As common, when trying to find one thing you stumble into another. I came across this manual that had specific dates of updates to models 1896 and 1898 magazine rifles and carbines. Below is the link for this manual, which can be downloaded as a pdf file.

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Below is a page from this book. I indicated the item showing when bluing of bayonets end, 4/1/1895. There are dates of other changes on pages following in this manual.

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Knute: Interesting reference, but, the link does not seem to work.

Thanks 'Knute1' for posting about Google Books and being able to view online the "Ordnance Supply Manual - 1904". There is some very interesting content and it's definitely worth a LOOK!

I am posting 12 pages from the manual which are pretty handy and concise about U.S. Krag changes.

Handy for review and printing for future reference:

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more pages:

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... and 4 more:

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On page 586 of this manual, it is written about the Model 1892:

U.S. Magazine Rifles, caliber .30, model 1892, are no longer issued to the service. They have been replaced by models 1896 and 1898, the model 1892 rifle being converted to model 1896. It may  be recognized by the stamp marks on the receiver, which are either "model 1892", "1894", or "1895," and by having the long ramrod and solid buttplate.


In a different thread we were trying to figure out what to call the model 1892's that were upgraded with 1896 features (92/96?). This paragraph stating "being converted to model 1896" makes it look like the Department of Ordnance was calling them model 1896's and did not have any unmodified model 1892's. But that last sentence of that paragraph has me baffled. Or are they still called model 1892's and "are no longer issued to the service" no matter the configuration?

I really don't want to go 'round and round' on these rifles. I don't even own one.

I am OK with calling such 'converted' Krag rifles "model 1896 rifles" or "model 1892/updated to model 1896". (It helps me understand their evolution and what people actually have).

(BTW - The 1904 - "Ordnance Supply Manual" seems, at times, to call all U.S. Krag models: "magazine rifle .30 caliber or magazine carbine .30 caliber").

If someone wants to call a model 1892 Krag rifle, that has undergone some significant improvements, but, not all the model 1896 changes, a "magazine rifle", I don't care. (It is helpful if the updates it does have are listed).

The attached post card/photo shows some updated, slender wrist, Krag rifles being used in WW1 Training. It is likely, they were just regarded as model 1896 rifles.

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I visited my son at Fort Lee some years back. What are the men doing in front of the rifles?

Knute1 wrote on May 19^th, 2018 at 5:07am:

I visited my son at Fort Lee some years back. What are the men doing in front of the rifles?

LOL Targets... either scoring 'em, or BEING 'em!

This is an old Aiming Drill used to teach recruits proper & consistent Sight Picture, prior to Live Firing.

The men at the wall (scorers) are moving a 'Bulls-Eye' over a blank piece of paper, tacked to the wall.

The "shooters", men behind the stationary rifles, call out when the sights are aligned with the moving Bull.

The "scorer" stops the Bull and marks the paper with a pencil 'dot', through the center of the Bull, when so ordered by the "shooter".

This is repeated multiple times.

A close grouping of pencil dots indicates the "shooter" has a consistent sight picture.

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I recall doing that in Jr. Rifle club back in '58 or 59'.