Krag Collectors Association Forum

My LGS in Arizona has a sporterized Krag for sale for $399. Barrel has front sight but didn’t notice a bayonet lug, bolt operates smoothly and trigger is awesome. Receiver has three drilled scope mount holes on the left side around where the manufacturer engraving is. Stock appears to be an original stock shaved down to a “sporting” profile, no barrel band, no steel buttplate but decent rubber one.

I’ve actually been on the lookout for a sporter/“Bubba” milsurp so I can play with a vintage rifle without constantly worrying about collector value. Krag was right at the top of my wishlist, next to Swedish Mauser.

My questions:

— is $399 reasonable for a functioning Krag that’s been tapped for scope and stock shaved?
— what scope side mount and rings should I seek for this if I buy it? I’m envisioning using one of my vintage Weaver El Paso 4x scopes to keep a retro look (albeit the scope is relatively way newer than the rifle).
—- any known vulnerabilities I should inspect this rifle for before buying, so make sure it is ready to run?

I don’t want to get too deep into the long-term plan, but if I shoot this sporter a few years and love it, I envision removing and selling the issue barrel and rebarreling and having it reamed for something small and zippy like .220 Krag/Lighting or 6mm Krag. But that would be a couple years down the road.

Thanks for any perspective.

Is it a US Krag or a Norwegian Krag? Photos will help. If the left side has been D&T'd for a scope, the mount may be something from the 40s or maybe even the 30s. If you buy the Krag, just find a side mount that will fit. A few more holes will not decrease the value by very much.