A friend recently bought a collection containing a Krag carbine. Knowing Krags but not being experts by any means we're looking for some help.  First off the gun is in good/excellent condition.  It has what looks to be a stock of the right type/length for a carbine but looks as though it may have been sanded and refinished at one point making us think it is probably a replacement.  In addition, there are no cartouches/stamps on the stock and about 2" forward of the buttplate on the  underside it has a section measuring about 1/2" x 2" that looks like it was chiseled out and filled.  We think this may have been where a sling swivel once was but there's no corresponding evidence of a swivel ever being on the forearm section of the stock, so not sure why the rear stock was filled like that.  With that said, the collection also included a Krag carbine stock that looks to be an original, possibly the one that was originally matched with this gun. 

The barrel band is of the correct type.

The barrel is of the right length (22") and the crown does not show any evidence of ever having been cut down. 

The front sight is not an 03 sight, and is set into the barrel as a I believe a carbine sight should be. 

The rear sight is a carbine sight, properly stamped on the right, rear side with the correct "C".

With all of that said, with the exception of the stock you would think this is a bona fide carbine... until you take the receiver into consideration.  The receiver is an 1898 manufacture with a serial number OUTSIDE the carbine range.  The serial number is 412,xxx

So, with all of that said we're wondering what we have on our hands here and what it may be worth.  We not under the illusion that we have a genuine '98 carbine but what we have doesn't add up. I was going to wait to post this until I had pictures to share, but I can post those later on to give you all a better look.

Any help you can provide would be appreciated!  Thank you in advance