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Message started by David 1895 Krag on Sep 17th, 2011 at 12:10am

Title: My first Krag!
Post by David 1895 Krag on Sep 17th, 2011 at 12:10am
Can you guys help me identify this Krag, and tell me a value for it?  It was my wife's great great grandfather's in the Spanish American War.  I have a picture of him with it, but it's got a full wood stock down to the tip. Maybe it was converted to a carbine or something? I have no idea.  The serial number is 25xxx.  Thanks!
David
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Title: Re: My first Krag!
Post by psteinmayer on Sep 17th, 2011 at 12:16am
That is a beautiful Carbine!  Looks to be in great condition too.  You should check to make certain it's not loaded... considering that it's cocked.

Title: Re: My first Krag!
Post by Dick Hosmer on Sep 17th, 2011 at 4:17pm
Sorry to rain on the parade a bit, as it's a very nice-looking piece, however, I strongly suggest that - family tradition aside - your wife's ancestor was NOT holding THAT Krag in the picture. A Krag to be sure, but not that one.

Anything with full wood would have also had a 30" barrel. That barrel does not appear to have been cut, even though the front sight blade has been changed. Other issues: the bolt has been replaced - note placement of gas-escape hole. The rear sight and hand-guard have also been replaced, but not by SA. That sight (a Model 1902, but I cannot tell if R or C) was NEVER used on that model of carbine (which is an early Model 1896). The stock is genuine and correct (cannot be faked), but the hand-guard is not an armory product in its' present form.

If you would post the entire serial number, it could be looked up in the SRS database. We may have something, we may not, but cannot do anything with "x"s. Since you have had it for so long, it cannot possibly be stolen, so, there is no reason to be coy. That is a carbine serial number, however, which absolutely precludes it from being the one in the photo. Am not saying that the gun has not been in the family forever, or did not belong to the gentleman in question, just that it cannot be the same one as in the picture.

The minor warts are fixable, for an expenditure of $500 to $700. The correct M1896C rear sight is extremely hard to find, and - for that reason - has been faked to an unfortunately large degree. Caution will be required.

Title: Re: My first Krag!
Post by David 1895 Krag on Sep 19th, 2011 at 12:38am
About how much do you think it might be worth?

The picture I have is one of those "posed" pictures, not a candid shot.  I wonder if the gun in the picture was one that everyone posed with, and wasn't necessarily his at all.  The one I have may have been his actual weapon. 

So am I correct that it's a model 1896 carbine, but with an 1895 dated receiver?  I don't know much about Krags so I just want to know exactly what to tell people when they ask what model gun it is. 

Thanks again for all the info.

Title: Re: My first Krag!
Post by Dick Hosmer on Sep 19th, 2011 at 6:05am
The serial number could affect the value in this case, so I'd like to be dealing with a full deck. FWIW, I have no interest in buying the gun, if it were for sale (which I'd advise against, strongly) so, I'm not going to "low-ball" you.

If you have a cabinet (studio) photo, then the arm very likely is a prop. Do you know which unit he served in? Cavalry had carbines such as yours, the infantry had the full-length rifles with long wood and 30" barrels.

What you have described is a not uncommon scenario. Guys would sometimes purchase an arm similar to that which they carried. And, in some cases, during that era, soldiers were even allowed to purchase their weapon(s) at time of discharge.

So, it COULD have been his arm, BUT he would have had to have been in a cavalry unit, AND, he "played" with it, post-service, since that is not an official configuration.

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