Vintage Target Scope and Mount on 1898 Krag

[Cat Man]

In the 1920's the W. Stokes Kirk company marketed a simple scope rail that could be installed on a standard Krag. The standard rear sight was removed and the dovetail rail installed using the same two sight mounting holes.

Our good friend the late Col Bill Mook had some of the rails duplicated in the 1990's. On a visit he gave me one as a gift. I recently found the correct size vintage 4X target scope with dovetail mounts and target knobs at a local gun show.

Mounted it up on an 1898 rifle today. I didn't do any cleaning of the scope or the mounts yet. The scope tube is brass. I am thinking about polishing it bright. With only the two small mounting screws, I will limit any shooting to low power cast bullets.

I don't like the over use of the word "rare" but I think this qualifies.

Jeff

[Ned Butts]

Interesting!!!

[butlersrangers]

That's pretty cool. Watch your eye-relief!

[reincarnated]

Those old scopes were free-recoiling. They slid forward with every shot. Then you pulled (slid) them back into place before taking the next shot.

http://www.steveearleproducts.com/

Steve Earl just listed a mount very much like this for the 1903 Springfield for use with a Leatherwood scope. AFAIK, that's a Chinese-made reproduction of a scope very much like the one pictured.

The more common types of externally-adjusting target scopes (Lyman, Unertl, Fecker, etc.) attached to mounts that were more or less interchangeable. The Winchester A5 and its Lyman variant and the recent MVA B5 do not fit the standard, but are much smaller. The old scopes usually sell for $450 (for a beat up Lyman) to $650 or $700 for a pretty good Unertl. The smaller Winchester types bring the same prices but are pretty flimsy, not a good investment IMHO.

Steve will make custom mounts of almost any description. Those of us interested in such things might want to consider a group order. My guess is that the mount & screws will cost about $150.

Steve Earle also advertises that he will reproduce old screws in small batches.

[Cat Man]

Good information for Krag shooters not familiar with the old style target scopes in sliding mounts. This one on the Krag does clamp tight at the forward ring. I don't think it will slide on recoil like the Lyman or Unertl scopes and mounts.

In addition to shooting Krags in the CMP vintage military matches, I also shoot the sniper match. Usually with an 03A4 or No 4 (T) Lee Enfield. I am considering building an 03 Springfield in the USMC M1941 sniper look alike. The shooters on the ranges that have the reproduction Unertl scope, refer to them as a "Cinertl". Quality reports are now pretty good for the reproduction scope.

I put this Krag together for fun as it didn't require any rifle modifications. I do like to drag stuff out to the range and watch people look sideways and mutter "What the heck is that thing!"

Steve's scope block business site looks interesting.

Cat Man

[reincarnated]

Cat Man,

What make of scope is your old one? I would be concerned lest the jarring from continual recoil detach the cross-hairs. So, if it was mine, I would loosen up the front ring until it slid freely (but not wobbly) and put some sort of stop on the scope body to make it come to the same reference point before every shot.

I have 3 vintage scopes and a modern MVA B5. I shoot at least one of them each week. The more I shoot the MVA, the better I like my 6X Fecker.

When you go to Steve's site, click on the pics for a photo of his shop. Then consider that this is not his day job.

[gnoahhh]

Another instance of a Krag w/target scope. Heavy barreled varminter, it wears an older Fecker 10X now. .22Maximum Lovell, built by Hervey Lovell in the late 30's. Note the interesting double set triggers (Pacific)- push the front trigger forward until it clicks, then the rear trigger has a few ounces of let off.

[butlersrangers]

'gnoahhh' - awesome target Krag and nice picture of set-triggers. Thanks for sharing.

[Cat Man]

Wonderful custom Krag. A few more photos would get me even more excited.

When I was a young man, fresh out of school, just married and starting my career, I remember looking at one of the neatest Krag rifles at a gun show in Southern Wisconsin. It was a single shot varmint rifle like yours in 22R Lovell. Of course I had no money, could not buy it and I have wanted that rifle ever since. I always watch for it to turn up at a show. 35 years and many gun shows later, I'm still looking. A sporter built in .25 Krag caliber is another one on my bucket list.

Original military rifles and carbines are fun, but so are the better Krag sporters of the 1920's and 30's.

Thanks for posting

Cat Man

[gnoahhh]

Yeah, I like them both ways too. I feel the better examples of "Bubba's" pre-war handiwork are as collectible as those in original configuration.