Hand Guard for Model 1899 Carbibe

[Olpeddler]

Hello All, Last week, the bolt on my 1899 carbine locked-up in the closed position when I 'dry-fired' it after cleaning it. I took the carbine to my local gunsmith who is quite good with Krags and he stripped down the bolt and gave it a good cleaning. The carbine is now running smooth again. He classifies my carbine as being between NRA "GOOD" to "Excellent"
condition except for one missing part. He asked me why I removed the handguard. I replied that I didn't. My ignorance was further displayed when I said I did not know that Krag carbines had a handguard. I have had the carbine for 6 years and have put 600+ rounds through it.
So, now I in search of handguard for my Model 1899 that has the 1901 rear sight with the "C" stamp on it. I will welcome any input from forum members as to websites I should check-out in my search for the handguard. I would like to find an 'original' handguard but settle for a reproduction one. I have checked the "Classified" section of this forum and found no mention of Krag handguards more recent than 2017. Thanks in advance for any direction you can give me. Pat Collins, other wise known at the "olpeddler".

[Whig]

Olpeddler,

You have a neat story about your Krag Model 1899 carbine. Sounds like a nice Krag to own and shoot. The hand guard is obviously a "luxury" and not a necessity to be able to use the firearm. Krags without hand guards look naked to those of us who have collected them for years. many of them are sold without hand guards today because they are valuable to sell separately for ones like yours that don't have one. Some hand guards, especially ones for carbines, can be harder to find and more costly.

This picture from the Krag KCA website shows the different hand guards. There are two that could fit your carbine. One designed for the longer 32 inch barrel has the hump of wood on it to protect the rear sight when the carbine was shoved inside of a scabbard. Either one labeled for the Model 1901 sight would probably fit your carbine. Pictures would be nice to make sure your stock is correct.

Hand guards of all varieties show up on ebay and Gun Broker and are usually priced in the hundreds of dollars when unaltered. Many hand guards that have not been cared for or have been removed improperly from the barrel have cracks that might be able to be repaired. The hand guards have strong metal clips that fit around the barrel that can cause cracks in the thin, delicate wood over time. If you find one, remove your rear sight and fit the hand guard clips over the front muzzle end of the barrel first, then slide the hand guard back into position before remounting the rear sight. I would wipe the wood down well with boiled linseed oil or something good like Howard's Feed and Wax first to condition it well before using it. Your carbine will appreciate the return of an appropriate hand guard since it has been naked for a long time apparently. These wood hand guards protect the hand from the heated barrel when shooting a Krag a lot.

Good luck and keep us informed.

[Whig]

When you attempt to replace the hand guard, you will need to carefully remove the barreled receiver, also, from the stock before removing the rear sight and mounting the hand guard. I hope that you do have the appropriate barrel band needed for the front of the stock already. So, the stock that you currently have is important for this setup. (Many Krags have been altered by having a cut down rifle stock used instead of the appropriate stock for the specific carbine. There are shorter 30 inch carbine stocks and the more common 32 inch carbine stock for the Model 1899 carbine that use different bands and hand guards. Very complicated. This is why pictures can help.)

These pictures of one of my Model 1899 carbines with and without the rear sight and hand guard mounted shows how different a "naked" Krag can look compared to a "well dressed" Krag with its proper furniture. Yours may be similar or different. Hopefully this helps! Glad you have a nearby gun smith who is familiar with Krags to be able to help. With so much shooting experience, though, what kind of results have you had shooting your Krag carbine?

[Whig]

more pictures...

[butlersrangers]

The model 1901 rifle handguard is probably the easiest to find in the 'loose' state and it is correct on early model 1899 carbines.

It also looks good and costs less than the later carbine handguard with the sight protecting lobe.

Expect to pay $225 for a decent original.

[Olpeddler]

Many Thanks to Whig and Butlersrangers for their help and advice on how to find a suitable handguard for my "Naked" 1899 Carbine. The local gunsmith who told me that my carbine was missing the handguard, told me he has spotted one for me. It is from a 'beat-up' 1901 rifle that someone tried to have him take on consignment. I am going to follow-up on this lead.
Pat Collins (ake) olpeddler

[Whig]

Hope it works out for you at a good price. Hopefully, it is not cracked. Cracked ones can be fixed but it can be touchy.

Keep us informed with pictures if this works out!