Just got her in the mail today and had to show her off.  The seller claimed it was a constabulary krag but thanks to this forum I managed to talk the dealer out of that claim and his price too!  Anyway I think she looks the part.

She is a M1898 made in 1901 (SN 339076) sometime but I could not find out the carbine ranges.  The front site looks like it was put on pretty roughly and the bayonet lug looks pretty smashed down in the front.  I couldnt get my bayonet to click lock on; the lug needs to come forward some if it is to lock.  The barrel is 22 3/4" ; I am not sure what the extra 3/4" is for.  I don't know if the style of site is correct but both units have the C for carbine on them which is encouraging.  I dont know what to make of the P and 41 on the bottom of the stock just behind the trigger guard.

Anywhoo the bore looks clean and its time to take my 200gr handloads and kill some paper plates at the range!

Again thanks everyone here for educating me a little on krags.  I know enough now to be dangerous :)

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Some more photos

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Good looking little Krag,
  The P indicates that the piece was proof fired and the numbers are inspection numbers, indicating what, I don't know. Enjoy it as she is.
   DocBob

Is there a cartouche on the stock? The stock could be a "schools rifle" original from the look of the work. The barrel however is definitely an after the fact modification. An actual 22" turned down barrel is finished and crowned much much nicer. The extra length will preclude bayonet lock up as you stated. Correct length barrel necessitates removing the front sight blade in order to get the forward barrel band off, it appears the forward barrel band could be completely removed from the stock without doing that on yours. Still a nice looking rifle be fun to shoot. 

Looks like someone was trying to make a school gun - WHY (since the barrel is too long, rather than too short) they decided to make it wrong - labor is same either way - eludes me. Don't know if 3/4" is enough to remove all the bad or not.

Probably just best to have fun shooting it.

Thanks gents! Yes I think it is a wannabe but man it came so close to it but why didnt someone just buy a carbine barrel? Seems pretty easy eh?  Anyway I do love her look so I wont be tampering with her.  A few 220 down range should make short work of any paper in her way :)

Range report in the next few months.

Many thanks,

etexastea

The only cartouche is that fancy P with a stamp 41 above it.  Those are the only marks on the stock.  The crazy thing is who can say what came with the original gun.  I get the feeling it was pieced together.  That said I love the history of the whole item.  Who put that front sight together; its very rough but well put on.  What of the barrel being cut?  I mean all the pieces look original just from different guns.  The rear sight too; was that a part of the original gun.  Likely not. Where have all these pieces traveled and to arrive together? I marvel at the history of each.

Cheers,

Etexastea



tanker wrote on Mar 11^th, 2012 at 9:15pm:

Is there a cartouche on the stock? The stock could be a "schools rifle" original from the look of the work. The barrel however is definitely an after the fact modification. An actual 22" turned down barrel is finished and crowned much much nicer. The extra length will preclude bayonet lock up as you stated. Correct length barrel necessitates removing the front sight blade in order to get the forward barrel band off, it appears the forward barrel band could be completely removed from the stock without doing that on yours. Still a nice looking rifle be fun to shoot.