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Firearms >> Sporterized and unofficial modified Krags >> Paint fixes everthing.
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Message started by fumehappy on Apr 20th, 2018 at 2:15pm

Title: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by fumehappy on Apr 20th, 2018 at 2:15pm
Not sure what I have here, but I do know that it's sparkly.  Apparently whoever thought automotive paint would look good on an antique firearm also took the time to prime it as well.  On the bright side, the stock appears original. the pistol grip was added later.  Receiver marked 1894, sn 66xx or 68xx, not sure cause of the way the paint is glopped on. 
:D
justkrag.PNG ( 192 KB | 27 Downloads )

Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by psteinmayer on Apr 20th, 2018 at 2:31pm
Holy Rock-A-Moly!!! 

Now there's one bubba never thought of...   

Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by Dick Hosmer on Apr 20th, 2018 at 2:43pm
You know, some secrets should STAY secret! That's totally destroyed my appetite for breakfast!

Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by fumehappy on Apr 20th, 2018 at 2:57pm
Don't worry.  I"m going to fix it up just fine with my coarse wire wheel on a 1 hp grinder.   

*kidding*

Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by Local Boy on Apr 21st, 2018 at 5:19pm
Used to work with some teletype maintenance guys (showing my age) who's shop saying was "Beat it to Fit and Paint it to Match".

I wonder if the previous owner was a teletype maintenance guy???  :-?

Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by madsenshooter on Apr 23rd, 2018 at 2:06am
I'm not sure about the hole spacing, but at one time the William's Mount for the Krag was the same as the one for the Remington 8 or 81, and took four screws instead of the 3 screws their present mount takes.

Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by butlersrangers on Apr 23rd, 2018 at 2:50am
I think 'fumehappy' is right to see this as an interesting challenge.

When he removes the Cheek Pad and Black Paint from the stock, there may be a very nice Mannlicher Style stock with wood worthy of refinish and a more traditional butt-pad.

Bead blasting the paint from the metal and putting a matt 'blue' finish on the metal might look good.

I like Mannlicher stocks and think there is potential for a nice Krag sporter, under the paint.

Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by fumehappy on Apr 23rd, 2018 at 2:48pm
Making progress...  receiver bluing is intact under the paint.  Pistol grip is definitely an addition, and will be coming off.  Still hunting for a cartouche. 

Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by butlersrangers on Apr 23rd, 2018 at 4:38pm
I bought a stock real cheap once with a crude, added on, pistol grip.

Cutting and reshaping part of the pistol grip at least made the stock contour more pleasing.

The stock now resides on a utility 'sportered' Krag. Actually, the wrist area may be stronger now than it was originally!




unbubba1.JPG ( 75 KB | 0 Downloads )
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Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by madsenshooter on Apr 23rd, 2018 at 7:21pm
I have an Arisaka carbine that's in a Mannlicher style stock.  Very dense wood, weighs a ton.  Someone's long ago project that never got finished.

Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by carbon outlaw on Apr 23rd, 2018 at 8:51pm
I was a tetetype maintenance guy ... Model 41 .. The rifle is very interesting .... Would it be allowed in a national shoot ???

Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by Local Boy on Apr 24th, 2018 at 6:33am
I used to work on Teletype Model-40's as a computer maintenance guy!  My hands are still blue from ribbon ink. ;)

fumehappy, please let us know how you progress with the unveiling.

Pictures would be GREAT!!!

Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by fumehappy on Apr 26th, 2018 at 2:25pm
Stripping test results, and sight mount points.  Magazine side assembly was not painted, thankfully. 
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Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by butlersrangers on Apr 26th, 2018 at 2:50pm
Hard work - Better thee than me!

(Looks like a Buhler or other after market safety. I don't know what, if any, changes were required to parts to fit that safety)?

Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by Baltimoreed on May 1st, 2018 at 11:52pm
Obviously the previous owner was a navy man and lived by the old navy adage I heard somewhere. 'If it moves, salute it, if it don't, paint it,'
Might be a diamond in the rough, keep stripping.

Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by fumehappy on May 2nd, 2018 at 1:20pm
"just keep stripping, just keep stripping..."-Dory

Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by fumehappy on Jul 30th, 2018 at 4:00pm
Well, Here's the stock.  I don't even know what to say at this point.  "Butchered" is really too kind, and doesn't accurately describe the situation.   
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Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by fumehappy on Jul 30th, 2018 at 4:01pm
Forearm
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Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by Suredan on Jul 30th, 2018 at 5:53pm
Wow, just wow. Time to look for another stock.  Hopefully the metalwork did not suffer such butchery.

Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by butlersrangers on Jul 30th, 2018 at 9:26pm
Hey, nothing that a wood rasp, files, sanding, and paint stripper can't reshape into a useful 'Hunting Stock'!

It appears this was once a model 1892 Krag rifle stock. There are no lightening cuts in the barrel channel and the "retainer-block" for a Clearing-Rod, may be under that glob of paint.

The Cleaning/Clearing-Rod groove in the Stock was filled at Springfield Armory during one of the 'update model 1892 rifles to 1896 standards' periods.
paint_kragstock7.jpg ( 76 KB | 0 Downloads )

Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by FredC on Jul 30th, 2018 at 9:41pm
The title says it all. Could have left the paint on and been happy with a strange looking Krag that would have gotten more that the usual attention. If you put a good used stock or a good reproduction on it will look like any other krag.
Who in their right mind would have stolen it with that painted stock, everyone in the world would have known who it belonged to.
Insert a couple of smileys here.
Actually that is even worse than my Enfield stock with the 3 broken drills in it. Well maybe it has more but I found 3 so far.

Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by Local Boy on Jul 31st, 2018 at 1:04am
Maybe it's the lost Hemingway/Picasso commission rifle!

I heard a story about Ernest Hemingway commissioning his friend Picasso to design a stock for Ernest's favorite Krag rifle...

It was no longer Hemingway's favorite Krag rifle after Picasso was finished.

Just Kidding!!!

You have a very interesting palette to paint with.

Very unique... Actually, I'd love to get my hands on the stock and find out what I could do with it???




Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by Culpeper on Jul 31st, 2018 at 10:10am
Was there a serial number on the loading gate?

Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by fumehappy on Jul 31st, 2018 at 2:05pm
Butlers,
That glob of paint you pointed to is actually a block of metal.  I figured it had something to do with the original cleaning rod configuration. 

Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by butlersrangers on Jul 31st, 2018 at 3:58pm
It is called a "Rod-Stop". It has a threaded hole that the Cleaning-Rod screwed into.

Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by fumehappy on Aug 1st, 2018 at 12:42pm
There appears to be a "3" on the loading gate.  No other serial number is visible.  I have not disassembled it though. 

Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by fumehappy on Oct 31st, 2018 at 4:42pm
Okay, so the final chapter for now...
I was able to glue a piece of walnut veneer over the bad section on the stock.  Had to spot glue a few bubbles, then scraped/sanded down flat.  Used red mahogany stain, followed by about 5 coats of formby's tung oil.  I contemplated getting a new 1892 stock and putting a full length barrel on it, but since the receiver already had those four damn holes from a scope, I figured it would never be perfect anyways.  I have not shot it yet.   
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Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by butlersrangers on Oct 31st, 2018 at 5:05pm
'fumehappy' - You are doing a wonderful job of rehabilitating that 'Bubba-ed' Krag.

You are going to end up with a wonderful little Woods Rifle!

It should get a barrel-band or 'barrel anchor-screw' to prevent the barrel from lifting and putting torque on the stock and splitting it, (behind the magazine-well area).

What are you considering for Sights?

It appears the receiver was drilled for a Williams mount.

'Filler-Plug Screws' would dress up those wounds.

Its kind of like the 'Prodigal Son'. This re-claimed Krag may become your Favorite!

Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by FredC on Oct 31st, 2018 at 6:53pm
You kept stripping and it looked worse and worse. Now the stock looks good again. WOW!
What Butlersrangers said about the stock breaking is doubly important because of your forward sling mount. Carrying it with a sling will put a lot of stress on the stock.
The barrel band I did for Romeo Jim worked like a champ. He did send me pictures but I have not resized them or had a chance to check on future availability of the Savage band. Another member added a original barrel band to a sporter stock if I remember correctly but that took more skill then I have and put off Jim also.

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Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by FredC on Nov 1st, 2018 at 3:40pm
Just checked with Numrich Arms and 1300 bands are available. So no shortage there. In searching for Savage bands installed on Krags there was some talk of them being a poor solution. Maybe it was the quality of the installation. Other than doing the original band installation that Local Boy did on his, or the suggestion Parashooter made, I do not know of any other easy solution.

Jim returned the installation kit I made and it would be ready to go as soon as I find it?!? Making another escutcheon, screw and band nut would be involved in doing another kit. Installation time is probably a little over an hour. Jim did his when he took off from work because he was sick and I think it took him a couple of hours.
When I get a chance I will organize and shrink his photos and add them to the original thread.

Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by Kooler on Nov 11th, 2018 at 4:14pm
Good job on fixing up a disaster! Looks really good. Since the receiver is D&T why don`t you mount a scope on it and be able to get full potential of accuracy. My " 98" and my Norwegian were sporterized long ago and both have scopes and both are quite accurate. With cast bullets each are capable of 1/2" 5 shot groups at 50 yards.

Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by butlersrangers on Nov 11th, 2018 at 4:38pm
The spread on the tapped holes looks like it might be for a William's Mount.

Maybe 'carbon outlaw' can verify and help you on that one. He appears to be familiar with the William's Scope Mount.

Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by Local Boy on Nov 12th, 2018 at 4:52am
Outstanding work Fumehappy!!!

I believe putting an external barrel band on your project Krag would take away from the nice clean Mannlicher lines.

I wonder if you might be able to use a barrel band sling swivel mount to meet your needs???

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Mannlicher style stock slings are readily available as well.

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Attached are photos of my 1903 Mannlicher–Schönauer sling swivel.

Hardest part would probably be drilling the hole for the sling bolt.

MS_Sling_Ring_002a.jpg ( 116 KB | 0 Downloads )
MS_Sling_Ring_004a.jpg ( 93 KB | 0 Downloads )
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Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by FredC on Nov 12th, 2018 at 3:43pm
That is a nice looking solution to adding a barrel band to a Krag. Drilling the cross hole so it provides neutral or upward tension to the stock would be a trick with hand tools. Not hard with a milling machine or maybe a drill press.

Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by butlersrangers on Nov 12th, 2018 at 5:25pm
I was wrong about fumehappy's 'hole configuration' being for a Williams' Scope-Mount. It appears Williams used a 3-hole pattern.

I suppose wide four-hole spread could be for an unusual Weaver plate or maybe Griffith & Howe or Paul Yaeger mount?

(I've attached altered pictures posted by 'fumehappy' and 'Carbon Outlaw'. I trust they won't mind).
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CO_-_mount_pic.jpg ( 75 KB | 0 Downloads )

Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by FredC on Nov 12th, 2018 at 8:00pm
The hole spacing on Fumehappy's does not match the 4 hole mounts. Perhaps someone with a Williams mount could measure the spacing on theirs. Fumehappy's may be drilled so a Williams mount could use the forward or back set of three holes for customizing the eye relief?

Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by Local Boy on Nov 12th, 2018 at 8:35pm
Here's an interesting possibility???

Previous listing on EBay:

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The listing also includes a post of the installation instructions which indicates that a Weaver N2 (low position) or N3 (high position) mount should be used for Krags.

The N3 mount, shown below, has a hole spacing pattern that doesn't seem to match, however, various other Weaver N-Type mounts that I've seen appear to have wider hole spacing like the N4???
Weaver_N3.jpg ( 23 KB | 0 Downloads )
weaver_N4.jpg ( 19 KB | 0 Downloads )

Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by butlersrangers on Nov 12th, 2018 at 10:11pm
The holes appear equally spaced instead of 'paired up' (Weaver-style).

'FredC' has a probable observation.

Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by madsenshooter on Nov 19th, 2018 at 2:32pm
Originally, Williams listed the Remington 8/81 mount as also for the Krag.  That mount had four equally spaced holes, then they went with a 3 hole mount for the Krag.  They don't make the side mounts anymore.  I just sold my last 81 4 hole mount not long ago.  The rear hole on the OP's receiver looks out of alignment with the other three.

Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by Local Boy on Nov 19th, 2018 at 6:58pm
ja, jeg forstår nå mine Krag venner!

Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by fumehappy on Dec 3rd, 2018 at 4:29pm
Local Boy,
I like the Idea of your Mannlicher style through the stock bolt.  just not sure if I have enough meat on my stock to pull it off. 
A thought on the scope mount.. It is possible someone had a two bolt scope mount, tried it in one position, didn't like it, and then moved it back?

Title: Re: Paint fixes everthing.
Post by FredC on Dec 3rd, 2018 at 8:17pm
Anything is possible on these old rifles. If you could get a scope mount that had 2 holes that lined up you could drill holes in the mount to match existing holes on the receiver. You can always throw away the mount if you do not like it. I would not drill one more hole in the receiver, it has plenty!
If you find a mount that you like and it has one or 2 holes that you can use, I can give you my ideas on drilling matching holes in the mount.

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