I think that I found a good one at the Md Military Show this weekend. It’s a Krag 1896 rifle #83470. No cracks anywhere, no rust except for a couple of spots under the bbl that cleaned up with bronze wool. The metal is a nice blue but there is molasses consistency oil on the action, rear sight and bolt inside and out. I couldn’t hardly work the bolt it was so gummy. The wood is dark but in just carrying it around the show the nice red finish had started coming through where I was carrying it. The bore cleaned up great. Whatever that stuff is on the stock is being difficult and while i can wipe it away the stock still feels sticky. Anybody have an idea on what will clean it up. Photos tomorrow.
BTW, I hadn’t been to the Md show in recent years due to my wife’s poor health but have been to it several times in the past, it was very nice. Long line to get in but the aisles were wide and the fairgrounds building big enough to hold all the folks. No handguns allowed that were made after 1898. But any vintage military long guns were ok. There were alot of civil war and ml items. Lots of Krags, ‘03s, 03-a3s, garands and a couple of Johnson rifles. I also saw a .45 Savage pistol [thats a big pistol], a .45 luger, a take down Marlin rifle with an extra barrel, several displays of miniature firearms. Lots of swords, bayonets and knives. I highly recommend the show. I wore my Span Am outfit and received a bunch of complements on it. And in case you’re wondering, my ‘find’ was only $650.00, the ugliest but least expensive Krag that I saw.

Sounds like a very good find and a wonderful show!

I wasted $7.00 today on admission to a local Florida gun show. I would have seen better guns, accessories, ammo, and prices, if I had gone to the "Rural King" store, a mile away!

I'm looking forward to pictures of your new model 1896.

Wiping the wood with soft cotton rags, wet with mineral spirits or turpentine, should cut the old dried grease. Wipe down with paper towels between coats. Finish wood cleanup with a 50/50 mixture of turpentine & linseed oil.

Wow, sounds like a nice show.  Our local shows are more inline with what Chuck wasted $7 on.
Vic

My dad used to take us to the Baltimore Armory shows when we were kids. They were gun, knife and coin shows. I was more interested in coins when I was young. Still love coins but old military firearms, especially Krags, are my pursuit now.

Maryland is a real "Nazi" state politically including firearms. It's a conundrum that they still have great gun shows!

Here’s the rear sight with the gunk still on it, the only part left to clean. It’s the Type 4 according to Poyer. Though I will admit that I didn’t remove the loading gate just the sideplate. I did completely disassemble the bolt and trigger for cleaning. The only bogus screws are for the stacking swivel, one of the sight screws and someone used a round head brass looking screw for the top buttplate screw. I think that I’ve got some spares. [the buttplate screw was legit but I had a nicer one to swap out]

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Nice finish on the sight! The 'gunk' looks like old cosmoline.

Here’s the gun loosely assembled for it’s debut. I cant get over how pristine the blue is for a 110 year old. An ugly duckling into a Krag rifle!

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Beautiful find!  I agree with Chuck on the cosmoline.  It looks and sounds like someone kept this one hidden away in a stored condition, and never fired it or loved it (or would that be loving it too much?).

I plan on gently loving it at the range.

Front sight-blade looks to be correct height for the 1896 rear-sight. Bolt is a correct 1896 bolt. Good looking rifle - Great Buy!

WOW Baltimoreed!... Super find!

Gun Broker sellers are asking more then double, what you paid, for rifles not near as nice as yours.

Great looking rifle and for a good price. Bluing is great. Like to see more pictures once you have the stock cleaned up. Congrats.

Fantastic looking. Congrats! I hope she shoots as well as mine does!

Thanks LocalBoy for the congrats but I only commented-  Baltimoreed deserves the congrats!

Is this bluing on your new Krag original or has it been reblued? I can't fully tell from the pictures. I know it looks great and a fantastic purchase that we would all be proud of!

I'm always skeptical of perfect bluing on any Krag. There aren't many that nice original left.

Enjoy shooting and caressing your new Krag!

rifle was likely re-blued/browned on re build at some point but certainly does not retract from the fact that it is a very nice Krag!!

FWIW - Many of the arsenal 'refurbished' model 1896 Krags seem to have model 1901 or 1902 rear-sights, higher .413" front-blade, and model 1898 bolts.

If arsenal rebuilt or 'refurbished', "Baltimoreed's" Krag was likely done before these 'improved' parts came into use. (... or when it no longer mattered)?

IMHO - He has a good SAW service specimen.

Has anyone checked #83470 against SRS data? (I'm not in position to, right now).

His model 1896 was likely (originally) built, between November, 1897 and January, 1898.

Not listed in 'Serial Numbers of Known U.S. Krags.'

Poyer's has it produced on December 1897.

Surprise! Removed the buttplate and found a 3 pc cleaning rod and an oiler! Neat. Here’s what the hardware looks like.

Did a quick search and the rods and oiler are worth about $50.00.

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The 1896 cartouche and proof with a V after more cleaning.

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Dang...I don't know...looks too good to be a refurb?

Maybe it was manufactured...stuck in a closet...and long forgotten?

or maybe it's a Chinese Norinco/Inland import copycat Krag. ::)

My theory is that- ‘as’ the gun had nasty cosmoline in the action, bolt, rear sight, etc, hard to reach places and residues on the dark stock, it had been something bought by the seller in an estate sale so he didn’t have much in it. With the big ‘only once a year’ Balt show coming up he or a helper wiped the worst off and he put it on his overflow table as opposed to his high dollar table. As gunked up as it was he priced it to sell along with 2 other krag rifles on the same table. They were 100 and 200 dollars more with no cosmo but had sanded stocks. The guy tending the table told me that they were priced low to sell and even knocked 45.00 off the price on the tag. Just my theory and I’m stickin to it. I don’t think that it’s been reanythinged. It was wrapped in cosmo until he wiped it down and I cleaned it some more. Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn once in awhile.

Reading Knutes recent posting of 'Too Many Krags-What To Do?'...

Gen. Crozier mentions to the Army Appropriations Committee that surplus Krags were being sold as, 'never used', for $6.00.

They were being sold for 'the promotion of target practice.'

So I think your theory is very plausible...just saying.

But whatever the circumstance...you still have a very, very nice Krag!

Two more things that I initially thought odd about my rifle until I checked my Poyer book, the bright blue extractor [ I’ll take a better pix tomorrow, it’s crazy blue] and the case hardened buttplate cap. Neat details for a military arm.

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Stock 'Acceptance Cartouche' date is 1896. Rifle's serial number indicates manufacture between November, 1897, and January, 1898.


This indicates 'Baltimoreed's" very nice Krag is not wearing its original stock.

Metal finishes and wood appearance are consistent with arsenal procedures specified to bring arms to acceptable condition for 're-issue'.

Most arms used in Cuba and Philippines during SAW would require being refurbished.

IMHO - This is all credible and good.

It may be worth noting here that the original finish on US Krag receivers and loading gates was not "blued" ("browned" in period terminology) but rather a mottled gray/black resulting from the oil quench after case-hardening. The more uniform blue-black finish seen in some photos on this thread is arguably the result of re-finishing, likely done at the arsenal sometime before being retired from active service. A good photo of the receiver's left side could help determine which finish is present.

"Baltimoreed's" - New Krag also has a 'slotted' front barrel-band/nose-cap. This was likely put on during the arsenal 'rebuild' process.

The original front band would have been 'un-slotted'.

It's always easy to be an armchair critic of beautiful pieces like this Krag we are examining with a fine-toothed comb. But, that cartouche stamp doesn't look authentic to me. It just seems to be too clean and deep. I would lean towards a re-stamping of some sort but not from SA.

But, I could be wrong.

Thanks again for giving us something to talk about. We all love nice Krags like yours.

Here’s some outside shots. Cleaned it with simple green and 1/2 turpentine and BLO. Needed a sling to complete the look. Next job will be to build some loads. It won’t chamber my Constabulary rifle loads which are neck sized only after firing in the PC rifle but it will chamber fl sized brass just fine.

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'Baltimoreed' - Boy, I'm glad the seller came down $45 on this wreck!  ;D

A truly fine looking Krag. I'm glad you were able to see past the heavy coat of cosmoline.

FWIW - I don't doubt the authenticity of your cartouche and script "P" stamps. Some 'J.S.A. cartouche' examples show rounded, rather than beveled, corners. There is a faint hint of a 'ghost cartouche' where the Die may have bounced after the cartouche was originally struck.

(The small "V" is a stocker or sub-inspector mark).

During the 'rebuild - process' stocks were scraped and lightly sanded to remove nicks and minor blemishes. That would explain any light areas of the J.S.A. initials.
(The box outline and circle outline may have been cleaned up and traced a bit, with a pick or metal brush).

Your forearm's 'finger grooves' look very crisp. The 'flame blue' of your extractor is correct.

BTW - The 'slotted' front-band was adopted in 1900. This might be a clue as to when your Krag was likely 'refreshed'.

I see the remnants of an older cartouche beneath the 1896 cartouche.  Slightly left and lower.  Nice original sling, lets me see the differences between it a repros.

'Madsenshooter' - What looks like an old 'cartouche' on Baltimoreed's stock was what I am referring to.

You may remember last year, Bob Lutz was selling some beautiful Krag stocks on ebay and I questioned their originality.

Bob's stocks had crisp cartouches, which had a similar 'ghost cartouches'. It was concluded, that when the cartouche was originally applied, the Die was allowed to bounce and made a light cartouche image, parallel to the real one.

I think that is what we are seeing on Baltimoreed's stock; (not a bogus re-stamp).

Could very well be.

You mind if I add your rifle to the KCA serial number database?