gunboat57:  Thanks for posting the 1899 Scientific American pages.  It certainly gives a lot of insight into the manufacture of the Krag at Springfield.  The barrel and receiver were certainly labor intensive!  I wonder if the barrels were proofed on a special arsenal action or if they were tested with their final action and disassembled for sight mounting and browning?  (I think this is unlikely without both the receiver and barrel being serial numbered to aid re-assembly).  It also bring into question when the receiver was proofed?

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