Krag Collectors Association Forum

Good evening all I am a newbee at Krag's I cut my teeth on US pistol's and 1903's and Garand's. I spotted a very nice/original (learning Krag's remember) 1898 with original finish, beautiful wood never sanded or reworked that I can tell. The bore is faultless looks shot very little and handled less. Had 3 original rod sections and oiler inside stock. S/N is 385120 with ?JSA 1902 cartouche I believe a 1901 rear sight. This has a 26" barrel. The rifle looks like it spent most of it's life sitting. I am searching for information on it and on the rifles that were sent to the board and the testing that I believe was done at army base/range in New York state I believe. I am just starting the research stage so any info would be a big help I can e-mail pic's
Mike

That serial number is listed here as an observed number. I do not know the details of it. Maybe one of the other members has info on it.

Hopefully, Dick Hosmer views and responds to this thread. He has knowledge of this OP's specific rifle.

I used the 'search function' for past KCA posts for entries related to Board of Ordnance & Fortifications rifles.
In one thread Dick specifically mentioned Krag, #385120, as the prototype for the Board of Ordnance and Fortification rifle.
Most of the BoOF rifles occur in the 387K to 389K range. However, it appears there is a known history for Krag #385120.

It would be very interesting to see posted pictures of Mike's Krag, especially detailed views of the rear-sight leaf-calibration and the front-sight base & muzzle crown.

Mike, I have bumped three old KCA threads that mention your 'new' Krag, #385120, by serial number.
One appears under 'U.S. Military Krags' near this thread.

Two are twelve year old posts and are located under 'Older Posts'.

I only understand part of the content, because it involved a lot of "insider knowledge" from that time.
Hopefully some of the 'veteran advanced collectors', that specialize in this rare Krag model, can throw more light on your rifle and its place in the whole BoOF story.

(Apparently, there may be some reference to #385120 in Joe Poyer's book, "The American Krag Rifles and Carbines").

Take a close look and the forend of the stock BO&F rifles were made with new stocks not cut down rifle stocks.

IIRC - The BoOF rifle stock has no 'lightening chambers' in the barrel-channel, between the rear and front barrel-bands.

CORRECTION - I believe I was wrong. The BoOF stock likely has two lightening channels.
One is behind the rear barrel-band. The second 'lightening channel' is in the forearm. It is in front of the rear barrel-band and stops well back of the front barrel-band.

Attached is a very dark photo from Brophy's book, "The Krag Rifle", contrasting the forearm of a BoO&F stock with a regular Krag rifle stock.

Good evening I am going thru the info in the reply's We have pic's that we are going to try and post very shortly I took some more pic's of area's mentioned in the messages It does not appear to be a cut down stock (a pic of end will be in pic's) I am debating weather to take out of stock as the screws are perfect on gun and I'd hate to mess screw heads up, You can e-mail for pic's at mjacksonmoraine@att.net I am looking over each reply and going to recommended older messages or sites You guys are great keep it up THank's Mike

https://imgur.com/a/4QPmh7A PIC's ARE HERE

Pictures are posted You can e-mail for specific ones link is on previous message Thank's

Well 'Wagon Mike', you win the prize for the most amazing Krag of the week!

Your Board of Ordnance and Fortifications rifle is amazing and should be on display at Springfield Armory.

I don't see anything wrong with it. It looks pristine and totally correct.

This is not a Krag that gets taken to the Range to shoot, (sob & gasp). It is a Museum Piece!

(You are correct in not taking things apart and butchering pristine screw-slots, chipping wood, and causing other blemishes).
Only someone very experienced with Krag disassembly, with proper gun-smith screw-drivers, steady hands, and a well padded work table, has any business taking your gem to pieces.

It would be great to hear the story and adventure of how you came to possess a 'Holy Grail'.

I cannot stand the clumsiness of viewing off-site deposits of photographs. (They are not viewable for very long).
I have taken the liberty of copying and cropping some of your clearer pictures and posting them here on the KCA Forum.

If you are unhappy with what I have done. Let me know and I will take down the attached photos:

I will email Richard Hosmer and alert him to take a gander at this thread. He is one of the forum members, who is most knowledgeable about the BoOF rifles.

BTW - Your rear-sight is very unusual, as it should be.
Its leaf is identical to a carbine sight's, with no bullet-drift provision.
The BoOF sights have a leaf that is special in their calibrations, (likey hand-stamped).
Your leaf is clearly calibrated to "21", (for 2,100 yards).

The regular Model 1901 rifle sight-leaf is calibrated to "20" and has a built in provision for bullet-drift. The carbine version is calibrated to "23", with no drift provision.

U.S. Krag carbines and BoOF rifles did not exhibit the same extreme drift pattern as the 30 inch barreled rifles, hence the leaf difference.
The range calibration of a sight-leaf would have to be different for a 26", 22" and 30" Krag barrel, due to differences in bullet trajectory.

Mike, thanks for sharing your prize with us!

Two of Wagon Mike's muzzle area photos: