Krag Collectors Association Forum

Here is a video by Mark Novak where he restores a "mutt" Krag "carbine" involved in a fire. I watched some of his other videos as I sometimes restore old rifles without destroying their provenance. Presently, I am "helping" keep a Model 1884 Trapdoor, once Native American owned, in better condition (a shooter in 45-70). I ran across this Krag restoration video recently. He uses a polished hammer rather than softer materials to tap things with. Removal of the handguard could have been handled differently by sliding it down the barrel further, but he is more of an expert than myself. He has some interesting techniques.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87jHzQ70Zck

I saw this video a few months ago. I nearly had a heart attack with his disassembly. He obiously was not that familiar with Krags at the time. I messaged him and told him about the proper way to remove the hand guard, for which he thanked me.

I have watched a number of Mark's videos in restoring firearms. He sort of admits he doesn't know what he is doing with certain firearms he's restoring but he apparently reads up on dis-assembly and re-assembly. Then he uses his vast experience to discuss the breakdown and restoration. He's quite skilled with his use of tools and his knowledge and experience with hardware and firearms. I have learned a lot by watching his videos.

But, I agree with Paul: I cringed watching him work on this Krag. Thanks for messaging him to help him understand where he went wrong.