Sketchy Uncle Bob's Krag

[engineeringpunk]

My mother's uncle (my great uncle) Bob was a sketchy guy. He was a marine in WWII and was sent to "the island for bad marines" in the pacific, where he contracted malaria. He never married. He lived alone and spent most of his time going to auctions and buying weird stuff. He was kind of a hoarder. By the time my memory kicks in he was old, bald, and a "curmudgeon" as my mom would call him, and would hang out on a chair in front of the firehouse all day. When Bob passed, his guns were passed to my uncle Eric in out in Washington. Eric had decided recently to pass everything down to me. Among the guns he passed is a Krag rifle.

I'm not sure how or when Bob came by the rifle, but I know he used it to hunt deer with my grandfather in Pennsylvania. I also know Bob was a tinkerer, and fancied himself a carpenter. Bob "sporterized" the rifle at some point. It has been shoehorned into a non-military stock which my grandfather did some carving on, the magazine door is gone, the magazine lockout is missing, and a non-standard rear sight added.

I've considered leaving it as is, as a memento of sketchy uncle Bob and hanging it on the wall. I've also considered restoring it completely. What I think I've settled on is restoring all the original functionality, or as much as possible, but leaving it in the current stock, modified of course to allow the magazine to work. I'd like to have the original rear sight restored, but have it drilled and tapped for a scope base.

What I'm looking for is a gunsmith who has experience with Krags enough to help me with this project. I've attached some pictures.

Any takers?

[butlersrangers]

'engineeringpunk' - You have a neat family heirloom. I would recommend leaving it 'as is'.

Your krag, #90260, started life in the first quarter of 1898, as a (30 inch barrel) Infantry Rifle. The barrel has been cut-down to a handier length. The right side of the receiver-body has been 'ground flat'. It is not practical to restore the magazine-gate.

It is possible that your 'Hunting Krag' was modified to function as a three shot repeater. (This entails inserting cartridges, base first, into the front of the 'feed-surfaces' machined into the inside of the left receiver wall and side-plate. This arrangement requires a modified follower and feed spring. It should be easy to verify if there is some type of follower/spring arrangement in place.

(Attached are a drawing with parts named and a couple pictures of a model 1898 action so you can see some of the regular structure).

P.S. There seems to be an approximately 3" long machined 'collar' on your barrel, that serves as the rear-sight base and abuts the receiver ring.

A 'magazine cut-off' could be put on your Krag. (Check to make sure there is not one already, with the lever removed from the shaft).

[engineeringpunk]

I have not been able to get the action out of the stock. The rear screw on the trigger guard is frozen or rusted or something in there. It looks like someone tried really hard to get it out in the past but was unsuccessful. I can't get enough oomph on it with a screwdriver. I may have to drill it out and replace the screw.

I'm not exactly sure what you mean about the magazine and magazine cutoff. I am able to get a round down into the magazine by sliding it rim-first down into the mag. I only have 1 round of 30-40 krag, which I found in Bob's house when we cleaned it out after he passed. I'm not sure how many will push down in there. There is a brass follower that is pushed down when the round is fed in.

Whoever cut down the barrel (now 23") did a halfway decent job it looks like. The crown has been machined to look pretty factory. It doesn't look like a hacksaw and drill chamfer kind of job.

[Dick Hosmer]

I'd leave it alone and hang it on the wall as a memorial to SUB, then, seeing as you seem to be intrigued by the Krag, get yourself a decent original.

No matter how much money and/or time you spend on your heirloom, it will never be right, and I do not believe you will be happy with it in the end. But, if you must scope a Krag (basically a bad idea unless you use a long-eye-relief pistol scope) by all means do it to that one, which is already ruined.

Just my (admittedly collector oriented) $0.02 - YMMV.

[butlersrangers]

'engineeringpunk' - If 'Sketchy Uncle Bob's Krag' had come to me, I'd want to shoot it!

However, it needs some stock re-fitting and repair. Also, it would be fun to see how the receiver and magazine have been altered. (Just get your replacement screws before 'drilling through' the head of the damaged rear screw).

Krag trigger-guard screws are cheap and readily available on ebay. (Springfield 1903 and '03A3 screws will also work).

That brass follower is an interesting piece of non-official gunsmithing. There appears to be an ingenious spring or lift-arm hidden beneath the ejector. I haven't seen that innovation before and my hunch is that your altered action will hold three .30-40 rounds in its magazine.

The shaft of the 'magazine cut-off', on a Model 1896 Krag, is just over 2 inches long. You can insert a nail or twist-drill into the receiver hole for the 'cut-off' and see if it is 'empty' for 2".

The two photos I posted show the tip of a model 1898 'cut-off' in the ON and OFF positions. When ON, the shaft bears on the top cartridge rim and prevents feeding.

If you wish an easier rear sight for 'tired eyes', an antique Pacific K-1 'peep' sight will install in place of the 'cut-off'. I wonder if your uncle had one of these on his Krag at some time?

(p.s. - Dick Hosmer has given you very sound advice in regards to saving money and obtaining an original Krag, if that be your desire).

[engineeringpunk]

When I get it apart I'll take more pictures. I did find very easily a replacement rear trigger guard screw as well as a magazine cut-off on ebay and ordered both. I verified that there was in fact nothing in that hole on my gun.

The peep sight would be cool, but since someone has already cut a dovetail and installed a Marbles rear sight on the gun, I'll probably leave it that way.

I've thought about it more and I already have so many bolt action rifles with scopes. I think this one can just stay as is. The 30-40 krag ammo seems to be a little less available than I would've thought, but I see a bunch of once fired brass for sale and a set of reloading dies is not that much money.

Does anyone know the thread size for the factory rear sight? The holes are still in the top of the barrel, and I'd like to fill those with dummy screws to improve the look.

[engineeringpunk]

I was able to drill out the head of that screw and take the action out of the stock. I've got more pictures and more questions.

Firstly, the brass magazine follower is definitely something someone dreamed up. The whole right side of the receiver has been shaved and the folded spring that is attached to the follower just butts up against the inside of the stock where it's been inletted to accept the action. On face value it's pretty smart and I'm a little impressed.

On the underside of the barrel, in front of the receiver, there's a very shallow tapped hole with a set screw stuck in it. Is this hole used for something in the action's normal environment?

I'm going to clean the hell out of this thing and see how it looks after that.

[engineeringpunk]

I've answered one of my own questions, it turns out.

The set screw on the bottom is actually holding on the collar where the rear sight dovetail is. It looks like someone actually turned that collar in a lathe to match the contour of the barrel and create a location for a rear sight dovetail to live. Creative, for sure.

I'd still like to plug up the holes where the factory rear sight screwed on, but I need to know what the thread size is so I can get some dummy screws.

[butlersrangers]

'engineeringpunk' - Krag rear-sight screws were threaded at the Armory with a .156" X 30 tpi Tap. It is unlikely you will find 'filler-screws' in that size.

You can always do what some 'Old Timers' did - hammer a suitable size Lead Shot or part of a Lead .22 caliber bullet into the holes, using a plastic or copper mallet. Trim off the excessive Lead with a sharp knife.

[FredC]

Looks like Sketchy Uncle Bob was quite a character. He might have done something with the magazine cutoff that can not be seen in your photos. Normally if you leave it out the sharp edges inside the receive scar your brass and cause feeding problems, that might have already been addressed. If you disassemble the trigger know the cross pin is tapered and press it our the large side, I broke a trigger once pressing it the wrong way.
On those barrel holes I would have suggested softening a crayon and filling them, lead pellets sound more permanent.
When you get it all cleaned up and reassembled it could be a handy deer rifle if it feeds well. If you can not get it to feed a lot of people hunt with single shots.