Krag Collectors Association Forum

I am making a replacement handguard for an 1898 Krag wearing a 1901 sight. I bought someone else's project that did not come with a handguard.

I've acquired a blank handguard, one that is the right size and shape, minus a hole for the sight and the clips.

For the clips, I have metal strapping and was wondering what overall length I'll need to cut? I do not have access to an existing handguard for measurements. Additionally, what size rivets are required (typically)?
Thanks,
Joe

Length of clips is about 3/4 the circumference of the barrel at the two places where the forestock barrel channel is notched to allow the clips' open ends to enter. If you make them too long, it's easy to trim shorter after attachment to the handguard.

Rivet heads are about 1/4" diameter. Remainder of rivet is hidden from view, so anything that works is OK.

This bears mentioning here:

It is best not to 'snap' Krag hand-guards on or off the barrel. This needlessly stresses the wood and the hand-guards are prone to crack.

If the Krag barreled/action is taken out of the stock and the rear-sight is removed, the hand-guard can easily be slid on or off the tapered barrel, and removed or installed, at the muzzle.

Original Krag hand-guard 'clips' exert a lot of inward spring pressure. If loose and stored 'unsupported', a hand-guard potentially can split.
The inward pressure can be counter-balanced by twisting a U.S. Quarter inside the rear clip and a penny or nickel inside the front clip, for long-term storage.

Thank you for the help and suggestions. -Joe