Krag Collectors Association Forum

I have a 1923 Norwegian Krag that has the 4 bolt holes on the left side of the receiver. I believe these are original as this was Norway’s first attempt at a sniper rifle. Being a right handed shooter and having lost my right eye a few years back I’ve had to start shooting left handed. I find it very uncomfortable.
But where there is a will there is often a way. I bolted a piece of angle iron to the rifle and set my scope 2” left of the bore. This lets me shoot right handed while using my left eye.

The system works great for me. Far better than I expected. However accuracy has been dismal at best. With the current bullet situation what I was able to buy would require a 7-1/2” twist while my rifle has an 8” twist. I’ve since ordered some shorter bullets hoping this helps the accuracy problem.

If not I guess I’ll look at rebarreling. I have a lathe but have never cut left hand threads.
My other Krag is a Springfield and wears a receiver sight.
Just rambling, Woody

Welcome to the forum, Woody. The smarter fellas will be along in a bit. I wish I could help you on this but can not. Nice rifle though.

Captain Culpeper
Late of Det. 1, KCA African Legion,

'Woody' - Welcome to the KCA Forum.

Your off-set scope rig looks like a good solution to accommodate your vision problem.

I suggest that you 'sight-in' at 50 yards and put a white paster 2 inches to the left of the X-Ring. Adjust your scope cross-hairs until aiming at the center of the paster centers your shots around the X-ring.

Try the same 2 inch off-set aiming point at 100 yards to see if shots continue to be centered on the target.

It is better to keep the line of sight parallel to the bore and just aim 2 inches to the left of what you wish to hit at all distances.
If the 'line of sight' and 'line of the bore' converge, windage will only be correct at one distance. The Point of aim and point of impact will quickly be off by more than 2 inches of windage at different distances.

Regarding Rate of Twist: A 1/2 inch difference in barrel rifling 'twist rate' should not be a problem.

FWIW - I once had a (6.5 X 55 mm) Norwegian Krag, with a dark rough bore.
At 50 yards, the 140 grain projectiles were all over the target with 1/2 of the bullets 'key-holing'.
(From experience, I would expect a .30-40 Krag barrel, in similar condition, to still stabilize bullets and shoot 4 inch groups at 100 yards).

IMHO - The 6.5 mm Norwegian Krag is likely 'more fussy' about bore condition than the .30-40.

Woody: Your Krag was originaly a M1912 carbine. The holes on the left side is probably from a Schou dioptersight. These were used on target rifles. Quite a few have used the Schou mounts to attach a scope.
https://www.kvf.no/vaapen.php?type=Utst ... nid=UT0106

The M/23 "Sniper" rifles had a diopter on the right side.
https://www.kvf.no/vaapen.php?type=Rifl ... id=RIF0105

The real Krag sniper rifle were issued in 1910. This also have a sidemounted scope. The procedure was to zero the rifle with the open sights, then check that the open sights and the crosshairs had the same POA.
https://www.kvf.no/vaapen.php?type=Rifl ... id=RIF0247

Decades later, Norway also adopted a sniper rifle with a sidemounted scope. You had to use the left eye on the scope, and the right with the diopter.
https://www.kvf.no/vaapen.php?type=Rifl ... id=RIF0207

I assume that finding another barrel in good condition would be like finding hens teeth?

Yes. And there in lies the insanity of trying to find a new barrel.

Your mount looks reasonably well finished but before you blame the barrel, I would want to make sure the scope is not moving in relation to the barrel in recoil. The easiest way I can think of checking this is to make the 2 sights correspond at a given range and fire several rounds and make sure the relationship between the 2 sights has not changed.

I will eliminate all options before replacing the barrel. I’ve took the scope off, checked the mounts, installed a different scope, even tried the original sights.
At 66 my good eye is not very good up close and I have a hard time with the military sights. Group ran about 12” at 75 yds, about the same as with the scope. I’ll have a younger buddy shoot the gun with open sights at the first opportunity.
I’ve ordered some different bullets that are better suited to my twist. I’ve had at least two rifles in the past that would shoot acceptable with one brand and size of bullet but unacceptable with many others I tried.

On my open sight guns I hunt with I use a fiber optic front and ghost ring aperture on the rear.

I’ve done considerable cleaning on this gun. No abrasive, just a bronze brush with boiling water, hoppes 9, Ed’s red and Butches bore shine. Took awhile but patches eventually started coming out clean. Bore does not appear to be pitted. Rifling appears to be shallow but present. I don’t have a bore scope.