Yard sale Krag

highpower3006 · July 19, 2016, 09:22 AM

I went to a yard sale the other day and picked up this Krag. It's a cut down rifle (bummer), but it does have a genuine 1896 Krag carbine stock and upper band. It has been reblued and the rear sight is a 1902 rifle sight. I am going to look around and see if I can come up with a '96 carbine sight, yeah I know, good luck with that. It will probably cost more for the sight than I paid for the rifle, but what the heck, I can always sell it separately if I decide to get rid of the rifle.

I might add that I got this for a decent price, so I don't have much in it to date.

The bore looks brand new, not a single flaw in the rifling and it is a shiny as a new dime. At first I was going to part it out, but it has grown on me over the last few days and now I have decided to keep it.

I have a bit of ammo saved up as I also have a pretty nice 1898 rifle.

Just barely discernible is the cartouche with an 1898 date.

kilimanjaro · July 19, 2016, 10:28 AM

Keep it.

Somewhere out there is a nice carbine barrel and sight, waiting for you to come along. It's already been reblued, so you can do it again if you want.

Even just as it is, you've got a nice little deer rifle.

T. O'Heir · July 19, 2016, 12:08 PM

Never ceases to amaze me what kind of stuff is hidden away in attics. That looks like it may have been sporterised by a pro as opposed to Bubba.
"...probably cost more for the sight than I paid for the rifle..." Maybe. Friggin' re-pro hand guards start at $70.
This may be the best place to start though.
http://www.kragcollectorsassociation.org/

rightside · July 21, 2016, 05:34 AM

I would be proud to own that rifle, just the way she is!

bedbugbilly · July 21, 2016, 05:31 PM

I really like it just the way it is also. A nice looking rifle and I'm betting she wold be a good shooter as well. As a reloader, I'd love to find a Krag like that just to play with! Congrats on your find!

Tidewater_Kid · July 21, 2016, 06:03 PM

I feel the same way. I like it just the way it is and would proud to own it!

TK

Jim Watson · July 21, 2016, 06:37 PM

Did Benecia Arsenal ever use carbine stocks making up NRA Carbines, or were they all cut down from rifle stocks?

highpower3006 · July 22, 2016, 09:03 AM

I have no idea. But I can say the the quality of the work done to the barrel when it was shortened, is first rate. The crown looks just like the crown on my '98 rifle and the front sight is very nicely installed.

Edit: Okay, I have done some research and I found the following quote from Brophy's book on Krag rifles

"Only Model 1899 Carbine stocks, Model 1901 rear sights and handguards, and carbine stock fittings were used. Cut down rifle stocks were not used on DCM Krags."

"Unfortunately, no identifying mark was placed upon Krag rifles and carbines sold through the DCM to NRA members. The rifles which were cut down to carbine length at Benecia Arsenal, California are the most difficult to confirm. The barrels were cut to 22 inches and new Model 1903 Rifle front sights were installed. The stock, handguard, stock fittings, and sight were original carbine parts. . . The DCM carbine barrel muzzle is crowned, like original carbine barrels, and the front sight is expertly installed. The Model 1903 front sight fixed stud retaining pin was dressed down to the surface of the stud and was refinished and appears just the same as those on an '03. Kirk and Bannerman jobs were not well done and the pins frequently did not fit the hole and were not flush with the fixed stud."

While the front sight on mine fits the description exactly, the fact that mine is in a 1896 stock rather than the 1899 version. Still, I am happy with it and I will get the proper handguard and rear sight as soon as I can.

Jim Watson · July 22, 2016, 09:16 AM

I looked around.
Brophy says NRA Carbines have real carbine stocks which the OP says he has.
But the OP has a 1902 rear sight where Benecia used the 1901 sight on NRA Carbines.
Also the NRA Carbine has a handguard.

Rich_357 · July 24, 2016, 09:55 PM

That's beautiful. ..

bamaranger · July 25, 2016, 01:48 AM

At a yard sale.......good grief. Congrats to you on a good find. The only thing I can find at yard sales are velvet Elvis posters and crapped out single barrel shotguns, and Mosins/Nagants way overpriced.

damienph · July 26, 2016, 05:46 PM

We don't have any yard sales around us, just ranch & farm auctions when the old folks die off.

Like others have said, I would have bought that rifle as well. Even if it isn't original, it is very good looking and I imagine a lot of fun to shoot. I like those big round nose 220 grain .30 caliber bullets. Good deer, black bear and hog hunting rifle right there!

oldscot3 · July 27, 2016, 11:46 AM

+1 on like it just the way it is. Go kill deer and swine with it.

McShooty · July 28, 2016, 12:02 PM

I am an old Scot, too, and I agree. A cut down Krag with a carbine stock handles pretty well for hunting as is, and the 30-40 cartridge is very effective. Also easy to handload. Williams makes a peep for Krags and I mounted one by bonding it in place with JB Weld. This avoids drilling and tapping, and one can remove the sight later if desired. Couple thoughts. Cut down Krags like this, if made by Benicia or sold by DCM seem to attract some collector interest, especially as the number of authentic infantry Krags dwindles. Bet you paid a lot less for this one at the yard sale than you would have in some firearms venue. Also, I have looked up the skirt of a lot of Krags and have never seen a shiny, new-looking bore in an original barrel. Must not have been fired in its early life. Is the action a 92, 96, or 98?

Bayou · July 28, 2016, 12:54 PM

Not my luck - I've never come across any firearm at a garage sale, and I've been to my share of them.............

highpower3006 · July 28, 2016, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Also, I have looked up the skirt of a lot of Krags and have never seen a shiny, new-looking bore in an original barrel. Must not have been fired in its early life. Is the action a 92, 96, or 98?

The action is a 1898, made in 1899

I have been lucky with Krag bores. Both the current rifle that I have now and one I had in years past have had great bores. But, the bore on this little carbine is the nicest I have ever seen.

I usually don't go the yard sales as I have enough junk in my life already and don't need to drag more home. I was tipped off to this by a friend that had gone there the day before. He has no interest in anything that isn't new and I have no interest in anything that isn't old, so he called me and then texted me the address.

I looked it over and the first thing I spotted was original stock. When I looked down the barrel at that wonderful bore, I knew I had to have it. The seller was asking $300 for it, but with some serious negotiation and after I put it down and was walking away, he agreed to sell it for $250.

I have decided to do a minor restoration on it as some research has told me that it has a 1902 carbine rear sight. The "C" has been polished off the side of the sight base, but it has the dimensions of a real carbine sight. So since it has a carbine rear sight, I am going to get a handguard and just make it like one of the arsenal conversions.

In my research on it I have also found that the stock is actually a 1898 carbine stock, one of the rarest and most sought after carbine models, too bad I don't have the rest of it.

I have to schedule a range day pretty soon as I have a new-to-me Polytech Spiker AK47 and a Daewoo K2 that I recently picked up and haven't shot yet. I am itching to get all of them out and see how they do.

McShooty · July 29, 2016, 07:58 AM

I would say you got a good deal and will be having some fun.

Jim567 · July 29, 2016, 01:14 PM

I have always thought the Krag carbine is the most attractive military arm ever produced.

July 19, 2016, 09:22 AM	#1
highpower3006 Senior Member Join Date: July 30, 2011 Location: Savannah TN Posts: 1,220	Yard sale Krag I went to a yard sale the other day and picked up this Krag. It's a cut down rifle (bummer), but it does have a genuine 1896 Krag carbine stock and upper band. It has been reblued and the rear sight is a 1902 rifle sight. I am going to look around and see if I can come up with a '96 carbine sight, yeah I know, good luck with that. It will probably cost more for the sight than I paid for the rifle, but what the heck, I can always sell it separately if I decide to get rid of the rifle. I might add that I got this for a decent price, so I don't have much in it to date. The bore looks brand new, not a single flaw in the rifling and it is a shiny as a new dime. At first I was going to part it out, but it has grown on me over the last few days and now I have decided to keep it. I have a bit of ammo saved up as I also have a pretty nice 1898 rifle. Just barely discernible is the cartouche with an 1898 date. Last edited by highpower3006; July 21, 2016 at 04:07 PM.

July 19, 2016, 12:08 PM	#3
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	Never ceases to amaze me what kind of stuff is hidden away in attics. That looks like it may have been sporterised by a pro as opposed to Bubba. "...probably cost more for the sight than I paid for the rifle..." Maybe. Friggin' re-pro hand guards start at $70. This may be the best place to start though. http://www.kragcollectorsassociation.org/ __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

July 21, 2016, 05:31 PM	#5
bedbugbilly Senior Member Join Date: November 19, 2009 Posts: 3,287	I really like it just the way it is also. A nice looking rifle and I'm betting she wold be a good shooter as well. As a reloader, I'd love to find a Krag like that just to play with! Congrats on your find! __________________ If a pair of '51 Navies were good enough for Billy Hickok, then a single Navy on my right hip is good enough for me . . . besides . . . I'm probably only half as good as he was anyways. Hiram's Rangers Badge #63

July 22, 2016, 09:03 AM	#8
highpower3006 Senior Member Join Date: July 30, 2011 Location: Savannah TN Posts: 1,220	I have no idea. But I can say the the quality of the work done to the barrel when it was shortened, is first rate. The crown looks just like the crown on my '98 rifle and the front sight is very nicely installed. Edit: Okay, I have done some research and I found the following quote from Brophy's book on Krag rifles "Only Model 1899 Carbine stocks, Model 1901 rear sights and handguards, and carbine stock fittings were used. Cut down rifle stocks were not used on DCM Krags." "Unfortunately, no identifying mark was placed upon Krag rifles and carbines sold through the DCM to NRA members. The rifles which were cut down to carbine length at Benecia Arsenal, California are the most difficult to confirm. The barrels were cut to 22 inches and new Model 1903 Rifle front sights were installed. The stock, handguard, stock fittings, and sight were original carbine parts. . . The DCM carbine barrel muzzle is crowned, like original carbine barrels, and the front sight is expertly installed. The Model 1903 front sight fixed stud retaining pin was dressed down to the surface of the stud and was refinished and appears just the same as those on an '03. Kirk and Bannerman jobs were not well done and the pins frequently did not fit the hole and were not flush with the fixed stud." While the front sight on mine fits the description exactly, the fact that mine is in a 1896 stock rather than the 1899 version. Still, I am happy with it and I will get the proper handguard and rear sight as soon as I can. Last edited by highpower3006; July 22, 2016 at 09:20 AM.

July 25, 2016, 01:48 AM	#11
bamaranger Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: North Alabama Posts: 8,317	Very nice At a yard sale.......good grief. Congrats to you on a good find. The only thing I can find at yard sales are velvet Elvis posters and crapped out single barrel shotguns, and Mosins/Nagants way overpriced.

July 19, 2016, 10:28 AM	#2
kilimanjaro Senior Member Join Date: November 23, 2009 Posts: 3,963	Keep it. Somewhere out there is a nice carbine barrel and sight, waiting for you to come along. It's already been reblued, so you can do it again if you want. Even just as it is, you've got a nice little deer rifle.

July 21, 2016, 05:34 AM	#4
rightside Senior Member Join Date: February 4, 2012 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 419	I would be proud to own that rifle, just the way she is!

July 21, 2016, 06:03 PM	#6
Tidewater_Kid Senior Member Join Date: July 3, 2005 Location: Alabama Posts: 925	I feel the same way. I like it just the way it is and would proud to own it! TK

July 21, 2016, 06:37 PM	#7
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,546	Did Benecia Arsenal ever use carbine stocks making up NRA Carbines, or were they all cut down from rifle stocks?

July 22, 2016, 09:16 AM	#9
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,546	I looked around. Brophy says NRA Carbines have real carbine stocks which the OP says he has. But the OP has a 1902 rear sight where Benecia used the 1901 sight on NRA Carbines. Also the NRA Carbine has a handguard.

July 24, 2016, 09:55 PM	#10
Rich_357 Senior Member Join Date: February 28, 2016 Posts: 268	That's beautiful. ..

July 26, 2016, 05:46 PM	#12
damienph Senior Member Join Date: September 6, 2011 Location: Kansas Posts: 319	We don't have any yard sales around us, just ranch & farm auctions when the old folks die off. Like others have said, I would have bought that rifle as well. Even if it isn't original, it is very good looking and I imagine a lot of fun to shoot. I like those big round nose 220 grain .30 caliber bullets. Good deer, black bear and hog hunting rifle right there!

July 27, 2016, 11:46 AM	#13
oldscot3 Senior Member Join Date: July 1, 2007 Location: texas Posts: 997	+1 on like it just the way it is. Go kill deer and swine with it.

July 28, 2016, 12:02 PM	#14
McShooty Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2012 Location: Northern Missouri Posts: 480	I am an old Scot, too, and I agree. A cut down Krag with a carbine stock handles pretty well for hunting as is, and the 30-40 cartridge is very effective. Also easy to handload. Williams makes a peep for Krags and I mounted one by bonding it in place with JB Weld. This avoids drilling and tapping, and one can remove the sight later if desired. Couple thoughts. Cut down Krags like this, if made by Benicia or sold by DCM seem to attract some collector interest, especially as the number of authentic infantry Krags dwindles. Bet you paid a lot less for this one at the yard sale than you would have in some firearms venue. Also, I have looked up the skirt of a lot of Krags and have never seen a shiny, new-looking bore in an original barrel. Must not have been fired in its early life. Is the action a 92, 96, or 98?

July 28, 2016, 12:54 PM	#15
Bayou Senior Member Join Date: March 8, 2016 Location: SE Louisiana Posts: 300	Not my luck - I've never come across any firearm at a garage sale, and I've been to my share of them............. __________________ Bayou NRA Life Member "Keep Calm and Reload"

July 29, 2016, 07:58 AM	#17
McShooty Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2012 Location: Northern Missouri Posts: 480	I would say you got a good deal and will be having some fun.

July 29, 2016, 01:14 PM	#18
Jim567 Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2014 Location: NE FL Posts: 656	I have always thought the Krag carbine is the most attractive military arm ever produced.