Good day!
You guys have a great forum here. My dad just gave me his Sporterized 1898 Krag (#430759) w/ 22" bbl which was his deer rifle. His father bought it in the '30s in the general store where my dad grew up in central Pennsylvania. It's a very small town that still doesn't even have a stop light.
I'm excited to get this rifle up and running. I don't think it's been shot in 30 years. This rifle wasn't maintained as I would have and there is some surface rust which I've cleaned up. To start, I did a complete take down and cleaning. The firing pin spring and the trigger spring looked like either old-timey car grease or motor oil had been used to lube them. Next I focused on the barrel, which was very dirty. Despite using all my best tricks (my son and I have cleaned up and modified several 8mm Mausers over the years) I simply could not get the barrel clean. I was about to despair when a friend recommended Sweets 7.62 and that did the trick. I then reassembled the rifle and laser bore sighted it.
I've also worked up four hand loads for it using IMR 3031. I've had very good luck with this powder for the Mauser rounds (and .223, actually) which I can generally get into 2-3" groups with the Mausers at 100 yards if I do my part. All bullets are Hornady:
H 110 grn V-Max w/ 38.7 grains 3031
H 165 grn BTSP w/ 37 grains 3031
H 168 grn A-Max w/ 37 grains 3031
H 220 grn RN w/ 28.7 grains 3031
I'll chronograph these when I shoot them and post the results. This is just an initial SWAG and for the powder charge I simply split the min and max. Once I settle on an accurate round, I'll work up loads with just that bullet. This rifle will be for shooting paper and recreation. (I like the Mausers too much for hunting. )
So thanks for hosting such a great discussion forum for Krags. I especially appreciate the hand loading section. Any insights on my particular rifle would be most welcome, especially which model of Redfield peep this is. I believe the manufacture year was 1900. Some pics attached.
Very Respectfully - Porter
Just Joined the Forum!
-
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Sun Sep 13, 2020 1:56 pm
Just Joined the Forum!
- Attachments
-
- Krag_FrontLrg.jpg (287.86 KiB) Viewed 2793 times
-
- Krag_SerialLrg.jpg (532.5 KiB) Viewed 2793 times
-
- Krag_RedFLrg.jpg (494.08 KiB) Viewed 2793 times
-
- Krag_RedLrg.jpg (552.52 KiB) Viewed 2793 times
Re: Just Joined the Forum!
Welcome to the forum. Others will jump on this post with more insight. But we tell everybody we like pictures. Pictures...pictures...pictures. An overall view of both sides would be nice. You're among good company with some of the most respectable guys I have ever been on a forum with.
-
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Sun Sep 13, 2020 1:56 pm
Re: Just Joined the Forum!
Porter
- Attachments
-
- Krag_RightFull.jpg (676.3 KiB) Viewed 2787 times
-
- Krag_RightFront.jpg (433.11 KiB) Viewed 2787 times
-
- Krag_LeftRear.jpg (533.93 KiB) Viewed 2787 times
-
- Krag_LeftFront.jpg (439.04 KiB) Viewed 2787 times
Last edited by porter3861 on Sun Sep 13, 2020 4:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
-
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Sun Sep 13, 2020 1:56 pm
Re: Just Joined the Forum!
One more. Right rear of the rifle.
Porter
Porter
- Attachments
-
- Krag_RightRear.jpg (610.84 KiB) Viewed 2787 times
Re: Just Joined the Forum!
Nice looking sporter with family provenance. It doesn't get much better than that. Glad to see you are taking care of it.
Re: Just Joined the Forum!
Welcome to KCA. You have entered the realm of Krag lovers of all kinds. Thanks for your posting nice pictures so far.
You certainly won't be getting any glare with that long serrated front ramped sight!
And few of us have the family treasures as old as you have to pass down and enjoy.
Congrats and good shooting!
You certainly won't be getting any glare with that long serrated front ramped sight!
And few of us have the family treasures as old as you have to pass down and enjoy.
Congrats and good shooting!
- butlersrangers
- Posts: 9908
- Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2009 11:35 pm
- Location: Below the Bridge, Michigan
Re: Just Joined the Forum!
'Porter3861' - Welcome to the KCA Forum. It is great to see clear photos of your family heirloom.
Some of us really appreciate the role of an 'altered Krag' as a civilian Deer Rifle and have examples in our collections. They sure are fun 'shooters'!
Your Krag, serial number 430759, was assembled at Springfield Armory around January, 1903.
Your "no-drill" rear 'peep' sight is a Redfield #102-K, (one of my favorites). This sight was mounted by using existing holes. A longer than 'issue' side-plate screw and a metal-hook, using the magazine cut-off opening, anchor it securely to the receiver.
There may be a small flat piece of sheet metal behind your 'elevation-slide'. This is actually intended as a 'cover' and goes under the 'coin-headed' screw like a washer. Its straight edge helps indicate the elevation increments.
Your 'after market' sights can sure improve visibility for Hunting and 50 to 100 yard Range distances.
Some of us really appreciate the role of an 'altered Krag' as a civilian Deer Rifle and have examples in our collections. They sure are fun 'shooters'!
Your Krag, serial number 430759, was assembled at Springfield Armory around January, 1903.
Your "no-drill" rear 'peep' sight is a Redfield #102-K, (one of my favorites). This sight was mounted by using existing holes. A longer than 'issue' side-plate screw and a metal-hook, using the magazine cut-off opening, anchor it securely to the receiver.
There may be a small flat piece of sheet metal behind your 'elevation-slide'. This is actually intended as a 'cover' and goes under the 'coin-headed' screw like a washer. Its straight edge helps indicate the elevation increments.
Your 'after market' sights can sure improve visibility for Hunting and 50 to 100 yard Range distances.
Re: Just Joined the Forum!
BR said:
"Some of us really appreciate the role of an 'altered Krag' as a civilian Deer Rifle and have examples in our collections. They sure are fun 'shooters'!"
Let's add "civilian Bear rifle" to that, too.
"Some of us really appreciate the role of an 'altered Krag' as a civilian Deer Rifle and have examples in our collections. They sure are fun 'shooters'!"
Let's add "civilian Bear rifle" to that, too.
-
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Sun Sep 13, 2020 1:56 pm
Re: Just Joined the Forum!
BR - thanks for the information! When I disassembled the rear sight to clean it I did find the piece of sheet metal which I thought had been incorrectly used to cover the elevation marks - so your your explanation of the edge to mark elevation makes total sense. I'll go get that squared away. I'm hoping with the laser bore sighting, I'll be on the paper at 25yrds. The way those sights had been set up before was WAY off.
Again, I've already learned a ton from the forum and I'll stay plugged in.
Porter
Again, I've already learned a ton from the forum and I'll stay plugged in.
Porter
- butlersrangers
- Posts: 9908
- Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2009 11:35 pm
- Location: Below the Bridge, Michigan
Re: Just Joined the Forum!
'Porter3861' - I am attaching pictures of a Model 1898 Krag cut-off lever, a Redfield #102-K sight, an early 102-K instruction sheet, and comments on the similar Redfield #70-K sight, written at a period near the end of its production.
Thinking eventually changed when it was realized that removing the magazine cut-off might cause a rough spot in the cartridge feed path.
(If you experience a problem, rather than ruin a cut-off lever by cutting off the 'shaft', the void in the receiver can be filled with smoothed out 'putty' or a nail, turned to diameter and shaped like the cut-off shaft).
Thinking eventually changed when it was realized that removing the magazine cut-off might cause a rough spot in the cartridge feed path.
(If you experience a problem, rather than ruin a cut-off lever by cutting off the 'shaft', the void in the receiver can be filled with smoothed out 'putty' or a nail, turned to diameter and shaped like the cut-off shaft).
- Attachments
-
- krag-cutoff '98.jpg (17.03 KiB) Viewed 2752 times
-
- NRA-Hoff.JPG (61.36 KiB) Viewed 2752 times
-
- redfield-krag.JPG (88.34 KiB) Viewed 2752 times
-
- Redfield instr.ed1.jpg (89.46 KiB) Viewed 2752 times
-
- Redfield-williams.JPG (91.27 KiB) Viewed 2752 times