Request for Assistance

[starnes1987]

Gents,

My step-father has a Danish Krag model 1889 built in 1912, all numbers matching, serial number R.2707. This rifle has sat in his basement for nearly 15 years and he never shoots this rifle nor any firearms for that matter. I believe it was passed down to him by his father and has been in the family for decades. This rifle is rusted, corroded, and will probably never fire again. Nevertheless, I want to refinish the rifle, remove the rust, and clean it up for him to put into a display case so he can have something to remember his side of the family who have all passed away. There are no family heirlooms on his side of the family.
Before I present it to him, I want to find out as much about this rifle and its history as possible. This is my first time dealing with Krag rifles, so I have spent the last month researching this rifle. I still cannot find any family history with this rifle, so I was hoping I could get some information about this specific rifle from the serial number.

[butlersrangers]

'starnes1987' - Welcome to the KCA Forum. That is an interesting Danish Krag carbine in your family.

The '1912 date' may actually indicate the carbine model or type. My references suggest the "R" in front of #2707 denotes 'Rytterkarabin' (Cavalry Carbine).

The Danes had a Cavalry Carbine model of 1912 and a model of 1923. They also had rather similar Engineer and Pioneer carbines. (Apparently, some of the Danish Cavalry carbines were fitted to take a bayonet).

At least, some of the Danish Cavalry Carbines have a 'stud' on the left side of the stock, just above the trigger-guard. This 'stud' slid into a leather carrier, so the cavalryman could carry the carbine positioned on his back.

Your father-in-laws's Danish carbine does not look that bad to me in your photos. Refinishing this Arm would destroy its value. You should preserve what is original (and not try to make it bright and shiny).

Hopefully, you have the parts (trigger-guard, screws and barrel-band) that are not present in your photos.

My suggestions for cleaning: Disassemble the arm and wipe wood parts with mineral spirits or turpentine to clean off old grease and dirt. Use old cotton rags or paper towels. Follow cleaning with hand rubbed applications of raw linseed oil. Let it soak in for a day before wiping off excess. (I would finish up with Howard's Feed and Wax).

On the metal, wipe it down with Hoppe's #9 solvent. Rust spots will respond to patches of #0000 steel wool saturated with Hoppe's. Wipe off 'rusty slurry' with paper toweling. Heavier rust spots can be soaked with Hoppe's and scrapped with the edge of a copper penny.

[butlersrangers]

The top wooden hand-guard, on your father-in-law's Danish Krag, indicates it must be one of these carbines. It is possibly a 1912, updated to take a bayonet.

[starnes1987]

Butlersrangers,

You were right, it was a cavalry rifle. The stamp is still present and it has the adaptor for a bayonet. Interestingly enough, one of my step-fathers relatives was in the cavalry back in 1910 (give or take a few years), so this might explain where the rifle came from.

Thank you for the cleaning and repairing advice, I will definitely give that a try. I tried to clean the inside of the barrel to see what damage I have and have been completely unable to get a swab through the barrel. The barrel is rusted complete shut about eight inches from the barrel. No light can be seen through it either. This rifle will never fire again unless I replace the barrel, drill and re-caliber the rifle, etc. At this point, it makes for either a great paperweight, doorstop, or plaque on the wall. My step father doesn't shoot (I don't think he has ever shot a firearm before), so unless he decides to hand it to me, it will never fire again. It's more the sentimental value I'm looking for.

The middle band complete is missing, the trigger guard is missing, and both screws are missing. I was able to find a company that has these parts in stock.

Again, thank you greatly for your input. You answered questions I hadn't even thought to ask. When I'm done with this rifle, I think I'll find one for myself to add to my collection.

[butlersrangers]

Some Danish parts are currently being sold on ebay and gunbroker. Just search ebay and gunbroker for : Krag

[FredC]

Is it possible that a bullet is stuck in the barrel? The outside does not look that rusty. We have leaf cutter bees here that plug any available hole with organic material and lay an egg inside but they will do it on the end of a hole.
If you think it is a stuck bullet I can provide a link to a removal method using a grease gun. Most mechanical attempts will damage a barrel.
I found the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fVJP7oYAjc

[butlersrangers]

Another possibility is that someone poured or drove a slug into the bore to 'deactivate' the rifle.

[starnes1987]

I'm still trying to figure out what it is, it's hard to see what the block is. But the blockage seems rounded, so I think it might be a stuck round. Odds are, it has been there for about 25 years.