Would You Accept the Krag In 1892?

[Knute1]

See Appendix 9, page 110, from the above link. This is the report recommending the Krag-Jorgensen No. 5". Note that one of the reasons it was selected was because it could handle both flanged and rimless cartridges, but they recommended the flanged design "on account of the difficulties that might possibly attend" the rimless cartridge.

KragFlangedRimless.png (148.02 KiB) Viewed 3876 times

[scottz63]

I would have picked a Winchester Lever action. It was already chambered in several rimmed cartridges and could have been easily adapted to the 30-40 and been plenty strong enough as well as being a repeater. Proven and reliable as well. Also, American made.

That would have left us Krag lovers out of luck though.

[Knute1]

The Model 1895 Winchester was considered, but fell out of favor due to shooting from a trench and manipulating the lever. 20,000 were ordered for the Army in 30-40, some being used in the Filipino insurrection. I believe that Colonel/Gen'l(?) Miles was a proponent of the Winchester and totally against the Krag for his Army. But his opinion was not heeded. The Russians, however, ordered about 200,000 Model 1895's for WWI in 7.62x54R as they desparately needed anything they could get. My Great Grandfather, who carried the Krag in the Filipino Insurrection and the Boxer Rebellion, had a Model 1895 in 30-40 Krag for deer hunting. I have shot this gun several times and it is a peach. (Another family member currently has it.)

[Knute1]

Here is an article on Rapidity of Fire - Magazine Rifles from 1892 by a forward thinking first lieutenant. This gives a flavor for what the Army was going to, although some in the military didn't agree to the rapid fire. But this article addresses that with common sense and why the Krag-Jorgensen was accepted. Starts on page 208.

https://www.google.com/books/edition/In ... frontcover

[Culpeper]

Does it look like this one?

[Knute1]

This is a picture of the actual rifle my great grandfather purchased after being discharged from the Army in 1902. It was not of military configuration, made in 1899. A great-uncle had shortened the barrel, changed the sights, put a butt pad on it and executed an amateurish checkering with a pocket knife I'm told. I posted it about 5 years ago, so you may have seen it before.

Winchester95.JPG (578.63 KiB) Viewed 3816 times

[butlersrangers]

I believe the first Winchester 'smokeless' Lever-gun was the model 1894 in .30-30 and .38-55 Winchester.

A nice rifle and good 'woods' cartridges, but not a military combination.

1892 trials and test rifles was the original discussion premise.

[Knute1]

Ahh, yes. We had a slight diversion there. But let me sum this up for me. If I was a civilian in 1892 and only had the newspaper to read, it would have torqued my jaw to see that foreign inventors had won the design of America's first magazine rifle. That is without knowing any of the criteria and technical aspects of the process, just what can be seen on the surface. But, if a foreign design was to win, Norway would be the easiest for me to swallow. I am of Norwegian descent (40%). After all, the fact that when I looked into what a Krag was 10 years ago and saw that it was Norwegian designed, well, I had to look into it further. Buying a sporter, finding out that I have an ancestor associated with it fueled my interest. Now it has turned into a passion. Had to buy a full mililtary specimen. This forum has been a boom for me. "The Krag Story" has turned into my story. A part of it, anyway. Am I getting too dramatic here? Well, I just have a bit of Krag fever. Can you relate?

[butlersrangers]

Knute, you are a good "Kragkateer".

I think you find a lot of interesting stuff and stimulate some good informative threads!

[ebruce]

If I were an enlisted man, just as soon as it was available! The TD would be gone with the wind along w/ its indian war slow, heavy lead bullet ammo. The Krag which would be lighter, less recoil, better lighter ammo, knife bayonet, easier rifle to handle/manipulate. Be a hard thing to have to keep the older rifle when such a better weapon was available. Very much think that anyone and everyone would want to ditch the TD as soon as actual field usage was considered. After the SA war, no one was arguing that the Krag did not need some way of reloading with some sort of clip rather than single rounds. JMHO. Sincerely. bruce.