Krag Collectors Association Forum

Is there enough detail to ID the rear sight and hand guard?

I see 479 on the serial number, getting near the end of the run.

Do these help ?

This rifle was produced after “Official Production” ended (see page 237 of The American Krag Rifle and Carbine by Joe Poyer). Sellers description.

'kab37' - Poyer's book is likely wrong on the final Krag serial numbers.

The (late) Bill Mook's calculations place your Krag, #479058 (I think?), as being produced around September 1903, as a rifle.
As FredC indicated, it was made near the end of U.S. Krag production.

(I suppose, it is possible, that your Krag could have been assembled from surplus parts by a private arms dealer, like Stokes-Kirk, Sedgely, or Bannerman. The front-sight on your 'carbine' is similar to one sold and used by Stokes-Kirk).

Your Krag looks rather nice. How is the bore condition?

Your rear-sight is a model 1896 sight. The 1896 rifle version has a leaf with increments going to 18, (1800 yards). The carbine version has a leaf marked to 20, (2000 yards).

Your handguard is the rifle version for the 1896 sight. This handguard may have been used on some carbines?

The handguard normally associated with the 1896 carbine sight and 1899 stock, has a raised area of wood to protect the sight, when the carbine was in the saddle scabbard.
(This handguard is also shown and discussed in attached manual pages).

Your barrel-band is the 1899 carbine version. The small "U" on the band should be on the right-side of the arm.

Cut-down Krag rifles that have a mixture of incongruous original parts, and a commercial front-sight, are like an 'archeology dig'.

We know Springfield Armory didn't put the combination together.

We are usually just guessing who did!

My guess on this 'carbine' is Stokes-Kirk.

You have some nice parts.
If it were mine, I would have a skilled gunsmith silver-solder a reproduction (S&S Firearms) Krag front-sight base on it and have a neat faux carbine to enjoy.

thnx Butlersrangers for the info and thoughts. Guess my money wasn't as m ispent as I thought. Don't know about the bore it is due to arrive Monday. One thing is for sure - I am not going to bugger up the stock. It has two holes where bubba probably put sling swivels. I will fill those.

Thnx to the rest of you who took the time and effort to help. I think I will have a nice companion for my '98.

Post some closeup pictures of the rear-sight when it arrives. There could be a good surprise gem!

It looks like you have a nice full-length rifle.

Butlersrangers - best I could get, Kab

Thanks for posting nice pics, (no feet, yet)!

Your Krag is wearing a relatively common model 1896 rifle sight.
(I was hoping you might get lucky and have the very expensive carbine variant).

We want a shooting report on the 'cut-down'. They are fun!

Don't dismay kab37, it's pretty common to come across many a Krag with sling holes.

BTW: Somewhere in my research I came across a reference about a jig, used in the field, to cut inlets in the stock for attaching a sling swivel (see BR's faux carbine photo).

IMHO: I have have come across too many correctly configured carbines, with provisions for a sling, to believe that it was just some Bubba modification. Just saying...anyway, probably a discussion for a later forum topic.

Nice find kab37 and hope it serves you well