Re: What’s it worth?
Posted: Tue Jun 29, 2021 3:37 pm
There is no Springfield Research Services (SRS) listing or data on U.S. Krag #40093.
(This means it was not found documented in government records, researched by Frank Mallory and others. IIRC - less than 4% of Krags are listed).
Krag rifle, #40093, would have been assembled at Springfield Armory, around August, 1896.
IMHO - The wood pores appear 'open' on your Krag's stock. It may have been 'cleaned' with some form of chemical 'finish stripper'.
The wood, possibly, is Italian walnut. The interior looks like it, but, I am not sure. I think this stock is a bit of a riddle!
The Italian walnut blanks were not purchased from a New York City lumber company, until June and July, 1899.
If 'Rookhawks' stock is stamped with an '1896 cartouche', that seems too early for Italian wood, as an original stock, on a Krag. (It must be American black walnut).
FWIW - Over 30,000 Italian walnut blanks were utilized by Springfield Armory. (These Italian stocks usually appear dated 1899 to 1902, in my experience).
Some of these light colored stocks were darkened with stain, (maybe at the unit level), to better match the predominant black walnut stocked rifles.
When stained, the interior wood surfaces were mainly neglected, leaving some of the 'yellowish' natural colored wood visible, upon disassembly.
Note - All the American black walnut stocks made at Springfield Armory were also stained, using 'log wood' stain, during manufacture. The interior surfaces of these stocks received the benefit of a bit of stain.
If the OP's stock was chemically 'stripped', we may actually be viewing how the stripper acted on the wood, compounded with some partial 'refinish attempt'.
It is hard to analyze a rifle just from photos.
I am trying to be objective and I am not 'trashing' this Krag.
In my opinion, the stock has been 'messed with', at some point of time.
With an excellent bore, someone will find it very desirable as a 'shooter' and may pay extra. I think $700 to $800 is still a fair valuation.
(This means it was not found documented in government records, researched by Frank Mallory and others. IIRC - less than 4% of Krags are listed).
Krag rifle, #40093, would have been assembled at Springfield Armory, around August, 1896.
IMHO - The wood pores appear 'open' on your Krag's stock. It may have been 'cleaned' with some form of chemical 'finish stripper'.
The wood, possibly, is Italian walnut. The interior looks like it, but, I am not sure. I think this stock is a bit of a riddle!
The Italian walnut blanks were not purchased from a New York City lumber company, until June and July, 1899.
If 'Rookhawks' stock is stamped with an '1896 cartouche', that seems too early for Italian wood, as an original stock, on a Krag. (It must be American black walnut).
FWIW - Over 30,000 Italian walnut blanks were utilized by Springfield Armory. (These Italian stocks usually appear dated 1899 to 1902, in my experience).
Some of these light colored stocks were darkened with stain, (maybe at the unit level), to better match the predominant black walnut stocked rifles.
When stained, the interior wood surfaces were mainly neglected, leaving some of the 'yellowish' natural colored wood visible, upon disassembly.
Note - All the American black walnut stocks made at Springfield Armory were also stained, using 'log wood' stain, during manufacture. The interior surfaces of these stocks received the benefit of a bit of stain.
If the OP's stock was chemically 'stripped', we may actually be viewing how the stripper acted on the wood, compounded with some partial 'refinish attempt'.
It is hard to analyze a rifle just from photos.
I am trying to be objective and I am not 'trashing' this Krag.
In my opinion, the stock has been 'messed with', at some point of time.
With an excellent bore, someone will find it very desirable as a 'shooter' and may pay extra. I think $700 to $800 is still a fair valuation.