Krag Collectors Association Forum

Unless I am being dense, I don't think a short model 1896 stock, with the 'scallop' cut for the bolt handle, would have an 'acceptance cartouche' date, later than 1897.
I am guessing all model 1896 carbines were produced by November, 1897.

OP's stock in my logic must have '1896' date in cartouche box.

A new replacement stock for a model 1896 carbine, (short or long style), would not require an 'acceptance cartouche' at all.

Wouldn't an 1895 dated carbine have been originally issued with the early carbine stock with two cleaning-rod holes?

butlersrangers wrote: ↑Sat Jun 19, 2021 7:45 pm Wouldn't an 1895 dated carbine have been originally issued with the early carbine stock with two cleaning-rod holes?

That was what I was trying to figure out. I’m away from my books and the gun yet again, but one of them (I think Mallory…?) mentioned the stocks being updated for the rods+oiler cut when they went back through the arsenal. So that wasn’t so surprising.

But, to my eyes, I don’t think this looks exactly like the thin-wristed stocks on the earliest carbines. That’s the main question I have - if this one is late enough (or the receiver just knocked about long enough before being selected) for the later thicker wrist stocks.

Because if so, then I’d imagine it was the early cut, and then went back in for updates getting the oiler cut modification, the cartouche/original proof almost sanded off, perhaps the ‘98 bolt handle as a replacement (?), and the new firing proof applied…?

But of course, who knows how many hands it’s gone through in 126 years, and what might have been changed since then. Heck, a couple of days in my care and I could have easily already crammed a ‘96 bolt in…

You can document your carbine with the parts, as received.

Replace the 1898 bolt with your 1896 bolt, while keeping the 1898 bolt with the carbine and documentation in a 'zip-loc bag' for posterity.

"But, to my eyes, I don’t think this looks exactly like the thin-wristed stocks on the earliest carbines. That’s the main question I have - if this one is late enough (or the receiver just knocked about long enough before being selected) for the later thicker wrist stocks."


I have a carbine with a serial number just a couple of hundred above yours. It still has the thin-wrist stock without the oiler cut and it has provisions for the 3 piece rods. According to Mallory, the change from 2 hole to 3 occurred at about 23000.