Krag Collectors Association Forum Archive

Krag Collectors Association Forum Archive
General >> Older threads >> Krag stock woods http://www.kragcollectorsassociation.org/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1362671553 Message started by butlersrangers on Mar 7^th, 2013 at 3:52pm

Title: Krag stock woods
Post by butlersrangers on Mar 7^th, 2013 at 3:52pm

According to Franklin B. Mallory, "The Krag Rifle Story", page #75, the N.Y.C. firm of Louis Windmuller and Roelker furnished 13,000 stocks of Italian walnut in June, 1899. "They were given a contract for 20,000 additional stocks in July, 1899". (I do not know, but suspect, they were actually providing stock blanks to be finished at Springfield). Attached photos show '1900' Italian stock above an '1899' American black walnut stock.

krag-walnut1.JPG ( 125 KB | 0 Downloads )

Title: Re: Krag stock woods
Post by butlersrangers on Mar 7^th, 2013 at 4:01pm

There was no special distinction or use of the Italian walnut stocked Krags. The vast majority of Krags were issued with the darker American black walnut stocks, but, potentially 33,000 Krags left Springfield with the lighter colored Italian stocks and hand-guards. I believe these will normally be marked 1899 or 1900.

krag-walnut2.JPG ( 85 KB | 0 Downloads )

Title: Re: Krag stock woods
Post by DocCasualty on Mar 8^th, 2013 at 5:38am

That's pretty interesting. I've never had the opportunity to compare two Krags together at the same time, though it seems to me the one my dad had was much darker than mine, which would go along with your comment about my stock.

Any info or thoughts re: matching/mismatching stocks and hand-guards from the two wood species? Were they usually the same when new or not necessarily? I'm guessing they wouldn't have paid attention after that when they were repaired or rebuilt but have no idea.