I've seen a couple of episodes recently and noticed Sgt Shultz is carrying a Krag rifle, not a 98k. 

Really, I never knew...  never watched that closely.  Now I'll have to look at that.

Check out "To Kill a Mockingbird"...  Gregory Peck shoots a rabid dog with a Krag Carbine!

Looks like Peck had a sporterized Krag. It has a short stock and front barrel band along with a sling. The front sight appears to be a 1903 Springfield type. Can't remember if it had a hand guard, but I think it did not. In fact, it looks just like mine.

I agree...  Definately sporterized!  Great scene though...

According to this website the one in To Kill is a Danish 1889 that's been cut down. 

  (You need to Login

[quote author=6A79717C73796E7C6A1D0 link=1315951826/4#4 date=1316021536]According to this website the one in To Kill is a Danish 1889 that's been cut down. 

  (You need to Login
They couldn't be more wrong. See for yourself -

  (You need to Login   (You need to Login

It's a "sporterized" US Krag with the 1896 rear sight and a 1905 front.

Yep, that is almost exactly what I have, no handguard, an 1896 rear sight, except my front sight is a 1903. Main difference is my Krag has a little more wood extending past the barrel band. The Krag in the photo doesn't go much further than the band. Believe the movie was about the period during the Great Depression. The Krag was probably pretty popular back then being a low cost army surplus rifle.

Oh yeah...  I always knew it was a US Krag...  I love that scene (cause he is shooting a Krag, not because he shoots a dog  :'()!

knute wrote on Sep 15^th, 2011 at 1:03am:

Yep, that is almost exactly what I have, no handguard, an 1896 rear sight, except my front sight is a 1903.

The 1903 model front sight is a pretty rare bird, seen only on the rod-bayonet M1903 rifle. The common sight on the M1903 rifle is the 1905 model, adopted along with the knife bayonet.

  (You need to Login   (You need to Login
1903 front sight

Nice photo!

You're right - the nomenclature has gotten sloppy. MANY people make the same mistake - I'd venture to guess that a lot of them have never even heard of the rod-bayonet version, which fell into disgrace early on and was pretty well obliterated.

Back to the original topic:  I seem to recall that I read somewhere the actor playing Sgt. Shultz had many family members killed by Nazis.  As a result, he refused to carry a Nazi weapon in the TV series.  The prop people pulled out a rifle that looked close--a Krag.

I have heard others say that when they began filming they weren't too concerned with authenticity and the prop folks handed him a Krag and that is what he worked with.  However, all the other German guards carried 98Ks so the first story seems more plausible.

Crap!  Now I gotta go buy the Hogan's Heros boxed set! 

Well I'll be, a 1903 Springfield with a 1905 front sight and possibly a 1907 sling and a........ That's why I like this site, you can learn some good stuff.
Growing up I never knew what a 1903 Springfield or a 98 Mauser or a 1896 Krag or whatever looked like.  So watching Hogan's Heroes it never occurred to me what rifles were being used as props. But now I'll have to take note next time I see an episode of it.
In fact, my Dad had what he thought was a sportized Springfield. But after pulling the scope off a few years ago I found it to be a M1917 American Enfield.

Sgt. Schultz a.k.a.  "The Kragster"

---

Not to belittle anyone, nor doubt the veracity of the actor's claims, but if MY family had been killed by Nazis, I'd have a problem wearing the helmet, uniform, and in general, even "just playing the part". After you've gone that far, why quibble about a rifle? Following the logic of "in for penny, in for a pound", I find the actor to be a trifle disingenuous. He played the part and took the cash, so what's the point?

Dick, I hear what you are saying.  But, it may have simply been a small way of protesting.  Then again, it may not be true at all.

What is true is that he was a Jew who was born and lived in Vienna.  In 1938, the acting troupe he performed with were in Switzerland when Hitler annexed Austria.  He then emigrated to the US, leaving his Jewish family to suffer whatever fate the Nazis had in store for them.

I totally agree with you Dick...  If my family had been killed, I would never even have involved with the show!  I think it's more that the prop guys weren't worried about authenticity!  It wouldn't have been the first time...  Many shows back then were for more entertainment value than anything else. 

By the way, speaking of rifles on TV... did you all know that the first 2 seasons of The Beverly Hillbillies, Jed runs into the cabin after shootin up that oil and lays a 1873 Trapdoor rifle on the table?  He also shoots it in an episode in the first season where he joins Drysdale's gun club!

No, I didn't - haven't seen BH in ages!!

fred wrote on Sep 15^th, 2011 at 7:21pm:

Back to the original topic:  I seem to recall that I read somewhere the actor playing Sgt. Shultz had many family members killed by Nazis.  As a result, he refused to carry a Nazi weapon in the TV series.  The prop people pulled out a rifle that looked close--a Krag.

  (You need to Login   (You need to Login

A Krag rifle, albeit Norwegian, "could" be correct as a POW camp weapon since the Krauts issued weapons from occupied countries to non-front line troops and police.