Krag fan club?

Every time I see one I seriously consider buying it. It's going to happen one of these days.

I want one. Bad. Prices for them are high, seems like around $800 will net you one.

I love 'em! They're just soooo well fitted together.

Gosh I love them. After you work the bolt on a Krag, everything else feels like it's full of sand. Obsolete? Sure. Beautiful and graceful? Oh, yeah.
Here's the boys...

.30-40 Krag

I have always been fascinated by the Krags since first holding one and working the bolt about 45 years ago.

Here's a couple of pics of my 1898 Springfield Krag. It was "sporterized" as pictured (minus scope, mount, recoil pad) during the WWII era by armorer employed at the Watervliet Arsenal in NY. I've got the history on the gun and am the 3rd owner of the rifle since that time.

I recently removed the Redfield receiver sight and installed an S&K no-drill scope mount and a 2.5X scope with tapered post reticle. She'll shoot easy 3-shot 1" groups off sandbags at 100 yards with Winchester 180 grain factory ammo. I've got lots of brass and dies for it as well.

She's a keeper

Don't own one, but after reading Shots at Whitetails, I sure would like to.

Looked for shooter Krag for 10 years. Then in 1991 I found one at a show that had a cut-down stock. Guy wanted $90 and I resisted the urge to go for my wallet and offered him $80. We settled on $85.

Three rows over I found RCBS dies for $8 (he was asking $10).

In 2000 I bought a semi-finished stock and fitted it. Had a local smith add sights.

This is one my wife will sell.

About once a month, while in the safe, I'll pull mine out just to work the bolt. Every time - I think, "damn, that's smoother than I remembered!".

Loves me sum Krag!

Mine is a "bubbaized" M1898, with the original stock cut down, 24" barrel and a cocking piece sight. One of these days I'll get a Boyds stock for it.

huge fan of the krag simply because when i was a young kid my dad had one. even though i was little i recognized the silky slick action of the bolt.

lost my pops when i was 16 and my mom needed the money so she sold it and several others that were his.

ive enjoyed looking at these very much, so thx fellas

I would really like to find one, they are slim pickins around here...

Had mine out to pinch the front site hood for a Browning and thought I'd snap a pic. It's a nicely shorterized great handling rifle with no real collector value but I sure like it. I'm glad the PO installed that Lyman front site for me to enjoy. It's got a couple of Texas hog-nasties but the rear site is awful slow for them if they're moving. Someday on a whim, I may go all-safari on it's butt as practice in gussying up a non-collector.

I saw Trent's post about his new Krag, and I thought, hey-we should have a Krag club. Lo and behold, we do, although the membership is a little thin. I figured I'd wake this thread up with a picture of my Krag and see if any more have joined the ranks in the last 9 months or so.

So, here's my 1898, built in 1902, with 1901 sights . Chromed for VFW, most of which has succumbed to surface rust, purchased from CMP as "junk grade", shoots 2.5" groups, smooth as silk:

I have great regard for the Krag too. Fifty years ago (!) at a show at the New Jersey Arms Collectors Club in Kenilworth NJ, I saw a Sedgeley sporter Krag -
a beautiful single shot conversion in 25 Krag - for the princely sum of $65...
Our first-born had just arrived, and 65 dollars was ten dollars shy of our monthly rent. I sighed and moved on.
A couple of years later, I did manage to pick up a sporterized Norwegian Krag.
6.5x55 ammunition was virtually impossible to find back then, and I traded it off
before I had a chance to shoot it.
Hope you guys enjoy your rifles...

And beneath the starry flag
We will civilize them
With a Krag
And return then
To our own beloved home!

Hello, Red October. I too love the old Krag..In fact the very first centerfire rifle I bought was an 1896 in pristine condition back in 72' (still is!). I had a very nice 1898 rifle with a dark bore..grouped around 1 1/4" at 100yds..but that dark bore bothered me. Neco had been giving out it's bore lapping kits to gunsmiths about that time & a friend gave me one. The bore slugged .3095" I used soft lead bullets and very light powder charge to barely push those grit charged slugs thru. I set up target at 50yds to see results. Coarsest grit was around 12"..as lapping progressed, groups shrank until with the finest compound,they were going into 1 ragged hole. Bore now shined..even down in grooves. Bore now slugged .3105 at breech...310" at muzzle. Back when I could still "see" (I used the small appature on rear sight), I could maintain white band under 6" 100yd. bull. I have many groups 1" and slightly under shot with that old warhorse.
Rifle is set up for cast-bullet shooting..Ideal/Lyman 311413.

Regarding the military history of the Krag, is there any information on the combat use of Krags by the US (or on loan to any other army) after the adoption of the M1903? Seems like an awfully short service time for a rifle, most of them were probably close to new when the 1903 was brought into service.

I have a Model 1898 that I refurbished after it had seen many years service as a parade/drill rifle for a local veterans organization. They probably had them since the 1920's and all of them had been chrome plated (very big back then as there were any number of shops that serviced the auto industry), as well as having the stocks heavily varnished.

I removed most of the chrome plating myself by soaking the parts in a metal tray filled with Hoppes No. 9. The Hoppes soaked through to the underlying copper plate which of course took the chrome plating right off with it. I had the rifle reblued to a finish that was typical for that time period and sanded and refinished the stock for a fairly decent match of what it might have looked like when it originally left Springfield Armory. My brother found me a nice replica sling and the overall effect is quite impressive.

The Krag needs to be the starting point for all USGI bolt gun collections.

1898 Krag rifle.

The Cusier Olympia, which brought the Unknown Soldier of WWI home is now a museum in Philadelphia. On the bridge deck when I was last there was a rack of Krags, all in pristine condition.

You should change the title of the thread.

"The Official Krag Thread"

Bam! Catchy?? I know, right.

1898 Krag with 1895 Mauser---



Slightly closer shot of the US Krag---



Norwegian 1894 Krag---



Other side---



The Norwegian standing with some other girls---



Both Krags have bright bores, amazingly enough and the '98 did very well in firing tests against the 7x57 '95 Mauser----each rifle using round nose full patch ball.
Have to fix the duffle cut on the '94 before I can fire that one.
-----krinko