Krag Collectors Association Forum

Earlier this year, I did some Krag barrel switching.

One project involved taking a carbine barrel off of a ruined model 1898 carbine and using the barrel to restore a model 1899 carbine.

The barrel I removed from the model 1899 carbine action was a cut-down rifle barrel, with an excellent bore.
I put this cut-down barrel on the drilled & tapped model 1898 carbine action.

I was a bit concerned whether this scoped Krag would continue to shoot, as well as it had, with its original barrel.
Yesterday, I finally got to test it with four loads:

1. A 'reduced load' of 26 grains of IMR 4198 and a 110 grain Sierra 'pro-hunter' round nose bullet, intended for the M-1 carbine.
2. A 'reduced load' of 26 grains of IMR 4198 and a 100 grain Hornady 1/2 jacketed lead bullet. (A friend gave me three boxes of these projectiles).
3. A 'reduced load' of 25.5 grains of IMR 4198 and a 152 grain Frankford Arsenal M-2 projectile (1949 vintage).
4. A more powerful load of 36 grains of IMR 3031 and the 152 grain FA M-2 projectile.

Once 'sighted-in' the scoped model 1898 carbine, now with a 'cut-down' rifle barrel, proved to be accurate!
(The next Range session will be at 100 yards).

Best performer was the 110 grain Sierra 'reduced load'. It put 5 shots in what looks like a 3 shot 'clover-leaf'.
The 100 grain Hornady 1/2 jacket looks promising for cheap practice, but, I will try lowering the velocity a bit.
(BTW - Both of these short .30 caliber rounds are best single-loaded, directly into the chamber. The short length causes jamming, when magazine fed).

I 'lucked' into 1,000 of the M-2 projectiles; they are a pleasure to reload and seem to perform decently in a Krag, 'reduced' or full load.

(p.s. - My new improvised targets are 3" X 3" 'post-it' notes with a black-sticker. Taped to a new cardboard backer, this proved quite cheap and practical at 50 yards. The black-sticker is not really necessary).

That's some nice shooting!

Nice! I also used the M2 spec 150gr FMJBT projectile. What overall length did you use? I think I used a longer one as the cannelure is visible in my loads.
Larry

I do not have a program so it is hard for me to keep up. Earlier you posted a the groups shot with 110 grain bullets and they were remarkably tight. Is this the same barrel? If not, 2 Krags doing very well with 110 grain round nose bullets may be a trend?

larrys - I used a 3.135" OAL with the 1949 F.A. M-2 (152 grain) projectiles for my .30-40 loads. The cannelure is just inside the case-mouth.

Fred - This is the third ('carbine length') Krag barrel, that I have tried the (reduced-load) 110 grain Sierra projectile in.

Previous nice groups were fired off-hand in a 'faux model 1896 carbine' with a 22&1/4 inch barrel (pic #1). Target is not available.

Also, a promising group fired through the scoped model 1898 carbine, when it still had its original model 1898 carbine barrel (pic #2).
Note - That 1898 carbine barrel now resides on a restored model 1899 carbine, awaiting future testing.

In all cases, the barrels have very good bores.

BTW - I did not 'invent' this 'reduced' load. I found it in recent Speer data, available online. (I happened to have the ingredients in a box of stuff a friend had given me).
'RicKrager' also experienced good results with this 110 grain projectile and the Sierra reduced load.

This is a, 'load directly into the chamber', proposition. The short rounds may feed through a Krag's magazine, but, during recoil cartridges shift forward and can jam.

I have attached the Speer Data sheet, that I found online. Speer lists 'reduced loads' for many bullet weights and cartridges.
(I have, in some posts, mistakenly attributed Speer Data to Sierra; I was using Sierra and Hornady 110 grain & 100 grain projectiles).