Need help with photos

[waterman]

I've recently had a long article on the origins of the Winder Musket accepted by the editor of the Single Shot Rifle Journal. This is a high-end journal with lots of very good color photos. If you are into Winders, you'll know that such an article will be 85% about Krags and the men who shot them and a few more % about laws & politics. I need at least 3 very good photos and I'm asking for your help. I need the following: (1) A full-length photo of a Krag, probably an 1898 rifle. Would a Krag as set up for competition at Sea Girt look any different than any other Krag? (2) a close up of a Model 1898 rifle sight. I'd also like a pic of the 1898 sight angled from the rear, just to show what the shooter saw when the sight was set for 800 or 1,000 yards. (3) the same close ups for the Model 1901 sight.

I don't think there are any file size limits on the photos. These are images going to an accomplished editor. I'll give the contributors and the KCA full credit for all contributions. My email is waterman9915@gmail.com.

Thanks in advance,
Dick LaVen

[Culpeper]

No 1898 or 1901 rifle sights. How about a couple of carbine sights?

Do they have to be mounted to a rifle? That'll take a couple of days.

[waterman]

I'm writing about Krag rifles on the target range. The US loss at the 1901 Palma Match was attributed at least in part to the Model 1898 sight. The 1901 rules called for "standard issue rifles with standard issue sights". The other part was that the rules for the 1901 Palma Match called for "military ammunition only, taken from unopened as-issued boxes". The 1901 production Krag ammunition had accuracy problems, but the Palma guys apparently didn't know that.

The 1901 Match winner was Canada. Therefore, the 1902 Palma Match would be held in Canada and the host country sets the rules. The Canadians kept the "military rifles with issue sights" rule but changed the ammunition rule so that match ammunition was allowed. But the US Army Ordnance guys redesigned the rear sight for the Krag to be much like the old Buffington and called it the US Model 1901.

But the Model 1901 sight was hinged at the rear, with the elevation part folding forward. In real service, not on the target range, the folding part kept getting caught on things. Like when you were sneaking through the bushes in the Philippines. Hence the Model 1902 sight, hinged at the front.

[Cat Man]

I have high resolution images of most of the rifles in my collection. I think I can cover the images you need from my photos.
I may have to reshoot the sight details if you want to see them set at 800 or 900 yards. Photo credit would be nice.

Please confirm you want three views of two different Model 1898 target range rifles:
Overall view with Model 1898 rear sight
Model 1898 rear sight detail
3/4 View of Model 1898 Rear sight set at 800 yards
and
Overall view with Model 1901 rear sight
Model 1901 rear sight detail
3/4 View of Model 1901 Rear sight set at 800 yards

If I need to re photo the tall set sight details, how soon do you need them?

Here is an example of the 1898 rear sight image reduced size

Jeff the Caterpillar man
Email: jerowsam@gmail.com

[Dick Hosmer]

Uhh, I believe that's a 1902? Certainly the eyepiece is...

Sorry I cannot help with photos, as I do not have an 1898R, only a C.

[butlersrangers]

Old shooter's score books often have interesting sight 'dope'.
This Remington book is the 'third printing' and likely dates just after WW1.

I can shoot better images of these pages, if they would benefit your project.

[Cat Man]

My esteemed fellow, Mister Hosmer is correct in identifying the rear sight in my posting as a 1902 model. Bad labeling on my part. I have a three notch 1898 sight that I can substitute for the photo project. In the brief late night reply to the request I was grabbing a file photo, intending to highlight photo quality over model accuracy. As I said in my post, if it meets the photo quality requirements, we have more pretty rifles and sights to photograph for the project specifics.

Shooting Krags with a camera is almost as much fun as shooting them with real bullets. I like to do both.

Jeff The Caterpillar Man

[Dick Hosmer]

I like your technique! A seamless curved, white backer, independently lit so as to not have the subject cast a shadow on it. Rather than sit the item on a stand, I suspended them from above with monofilament - easy because I did it in my attic. Other tricks are to use a long narrow mirror below the gun to get double effect from your lighting, and to make a padded fixture to hold the rifle near the muzzle and ahead of the lower band, allowing the butt and action to float free. They can be rotated to any angle, and remember that with photo software you can always reverse an image that was hard to get upright. I wouldn't leave the rifle cantilevered for long period of time, but an hour or so is not going to bend anything. My photo set up has deteriorated to the point where I need to refresh a coup[le of things. On my list... Best of luck with your project!

[butlersrangers]

I was surprised the model 1898 sight was used at the 1901 Palma Match, held at Seagirt, N.J.

Dickson's model-1898 sight was designed for use with the 2,200 fps ammunition, using the 220 grain bullet.
Both the sight and ammunition were discontinued around March, 1900.

(Maybe, the model 1898 rear-sight was the only windage adjustable Krag rear sight available at the time of the 1901 Palma Match? I believe there was some difficulty getting the model 1901 rear-sight into production).

A couple of low resolution Model-1898 ('three-notch') sight photos.
Also attached is an interesting sight photo (model 1901) from one of the early Townsend Whelen instructional shooting books.