The DCM, the NRA, and the Krag Carbine
Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2024 9:17 pm
In the book "The Krag Rifle" by Lt. Col. Brophy, the year 1926 is given as the year Benicia Arsenal began altering Krag rifles, by cutting the barrels to 22 inches and fitting M1903 front sights, to create what has come to be known variously as the D.C.M., or N.R.A., or Benicia carbine, and that these conversions from rifle to carbine were carried out exclusively at Benicia. Likewise, "The Krag Rifle Story" by Mallory & Olson supposes the conversion of Krag rifles into carbines to have occurred only at Benicia Arsenal.
Being a curious sort, I waded through back-issues of The American Rifleman (and its predecessor, Arms and the Man) and discovered the following notice in the November 1, 1922, issue of Arms and the Man:
ARMS AVAILABLE TO RIFLEMEN
The supply of Krag carbines of all models, formerly sold by the Bureau of Civilian marksmanship has been exhausted. A new supply is being made at Rock Island Arsenal from Krag rifles by cutting the barrels off to 22 inches and fitting with carbine stocks. On account of the extra work involved the price of these carbines is $10.00 each. They are in good condition.
The manner of front sight is not mentioned at this time, but the following appears in the July 15, 1923, issue of The American Rifleman:
The carbines now on hand were made by cutting down Krag rifles to 22 inches and fitting them with the Springfield front sight.
For the next few years, interspersed with announcements of the discovery of an occasional small supply of regular carbines at various arsenals and depots (reported in conditions ranging from "good" to "bruised stock and handguard' to "pitted barrels, missing rear sight and handguard"), the cut-down rifles announced in 1922 continue to be available. No further mention, however, is made as to whether these modified rifles continue to originate at Rock Island or elsewhere.
It is not until the January 15, 1926, issue of The American Rifleman that the first mention of Benicia Arsenal in connection with rifles cut down to carbine appears:
This office has for sale to N.R.A. members at the present time a quantity of Krag rifles, cut down to carbine length (22 inches), and fitted with a Model 1903 (Springfield) front sight. These are priced at $8.02 and shipped from Benicia, California. - Lt. Col. G. C. Shaw, Director, DCM
My hope was that there might have been some mention of the rear sights these cut-down rifles were fitted with, but my page-by-page search (which covered July 1, 1920, to December 1931) turned up nothing directly from the D.C.M. regarding the rear sights. What I did find, though, came from Lt. Col. Townsend Whelen in response to questions submitted to The American Rifleman's staff. On two occasions he stated that the cut-down Krags were not sighted after their conversion but retained their rifle sight (model not stated), and that the blade of the Springfield front sight was left purposefully too tall so it could be filed down by the purchaser to correspond with the rear sight's 100-yard setting.
Note that those cut-down rifles originating from Rock Island are described as being fitted with carbine stocks, while the stocks of those coming from Benicia are not specified.
Jim
Being a curious sort, I waded through back-issues of The American Rifleman (and its predecessor, Arms and the Man) and discovered the following notice in the November 1, 1922, issue of Arms and the Man:
ARMS AVAILABLE TO RIFLEMEN
The supply of Krag carbines of all models, formerly sold by the Bureau of Civilian marksmanship has been exhausted. A new supply is being made at Rock Island Arsenal from Krag rifles by cutting the barrels off to 22 inches and fitting with carbine stocks. On account of the extra work involved the price of these carbines is $10.00 each. They are in good condition.
The manner of front sight is not mentioned at this time, but the following appears in the July 15, 1923, issue of The American Rifleman:
The carbines now on hand were made by cutting down Krag rifles to 22 inches and fitting them with the Springfield front sight.
For the next few years, interspersed with announcements of the discovery of an occasional small supply of regular carbines at various arsenals and depots (reported in conditions ranging from "good" to "bruised stock and handguard' to "pitted barrels, missing rear sight and handguard"), the cut-down rifles announced in 1922 continue to be available. No further mention, however, is made as to whether these modified rifles continue to originate at Rock Island or elsewhere.
It is not until the January 15, 1926, issue of The American Rifleman that the first mention of Benicia Arsenal in connection with rifles cut down to carbine appears:
This office has for sale to N.R.A. members at the present time a quantity of Krag rifles, cut down to carbine length (22 inches), and fitted with a Model 1903 (Springfield) front sight. These are priced at $8.02 and shipped from Benicia, California. - Lt. Col. G. C. Shaw, Director, DCM
My hope was that there might have been some mention of the rear sights these cut-down rifles were fitted with, but my page-by-page search (which covered July 1, 1920, to December 1931) turned up nothing directly from the D.C.M. regarding the rear sights. What I did find, though, came from Lt. Col. Townsend Whelen in response to questions submitted to The American Rifleman's staff. On two occasions he stated that the cut-down Krags were not sighted after their conversion but retained their rifle sight (model not stated), and that the blade of the Springfield front sight was left purposefully too tall so it could be filed down by the purchaser to correspond with the rear sight's 100-yard setting.
Note that those cut-down rifles originating from Rock Island are described as being fitted with carbine stocks, while the stocks of those coming from Benicia are not specified.
Jim