Thank you Gentlemen for the welcome.  Yes, I am super excited with my find and look forward to many years of sparce use, maybe even a deer, under it's belt.

Thank you for the info Mr. Hosmer.  I'm thinking what you're refering to is whether or not my serial number was registered with any military unit.  That is a shame, I was hoping to add to the history of the weapon.

Top Dean, good luck with your rebuild.  I personally will most likely only ever own this one due to the deal that I got but I will remain more than appreciative and take good care of her.

Butlersrangers, thank you for that info.  Although I knew it was a Model 1898, and through a quick search realize that the cartouche on the stock meant that it "Entered" service in 1900, I was confused on just exactly when it was manufacturered.  So thank you for that info.

I have questions now and am sure that I'll have many more to come.

1. How do I, for a lack of a better word, "Clean" the rifle?  I have come to understand that referencing the term "Clean" and a 30-40 Krag is not a good combination.  But you must do something to take off the grime around the edges. (Look at my pic of the serial#)  Also there must be something you do for inside the barrel, the action as well as all exposed metal parts?  Would someone please clarify this for me, I want to do it right and not mess it up?