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rockstardrnkr
October 16, 2011, 08:08 PM
Hello, Im very new to this forum and hope Im posting in the right area.

That being said, I just got a Springfield Model 1898, the question is if it is an authentic model 1898, age value ect.

Serial number says 481758, says US model 1898 springfield then serial number all on the action.

Looks as if the stock had been cut down because on the front by the band where the front of the stock is round, there is a little squar patch that looks to have been made. the finish is the same as the rest of the gun but you can still see a small outline of the square.

Looks like the sight in the middle of the gun had been switched out for the current sights near the back of the action.

but plate has very little pitting near the top. the whole gun has some rust that is the same as in the picture. it seems to have turned a dark brown almost black.

On the bottom of the rifle behind the trigger guard there is a 87 stamped into the wood. that was the only other stamp/marking I could find.

Action seems smooth still, trapdoor opens and closes with a nice sounding snap, bore looks good, no pitting or gouges, no rust.


Any info really would be nice.

thanks

Jim Watson
October 16, 2011, 09:08 PM
With the stock cut back and the sights changed, it is not what I would call "authentic." With good bore and action, it is a serviceable shooting/hunting rifle, just like Bubba wanted who knows how long ago.

rockstardrnkr
October 16, 2011, 10:18 PM
Ive seen some online ASKING in the 1000-2000 range. when I took it to the pawn shop earlier he told me he figured it was a 1500. I couldnt imagine it would be worth that. I also want to know what the carbine is, i read quite a bit saying that regular Krags were modified to carbines and even they are going for the same price range. Anyhow I got it on trade so Im not into it for too much. I just figured it was a cool little rifle anyhow.

Jim Watson
October 16, 2011, 10:30 PM
I bet the expert at the pawn shop didn't OFFER you $1500 for that rifle.
You do not show complete pictures, but that is about the plainest and simplest commercial replacement peep sight available, about a $3 item in the day; the handguard is gone, and the exterior is just plain rusty. I'm glad you got it reasonably but don't try to make something out of it that it is not.

A real Krag carbine has a 22" barrel, a half stock, a barrel sight marked "C" and an 1898 carbine would still have a sling bar and ring on the left side.
There are a lot of NRA Carbines out there, cut down from 30" rifles for sale to NRA members before WW II. They can be recognized by the 1903 type front sight.

rockstardrnkr
October 16, 2011, 11:00 PM
Nope he just looked up in his comp for pricing and just gave his opinion. He had been collecting for years but is in no way an expert.

I was guessing it was something that had been cut down because of the front of the stock. Im basically just trying to give info on it. like I said I dont care too much since im not into it for much. I think Ill end up taking it to a gunsmith to see if its in firing condition and take it out if its good to go. I hear these guns are awesome to shoot and fairly accurate.

James K
October 17, 2011, 07:26 PM
If the "expert" will give you $1500 or even $1000 for it, grab the money and run before he finds out what kind of id*ot he is.

"There are a lot of NRA Carbines out there, cut down from 30" rifles for sale to NRA members before WW II. They can be recognized by the 1903 type front sight." And a lot more cut down rifles that were done by a local gunsmith or bubba with a hacksaw. Most folks advise extreme caution on "NRA Carbines" unless accompanied by DCM papers.

Jim

PetahW
October 17, 2011, 07:50 PM
[I just got a Springfield Model 1898, the question is if it is an authentic model 1898, age value ect.]

[Serial number says 481758, says US model 1898 springfield then serial number all on the action. ]

Interesting........................

The "Springfield Model 1898" was AKA the US Krag, chambered in .30-40 Krag (.30US GOVT), an altered Krag-Jorgenson pattern rifle (Denmark).

What's interesting is that it's a known fact that the US Arsenal at Springfield produced only 342,526 Model of 1898 rifles - some 140,000 shy of the SN of your sample.

Additionally there were only 475, 000 US Krags of ALL models/years made between 1894-1904, STILL less than your SN of 481758.

.

rockstardrnkr
October 18, 2011, 07:06 PM
I was wondering the same thing Petahw, I was browsing the NPS website for serial numbers and came across the numbers didnt quite make sense.

Any suggestions on who I may want to talk to, to find out why serial numbers could be different? Also if any of the other "experts" in the room have any helpful info,

44 AMP
October 18, 2011, 09:15 PM
can't help on the ser #, but from the pics, that's not a $1500 Krag, its not a $1000 Krag, its more like a $350-400 Krag, even at today's grossly inflated prices.

The stock being cut down, the peep sight and generaly poor condition of the metal mean its not a collector's dream, but simply an old rifle, as good for the deer woods as it ever was, if still in mechanically sound shape, but not much else.

If the receiver is marked 1898, then its an 1898, but its not in full GI trim, and the finish is rough. So its not worth much money on the market.

heck, I've got a Norwegian Krag, in 6.5x55mm, now that's kind of rare, and mine has a 3 digit ser# (made 1895), but the stock has been altered, the barrel shortened, and hunting sights installed (probably done 70 or more years ago, and the rifle's finiah is in beautiful shape. Value? $350 or so.

James K
October 18, 2011, 09:43 PM
Krag serial numbers are confusing. What is certain is that numbering for the whole series, Model 1892, 1896 and 1898 rifles and 1892, 1896, 1898 and 1899 carbines started at 1 in 1894 (first year of production) and continue to the end of production. The last number seems to vary depending on the source, from 476xxx to 499xxx. Why the confusion? Here is why.

At Springfield (the only maker of the U.S. Krag), Krag receivers were made, numbered and finished. Then they were put in stock to be used in assembly as necessary. That is one reason for the confusion over carbine numbers; the receivers were identical, so which ones were pulled off the shelves when carbines were needed was a matter of random selection. Further, that system tended toward a first-in, last-out selection. The result is that the last rifle assembled, often reported as numbered in the 476xxx series, almost certainly did not use the highest numbered receiver. Higher number receivers would have been used some time before, while 476xxx was sitting at the back of the shelf, unused until production was being phased out and the shelves emptied.

Regardless, and even given the blurry nature of the picture, the serial number on that rifle is definitely 481xxx; there is no reason for fakery and no indication of such.

Jim