764.

Krags were not made in numerical order. The receivers were serial numbered and went into parts bins and were pulled out randomly. There are 1896 rifles with numbers that appear within the carbine 'blocks' and carbines that occur outside of the 'blocks' (I approximated).

[Captwhiz]

Big Thank you....you guys are great.