Krag Collectors Association Forum

Read through this Krag carbine item description by Rock Island Auction House and see how many concerning statements are made. This is why these places can't be trusted anymore. And this place has the highest costs for selling and buying. They make millions from firearm sales and increase profits by deceptive firearm descriptions.

https://www.proxibid.com/Art-Antiques-C ... 6#topoflot

Good Lord! That’s a lot of money for a reblued fake. Modern applied stamp, lol. Not sure whether to laugh, cry or give the writer a raise for creativity…

"and ladder rear sight with a modern applied "C" stamp."
"followed by a modern restamped boxed script "JSA/1896" cartouche with angled corners"
for starters
I suppose that would be considered full disclosure

Definitely need better pictures…

Unless there is sufficient documentation to prove this, I don't like these superficial references this place frequently uses to introduce one of these carbines:

Someone REALLY wants top dollar for this one...

LOL - “Era” is a pretty broad timeframe and very subjective.

While I am ABSOLUTELY NOT a fan of the current auction process in general, and RIA has a long track record of 'dubious' offerings, I'm going to play devil's advocate a bit on this. The description is, even if glossing over what are some major sins for most collectors, pretty honest. if you want a "real" M96 carbine with actual intrinsic value, you are going to have a pay a LOT more money. But, if you are not a discerning collector, and are OK with a whizzed space-filler, then bid away.

The main thing I dislike about auction companies is their pricing policies of having a fee for EVERYTHING, and biting both buyer AND seller alike. The seller, of course, must pay a commission for services rendered but the buyer should only pay hammer price plus shipping. It also goes without saying that you absolutely need to know what you are buying. On Gunbroker, for example, I do not even bother to read the description until after I've looked at the pictures, thoroughly.

I am finally getting close to reducing my collection. There will be two short-stocked M1896 carbines up for sale. Both are gray guns not unlike those pictured in the front pages of this site. Both have their original M1896C sights. I intend to offer them here first, then will put them on Oldguns.net. Price not yet decided, but will probably be in the range of $2500 apiece.

"Whizzed space filler". Pretty descriptive.

I have seen more than a couple "restamped" cartouches on Krags sold by this auction company and another major one also. That makes me a little suspicious why they are the ones finding these Krags with modern cartouche stampings. Full disclosure or not, the descriptions are meant to be deceptive and make the Krag appear rarer and more valuable than it should be. I agree it's not outright lying. But, as always, buyer beware.

Dick, that seems like a fair price for one of these rare carbines. Gives me an idea of value for mine. There just aren't many early, original ones left. I have used oldguns.net for checking Marlin serial numbers but have never followed guns for sale there. Do they get a lot of traffic for their sales?