Krag Collectors Association Forum

Pennies made before 1982 are solid copper. These work best. (1943 pennies were made out of steel because of a copper shortage during the war.) When the price of copper rose to $2 per pound, one US penny was worth 1 cent in copper. So, the mint was losing money minting copper pennies. They started making pennies out of zinc which were flash coated in a thin layer of copper. These are still what we have today.

If you find some pennies in your change that are badly corroded, these are zinc pennies.

So, save your pre-1982 pennies which are worth more than later copper plated pennies. The solid copper pennies are what remove rust better with scraping.

I am not disputing Whig's observation, that the OP's Krag serial number is likely #438846.
(This would place assembly around February or March, 1903, per Poyer or Mook calculations).

It is always a bit surprising, to me, how 'unsophisticated' some Krag receiver marks and serial numbers can be.
Some digits are just very hard to read and it is easy to make mistakes.

It requires a bit of knowledge at times to avoid some common mistakes.
The varying depth of a receiver stamping, for instance, makes it real easy for "model 1896" to appear to be "model 1898".
Knowing the fundamental differences, between these two receiver models, helps us avoid confusion and makes this a non-problem.

U.S. Krag receiver serial numbers are a different kettle of fish!
The clarity of Krag serial number digits is influenced by wear, corrosion, variation in depth of stamping, and changing 'font' styles.
Refinishing of receivers, debris in a numeral or Stamping Die, damaged Stamp Dies, and numerals out of alignment, adds to serial number confusion.

People experienced with U.S. Krag rifles and carbines know that production was under 1/2 million. We know that a serial number documented as being in the 800,000 range is actually a misread or poorly stamped 300,000. A Krag listed in the 700,000 range is likely 100,000 or someone simply added a digit?

IMHO - The Krag numbers most easily misread seem to appear on model 1898 and 1899 actions.

Attached are some changing examples, arranged by date. (Most digits are easy, and some not so easy):

More numbers, including 'KSGarms', funny how stylized digits with 'sherifs' and distinctive tops, seem to come and go!

I guess I was expecting a 'flat top' on the OP's '3'.
'Round top' 3's and poorly stamped 8's require a magnifying glass and good lighting!

Okay, here it goes, I was able to get a picture of the entire rifle

Let me know what you think?

Looking good, eh! Are you a 'Bench-Rest' shooter?

It is a little known fact that a lot of Bench-Rest Guys paint their nails before a range session or match.

Haha

My wife dared me to do it. I had no say in the color.

To be honest, I don't shoot that much.

A bit of Nail Polish in 'Hot Pink' is an aid to Krag shooting .... err, I mean just a dab on the top rear-corner of the front-sight blade!

BTW - I like your wife's sense of humor.

I like fine bronze wool to clean stocks and blued steel. Will cut the crud without damaging anything. Looks good, now to build some ammo.

Boy that was funny. I will not tell my wife the next time a take a foot picture. Hot pink you say, you could have fooled me. I was taking a color blind test on this computer when my secretary walked by. She said you can not see that number, it is hot pink on gray. All the dots looked the same to me. At the end of the test it was concluded that I am an extreme deuton or something like that. At least I am not an extreme dunce. Well, I hope not anyway.

I saw a program on PBS about color blindness and they mentioned that people that are extreme sometimes have very good night vision. I did a lot of night hunting for pigs and never stepped on a snattle rake and let a lot of non venemous snakes live. So there probably is something to that. If anyone asks you, shooting a snattle rake on the ground a few feet from you is a bad idea with an '06. Your ears will ring for days. Shoot off hand at a coyote or pig in the distance and it is a completely different story, you hear the muzzle blast, then bullet tearing through the air, and then the splat when it connects and no ringing.

That bronze wool should work well for nail polish removal, too.