.22 Krag
.22 Krag
Hey, so I added this Krag a few months back off of GB. Its a gallery rifle chambered in .22 LR. I know the original production was around 850 and according to the one page on this website there are about 100 observed and recorded examples. I thought I would share it with the crowd here since these seem to be uncommon and as best I can tell it is an authentic example of a .22 Krag. Something I had only seen once before in person.
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butlersrangers
- Posts: 9920
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Re: .22 Krag
Nice photos, thanks for sharing!
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psteinmayer
- Posts: 2692
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Re: .22 Krag
That has the original 1898 rear sight... Awesome! Nice looking Krag!
Re: .22 Krag
That is cool! Question does it feed like Krag or is it different?
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reincarnated
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Re: .22 Krag
I have had some experience with Gallery Practice Rifles, so I will share what I have learned.
First, they are all single shot rifles. They do not use the magazine. They are loaded by opening the bolt, leaving it back and then inserting a 22 Long Rifle cartridge into the chamber with your fingers. Once the cartridge is started into the chamber, closing the bolt seats it properly.
Second, they use an ordinary Krag bolt and extractor. The chamber & bore are drilled at an eccentric angle, set low at the breech but centered at the muzzle.
Ejection is a sometimes thing. The ejector is a trip pin, fitted into the left side of the receiver where the little hole is drilled. The Krag's extractor pulls a spring-loaded auxiliary extractor out until the regular extractor hits the trip pin. That lets the auxiliary extractor snap back into place.
The auxiliary extractor is a modification of the ordinary .22 rimfire extractor-ejector used in the 1885 Winchester Single Shot.
Extracted & ejected cases sometimes hang up with the case mouth barely in the chamber. Snap rolling the rifle to the right usually drops the case clear of the rifle. Other times, the case rolls to the left and may get stuck between the bolt and the sideplate. The common cure was to remove the sideplate and all the magazine feeding innards. Looks strange but works well.
The first batch, 50 or 100, IIRC, were chambered for the .22 Extra Long rimfire. They have an 18" twist and a .226" groove diameter. These do not shoot regular Long Rifle cartridges with much accuracy. From the bench, at 100 yards, with a no-drill Pacific rear and an ordinary 1903 front sight, I was able to keep most of my shots in the 9 ring of the standard smallbore target. I had much better results with CCI Stingers. $$.
Later GPRs are chambered for Long Rifle and have 16" twist and about .222" groove diameter. These are much more accurate rifles.
Stock and some of the hardware are made from rejects.
First, they are all single shot rifles. They do not use the magazine. They are loaded by opening the bolt, leaving it back and then inserting a 22 Long Rifle cartridge into the chamber with your fingers. Once the cartridge is started into the chamber, closing the bolt seats it properly.
Second, they use an ordinary Krag bolt and extractor. The chamber & bore are drilled at an eccentric angle, set low at the breech but centered at the muzzle.
Ejection is a sometimes thing. The ejector is a trip pin, fitted into the left side of the receiver where the little hole is drilled. The Krag's extractor pulls a spring-loaded auxiliary extractor out until the regular extractor hits the trip pin. That lets the auxiliary extractor snap back into place.
The auxiliary extractor is a modification of the ordinary .22 rimfire extractor-ejector used in the 1885 Winchester Single Shot.
Extracted & ejected cases sometimes hang up with the case mouth barely in the chamber. Snap rolling the rifle to the right usually drops the case clear of the rifle. Other times, the case rolls to the left and may get stuck between the bolt and the sideplate. The common cure was to remove the sideplate and all the magazine feeding innards. Looks strange but works well.
The first batch, 50 or 100, IIRC, were chambered for the .22 Extra Long rimfire. They have an 18" twist and a .226" groove diameter. These do not shoot regular Long Rifle cartridges with much accuracy. From the bench, at 100 yards, with a no-drill Pacific rear and an ordinary 1903 front sight, I was able to keep most of my shots in the 9 ring of the standard smallbore target. I had much better results with CCI Stingers. $$.
Later GPRs are chambered for Long Rifle and have 16" twist and about .222" groove diameter. These are much more accurate rifles.
Stock and some of the hardware are made from rejects.
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psteinmayer
- Posts: 2692
- Joined: Tue Aug 30, 2011 2:31 am
Re: .22 Krag
That's great Info reincarnated... thanks very much for sharing it.
Re: .22 Krag
What is the cartouche date on the stock?
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Dick Hosmer
- Posts: 2296
- Joined: Sun Nov 20, 2005 4:11 pm
Re: .22 Krag
Do you have the missing extractor parts? That's going to be a tough find, if not. Mine is complete, but has a broken spring on one side, so it does not work smoothly at all. S&S supposedly had a few springs but now cannot find them. Barrel needs to be removed to fix the mechanism, which is why I've not yet repaired mine.
Is your serial number (clearly Photoshopped) on the list? Sorry to see you feel the need to conceal it - always nice to get full data, especially on rare models.
Is your serial number (clearly Photoshopped) on the list? Sorry to see you feel the need to conceal it - always nice to get full data, especially on rare models.
Re: .22 Krag
It is not on the list, its 476142, 1903 dated stock. sorry its just a dumb habit I guess. Are the two holes about the bore for the auxiliary extractor? Will the gun not extract at all without it?
Thanks for the info reincarnated.
Thanks for the info reincarnated.
Re: .22 Krag
Some more pictures, with a regular 1898 thrown in for comparison.
