M1898 Krag Carbine

[LTPayton88]

Hello all,

I recently won this M1898 Carbine at auction and wanted to get some opinions on it. It has been restocked into a M1899 stock. The only real issue with it is the upper handguard has a crack in it. It is in fantastic shape but with only about 5000 M1898 Carbines being manufactured I wanted some opinions about its authenticity. Also is there a way to see if the serial number has any info on it.
Thank you for your assistance.

[LTPayton88]

A few more pictures.

[Culpeper]

I can check the authenticity for you. You'll have to send it to me where I am prepared to give it a microscopic examination. The process takes any where between one to twenty years. (you can never, ever be too careful in these old rifles and carbines) I'm leaning on fifteen years and 231 days as a completion date.

Welcome to the greatest Krag Collectors Forum this side of kosher ham, LTPayton88! The smarter guys will be along in a bit. I checked in Mallory and Olson's The Krag Rifle Story Ed.2 and your serial does not pop up but that is because they found only a small number records still extant. Yours is a right smart looking carbine with a 1901 carbine rear sight and the appropriate hand guard.

When are you going to take to the range?

[LTPayton88]

I can check the authenticity for you. You'll have to send it to me where I am prepared to give it a microscopic examination. The process takes any where between one to twenty years. (you can never, ever be too careful in these old rifles and carbines) I'm leaning on fifteen years and 231 days as a completion date.

Welcome to the greatest Krag Collectors Forum this side of kosher ham, LTPayton88! The smarter guys will be along in a bit. I checked in Mallory and Olson's The Krag Rifle Story Ed.2 and your serial does not pop up but that is because they found only a small number records still extant. Yours is a right smart looking carbine with a 1901 carbine rear sight and the appropriate hand guard.

When are you going to take to the range?

Thank you sir for the welcome and looking up the serial for me. I am trying to declutter my reloading bench at the moment so I can load up some 30-40. So maybe this next weekend. Hopefully

[Dick Hosmer]

A very handsome carbine indeed, with an entirely believable serial number...

It is most unfortunate for owners of such pieces to have to endure the stigma of "well yes, but", however the method of wholesale conversion without keeping records precludes ever knowing for absolutely sure whether any given piece is legitimate, or a recent assembly to capture a few extra bucks...

At least we can weed out the ones with completely absurd serials, but that is about the only bright spot...

I count myself very fortunate that mine (131024) acquired MANY years ago from an older collector now passed, retains the unique short stock, but, that number is not recorded either, so, who knows?

[LTPayton88]

Thank you Dick for the reply. Glad to know its within the recognized range for the carbines. I hope to get it to the range one day soon as the bore is pristine. Hopefully it will be a better shot than I am. Thanks again for the reply.

Travis

[Dick Hosmer]

This thread has made me think a little more about the verification process, and I have to apologize for seeming to favor/promote my carbine, which is NOT my intent, but, perhaps we should pay more attention to the stock and assume that if you have that - and there are NO negatives - the piece is probably good and the number should probably be trusted ...

Model 1899 stocks can be found, Model 1898 receivers in the "correct range" (whatever that truly means) are a dime a dozen, and carbine barrels, while not under every bush, can be had. Such cannot be said of the M1896C sight of course, though if you have the bucks they too can be found - unfortunately some are *fake (often obviously so). But 30" M1898C stocks? No.

Thoughts from the group??

*I have NEVER understood the appeal of the fakes with their grotesque fonts and finish/machining aberrations. If you don't have the real thing, use a real 1896 rifle sight - cheap, and they don't look phony...