Krag Collectors Association Forum

Kind of neat to have Krag castings or forgings, that have been laying about for over 100 years.
I guess I will start up the machines and ovens and "build me a Krag".

Actually, I got the unfinished parts real cheap on ebay and thought they'd make a nice paperweight/conversation piece.

Yeah, for conversation and understanding how they were made, they are great. Paper weights good too. The time to set up and finish, one figure a thousand dollars a piece. Maybe underestimated by a big factor. It really would be interesting to see the raw receivers, bolts, and other parts also.

FWIW - It appears the first machining-step on the Krag magazine-gate was boring a .154" hinge-pin hole.
(This is the only machining visible on my unfinished 'gate').

I imagine this hole became the "guide" for further machining operations.

Later in the manufacturing process, this hole was likely 'cleaned-up' a bit and enlarged to approximately .161".

It would make sense that one of the very first operations would create a feature that subsequent operations would be located from. Keep it up, I already think of you as a MIT.


They are turning out to be conversation starters.

Now MIT in this case is not the school in that place hard to spell, but Machinist In Training.


2nd try as I was blacklisted again!
3rd try successful.
.

MIT?!! ... I'd be more like an MCM ... Michigan College of Mines, (now Michigan Tech).

But ..... "Machinist in Training", hey, I like that. Sounds Good!