Krag Collectors Association Forum

The Smithsonian Institution has a most unusual Krag-Jorgensen rifle, #94, that is chambered for a (undetermined) 'rimless' 7mm cartridge. This rifle has dual locking-lugs on the forward part of the bolt.
It also has a bolt dust-cover and many other peculiar features, that appear in drawings submitted, by the inventors, with a U.S. Patent application in 1892. The patent was approved in early 1893.

It has been a bit of a mystery to me, how this very pristine "patent model or prototype" rifle was acquired and belongs to the Smithsonian?

On the surface, it would have seemed more plausible if it was at Springfield Armory with other test and trial rifles.
However, Norwegian Author, Karl Egil Hanevik identifies this rifle, serial #94, as being a model submitted to the U.S. Patent Office, with a patent application in 1892.

Recently, I spent some time looking at materials and aspects of the "1893 - World's Columbian Exposition", that took place in Chicago, Illinois. It appears that two Krag-Jorgensen rifles, a Danish model and a Norwegian or 'patent' model were displayed. I suspect Krag-Jorgensen rifle, serial number 94, may have been the Norwegian or 1893 patent model, that was at the Chicago Exposition.

The Chicago event had a massive presentation of exhibits by a multitude of U.S. Government Departments.
Participation in the Exposition included many components of the "U.S. War Department".
The Smithsonian, U.S. Mint, Treasury, Post Office, Revenue & Life Saving Service, Fish Commission and innumerable other U.S. Departments also had representative displays .

A lot of the displays were housed in the Columbian Exposition's "U.S. Government Building". The Smithsonian had the responsibility of coordinating the various Departments and their presentations at this venue.
There naturally had to be a lot of overlap between Government Departments and the 'subject matter' of their displays.
A subject like "War" would transcend the War Department, Anthropology, History, Manufacturing, and Art.

Not all the guns used in the Government Building Displays were the property of the War Department.

I do not know the history of ownership for Krag-Jorgensen rifle #94 or when it came into the possession of The Smithsonian Institute?
(This rifle is mentioned and pictured in Franklin Mallory's book, "The Krag Rifle Story", 2nd edition, pages 48-50. This chapter was written by Norwegian firearms authority, Karl Egil Hanevik, who identified the Krag-Jorgensen rifle, serial #94, as being submitted with the U.S. Patent Application, #492212, that was granted February 21, 1893).

I think, it is possible that the Smithsonian's unique Krag-Jorgensen rifle, (1892 dated and 1893 patented), could have been part of a 'Warfare-History-Anthropology' display, that contrasted ancient vs. modern firearms.

An excerpt from an 1893 guide to the U.S. Government Building and its displays makes mention of an 1893 patented "Crag-Jorgensen" (sic).

Of course, stronger evidence would be needed to establish the Smithsonian's novel Krag-Jorgensen was displayed at the 1893 Columbian Exposition.

Wowsers! If you walked into the Antiques Road Show with an identical #93 I wonder what it would be worth.? You suppose there a Krag Jorgensen Museum In the home country with this thing's twin? On the patent drawings is the second locking lug forward or is the the bolt rib like the European models?

'FredC' - Krag-Jorgensen rifles #93 and #95 exist and are privately owned. They are described in Frank Mallory's book, "The Krag Rifle Story", 2nd edition, page 48.

Per Hanevik:

#88 (made in 1891) was sent to the U.S. Navy in 1892, according to correspondence. It has a Danish style magazine and may be in .30-40 caliber. (It is privately owned in the USA).

#93 (made in 1892) is a "Presentation rifle", stamped 7mm on barrel, with a dust-cover on the action and two forward lugs on the bolt. (Privately Owned)

#94 (made in 1892) is the Smithsonian's 7mm rifle with two locking-lugs and dust cover, that was sent to the U.S. Patent Office with application.

#95 (made in 1892) is a presentation rifle like #93, (7mm?), with a hole through one of the lugs, for gas escape. (Privately Owned)

#96 (made in 1892) is like #95, but, in 6.5 mm. The rifle is in the Armed Forces Museum in Oslo, Norway.

#99 (made in 1892) has two lugs and a dust cover. It is in 6.5mm and was arsenal converted to a "Pressure Gun". It is in the Museum in Oslo.

#100 (made in 1892) has a single-lug bolt and it is possibly in .30-40 caliber. It resides at Springfield Armory and it is possibly one of the original test rifles.

Here are the 2nd and 3rd patent application pages:

I wish there was an English translation of Karl Egil Hanevik's book, "Krag-Jorgensen Gevaeret" (Krag-Jorgensen Rifles).

His work contains pictures of rifle #95 (7mm with bottom hinged magazine-gate) and rifle #99, arsenal converted to a pressure-gun in 6.5mm caliber, with Danish style magazine-gate. (I believe there is contrasting wood in the forearm, maybe a splice-seam suggesting wood restoration)?

Mr. Krag in 1900 (Paris). The gun business can be brutal!

Springfield Armory has Krag-Jorgensen, serial #100. This may be the U.S. Army's 1892 'test' rifle - number 5! (Photo courtesy of Fal Grunt)

Wowsers, again.
Details 35 and 36 (fig. 12) appear to be dual opposed locking lugs. I focused on 49 for a bit but it maybe the attachment point for the extractor originally thought it had something to do with the dust cover, but that would have had the dust cover rotating and pulling back with the bolt. It would sure be nice to have the legend explaining the details.

Br, do you know Fal Grunt personally. I see that name fairly often on Practical Machinist.

FredC - I do not know Fal Grunt personally.
I have had nice communications with him a couple of times on 'Gun Boards - Forums'.

He is generous with information and he kindly gave permission to me, a few years back, to post some pictures on the KCA, that he took at Springfield Armory.

Fred - There is no easy 'legend' identifying the parts in the Patent Drawings.

You have to read the pages of specifications that were submitted with the patent drawings to decode the part nomenclature.

It is possible to view this online at: https://uspto.gov/patents/search

At this site, you will have to scroll down the page and select "patent number search", you will get a page with a box to enter a patent number, then you get a page where you click on the "images" button.

Fool around until you can see and roll the mouse wheel through images and text!

The patent number for the Smithsonian's - "patent model" Krag-Jorgensen is: 492212
(It is recorded that a model was submitted with the 6/17/1892 application).

There is also an earlier U.S. patent, dated June 10, 1890, covering the Danish Krag design: 429811
(It is noted that "no model" was submitted with the 11/09/1889 application).

For some reason, I can no longer capture the patent drawings and text as a jpeg image from the patent office site.
It is now a pdf file and can be printed.

The Patent Office page, that explains feature #49, (a part of the extractor that the right bolt-lug engages during extraction), is partially cropped, but, still understandable.

I imagine there is a place in Hell, where the residents are forced to read patent specification texts in stuffy offices!

BTW - The earlier patent is for a rimmed cartridge and forward pivoting magazine-gate. The later patent covers a rimless cartridge-bolt and downward pivoting gate.
Between the two patents most Krag-Jorgensen variations were probably covered.

Attached: one of five pages of the patent text and a close-up of explanation of feature #49

Yep... dual locking lugs. Very Mauser like. Apparently US Ordnance did not feel the need for dual lugs. For the patent dated 1893 one would think this had to have been filed in 1892. Ordnance surely knew of this design during the Magazine Rifle trials but never tested it.

'Kragluver2' - They filed for the U.S. Patent on June 17, 1892.

I guess, the Norwegian rifle board didn't see a need for a 'second' forward locking-lug, when they chose, either.