"Andylit" - Welcome to the KCA Forum (which houses a big range of 'gun guys' with varying interests):

There are strict collectors, heirs to the family heirloom, competitive shooters, shooter/hunters, 'gun tinkers', re-loaders, 'Cast bullet' enthusiasts, shooter-collectors, historians and living-history types. We are united by an interest in the Krag-Jorgensen.

You are being well advised. Doing lots of study, before spending, is wise, rewarding, and adds to the fun.

You ultimately need to define what is going to satisfy you and how you invest your money.

FWIW: Many of us started out with a "cut-down" Krag, that had been someone's 'Deer Rifle'. These can be had for around $300, which is 'parts value' on a nice specimen.

Krags are notorious for having poor bores. Often, 'Cut-Down' rifles seem to have very good bores and make fine 'Shooters'.

I look for near mint bore, nice muzzle crown, good wood (no cracks or gross re-shaping), no extra holes in receiver, original rear-sight, or a 'no-drill' Redfield or Pacific after-market 'peep' sight.

An altered Krag can be a bad investment. 'Cut-downs' are hard to re-sell. They are often over priced and possessed by charlatans, who try to pass them off as rarities. Many 'newbies' get burned.

Buying a Krag is a very subjective process. Many are bought on impulse and without knowledge. It is easy to pay too much and many Krags are not 'correct'.

I try to make things more objective by looking at the value of the parts and the 'cut-down' Krag's potential for restoration.

A nice looking Krag 'cut-down', with good parts, that shoots well, at $300, is a beautiful thing to me (and lots of fun)!

Here are a couple, I've cobbled together and enjoy shooting. It's all been fun!

(p.s. I like to 'Tinker', re-load, shoot, hunt for parts and dabble in history).

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