Hi,

Back in the 70s my dad converted a Krag to a 2+1 shot sporting rifle. He found an old American Rifleman series of articles about how to cut off the side magazine box and replace it with a flush metal plate. With the spring in there, that left room for 2 rounds in the magazine (plus one in the chamber).

But those 2 rounds have to be loaded from the top; I don't think the Krag was ever designed for that -- it was made to load either single rounds at a time straight into the chamber, or to feed from the box magazine, which was loaded through the door on the right side.

I bought a box of my standard hunting rounds -- Remington Core-lokt (the pointy ones) -- and they seem about 1/16th too long. After a half hour of fiddling and cursing, I managed to coax 2 rounds into the magazine (at the cost of feeling in my fingertips for two days). This can't be right.

Is there another brand of good .30-40 ammo that is shorter? I see at least Hornady and Winchester make it. Has anyone tried loading a Krag magazine from the top? Any tips or ideas?

Thanks!
Ed Green