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Message started by Knute1 on Jun 19th, 2019 at 1:42am

Title: Re: Krag Rifle Issued To 12th Engineers In WWI
Post by Knute1 on Aug 7th, 2019 at 4:38am
Reports on this subject are proving hard to find. The 1903 Chief of Ordnance Report only mentions that several rifle trials took place, but concentrated on the early 1903 Springfield design.

Here is another writing from the Plattsburgh Barracks that discussed trials being performed, but only talks of the early 1903  Springfield design and shooting similar loads in the Krag. It comes from the 1903 January issue of "Recreation".  I'll still be looking and trying different word searches.

GOVERNMENT EXPERIMENTS
The crack shots of the 23d infantry have just returned from Sea Girt with a store of information on rifles and ammunition. A number of experiments were made there by the Government. The new Springfield rifle was tested and found the most powerful military arm on earth. The new cartridge contains about 44 grains of smokeless powder and a 220 grain bullet. Its muzzle velocity is about 2,250 feet. The shell is a little over 2-1/2 inches long and much heavier than the old shell. It has a grooved head like the Mauser shell. Several Krag Jorgensen rifles were chambered for testing this cartridge but the gun action was too weak for such a powerful load. Breech bolts were broken so often that it was unsafe to experiment with the old army rifle.  A so called rifle without rifling was also tested and gave good results. If the new cartridge is ever taken up by sportsmen, gunmakers will have to design a new rifle. I am sure none of the old model rifles could handle this load.
A. J. Hubbard, Color Sergt. 23d Inf., Plattsburgh Barracks N.Y.

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