I found it of interest to note that in the fiscal year ending 6/30/1901 in the Chief of Ordnance Report (you can find it under important topics) that the Krag was referred to as the "present service rifle musket". This is seen on pages 6 to 8. (I wish I could do as butlersrangers can do with posting clips.) The report was going over the merits of continuing production of the present musket versus going ahead with an "improved musket" having "two lugs instead of one". The report went on to say that the "only radical improvement in muskets is the automatic principle" like there was at the time with pistols. Of course we wouldn't see an automatic "musket" for some years being adopted by the U.S.