Hello!
I am new to this forum and figured I would ask you guys some questions since you have more experience with Krags than I do. I am not sure what these markings mean. I know The P is a proof mark but everything else I am unsure of. I will post more pictures of the rifle also.

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Here are more pictures

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I can’t find anything online about the markings except for the initials and there should be a date under them for the year the rifle was made (1899).

Barrel- Welcome to the Krag Collector's Association. You have found a friendly place to learn about Krags and anything else we might pretend to know about!

You have a very nice looking Model 1898 Krag rifle there. Thanks for the good pictures you posted. It looks like your rifle has its full length military stock that may or may not be original to this rifle but is correct for this Krag. It has been refinished at some point and the "cartouche" on the left side below the receiver has been worn away with the refinishing. It is a stamping of the date of approval of the rifle it was made for originally with the initials JSA which stand for the assistant armory foreman of that time John Sumner Adams. Many Krag stocks have this totally missing so you have a remnant of it at least. It's hard to read the original date from the picture you posted.

The Model 1898 serial number 200920, if I'm reading it correctly, was possibly made in late 1899, but I don't have the exact dates. Other posters may give a better estimate than me.

These rifles were made at Springfield Armory, as marked on the receiver. The "P" is a proof marking. The other marks I am unfamiliar with and have been debated here before. Some may represent simply production marks.

You have a Model 1901 rear sight which may have been original for your rifle also. The front sight looks correct. The barrel bands look correct. Is there anything in the butt trap under the metal cover? This is where the three piece cleaning rods and oiler are stored.

You may have an original sling on your rifle. That's a great thing because that adds about $100 to the value and it makes it much more appropriate for a military collectible to have a period sling. I can't see it all but it looks good.

The rifle takes 30-40 Krag ammunition which is still available but a little pricey. Many of us shoot factory loads and keep the brass to reload. Reloading is a great hobby with shooting and collecting the Krags.

Thanks for sharing!!

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Sorry for the blurry picture. The serial number is 200999. There was nothing in the stock. Tomorrow I can take a better full length picture of the rifle and sling. How would I be able to tell if it’s an original sling?

These might be better quality pictures of the markings.

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Just take pictures of the sling and get an approximate length. We can make a guess with good pictures. The additional markings you are asking about are essentially irrelevant with regard to the general history and verification of the correctness of your Krag. There have been discussions about the markings, comparisons of many of them but few conclusions.

Others may add to this discussion but the main points I've discussed are most of what's important.

Forgot to ask about the condition of the bore. Very important in determining a good overall value. Krags with poor bores can be excellent shooters but most of us would like to have one with a good, mostly unpitted, bore.

'BarrelBaggins' - Welcome to the KCA Forum ... Nice looking Krag!

Your Krag, #200999, was originally assembled around May, 1899.

It is likely your Krag was refurbished at some point of time at Springfield Armory or at a U.S. Arsenal.

Stocks were skillfully scraped to remove minor blemishes and Linseed Oil applied. This might explain faintness of the markings.

When taken apart to restore appearance of serviceable parts, Krags were reassembled from a mixture of good parts, not likely the same parts they first wore.

As 'Whig' reported, the initials in the "Acceptance Cartouche" are J.S.A. in a fancy script; this actually stands for Joseph Sumner Adams.

The mark in front of your trigger-guard appears to be an 'eagle head' with letters under it, which I think is likely an inspection stamp from the WW1 period.

Attached is your photo, a similar mark on an Eddystone Model of 1917 rifle (Enfield), and a similar mark over 'JG' on another Krag.

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So does that mean there’s a possibility that it was refurbished during WW1?

You don't see that 'Eagle Stamp' very often on Krags and I don't believe its significance is exactly known.

(It or a variation is found often on Model 1917 rifles, both wood and receiver. It is considered an inspection & proof stamp).

Your rifle was likely - inspected and repaired as needed - sometime between 1904 and 1917, (maybe multiple times).

Krags were in use by some regular troops until around 1907-08. The national guard used them until around 1913-14.

During WW1, Krags were widely used as training rifles.

The US Navy had Krags on some ships maybe into WW2.

Krags were seeing some VFW use into the 1960's.

Welcome to the forum, and to the wonderful world of Krags!  I must warn you... Krags are very addicting!

You appear to have a very nice Krag there.  I can't add anything more than Whig or Butlersrangers have already told you.  As for the sling, there are several that would be correct.  The later Trapdoor sling would have been originally used.  However, the 1907 sling is also correct, as they were used after the sling's adoption.  If you intend on shooting it in Vintage Rifle Matches, such as the Roosevelt Commemorative Match at Camp Perry, then the 1907 is the best choice for position shooting.  However, I would recommend that you get a new sling from Turner Saddlery, or one of the other manufacturers.  Using an original can result in damage to the sling from the stress (I know... I did this and ruined one).  Also, although not period correct, the M1 web sling used on the Garand is also acceptable for match shooting (my son prefers this sling, while I use a Turner 50" 1907 reproduction).

Enjoy the Krag and happy shooting!

Paul, were original period Krag slings 64 inches in length? I have some slings I got on my Krags but don't know much about original ones and subsequent issued slings. If you are using your 50 inch sling for competition, are you wrapping it around your left fore arm? I would think 50 inches would be too short for that.

Thanks for the correction about JSA. Shows what a quick answer when there are distractions at the office will do!

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Here are the best I could do pictures of the bore

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Here are pictures of the sling. The sling is 70in long.

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Here’s a picture of the whole rifle both sides. Also an admin number that came on the rifle. The other picture is of one of the barrel bands with a U mark.

The rifle barrel measures out at 30in and the whole rifle itself approx 49in.

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'Baggins' - How long is your Sling? It is an original for the Trapdoor or Krag.

Strangely, these slings were used as Carry-Straps, rather than a Shooting Aid.

Slings intended for the Krag seem to run 64 1/2" to 66 1/2 ". Some were made from two Civil War sling-sections sewn together.

In the early 1900's shorter versions appear for the Krag and 'Rod Bayonet 1903 Springfield'.

Your Krag's bore looks typical. That early ammo was hard on them. Some still shoot very well!

IMHO - The 'Tack', with #33, is probably a collector, National Guard, Police, or VFW "ID" Tag.

FWIW - A couple of photos showing how a period Sling goes on a 'Trapdoor' and a Krag. If the Sling is too long, it cannot be 'tensioned' on the Krag. The Sling in the photos is 72 inches long.

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The sling is 70in long

Your #33 Tag doesn't add to or detract from the overall value of your Krag.

But, I like it! It adds to its intriguing history.

I would place a value of $1000 on your Krag plus around $100 for the sling. I would pay a little more for a Krag rifle like yours with a better bore but many of the ones I have are pitted like yours. They still shoot well since, as your pictures show, the rifling is strong.

Butlers gives some good info about the sling. You have a really nice condition one. I use a leather conditioner called Sno-Seal on my slings and holsters to protect and hydrate the old leather. It has beeswax and gives it more life when they have had 100+ years of drying out. Yours doesn't look too bad but there are some cracks and it looks a bit dry.

I use Howard's Feed & Wax for my stocks to give a little more hydration and conditioning. It also has beeswax and works nicely. Your wood has some cracking around the metal parts and could use a little conditioning but it is not as dry and cracked as I have seen on others. If the stock is real dirty and dry, I'll give it a few good rub downs with Boiled Linseed Oil. Yours is not dirty, though.

So, now you need ammo and a place to shoot. If you are not comfortable with checking the chamber and bolt out, you might have someone else do that to make sure it is fire-worthy. The 30-40 Krag is rarely dangerous to shoot but it should be examined.

'B B' - The "U" on the barrel-band is an assembly aid.

(Barrel-Bands have a taper on the interior).

On U.S. arms, the "U" is on the right-side, with the open-end of the letter pointing toward the muzzle.

The 'Eagle Head' has been around for a while on U.S. Arms, but, it is unusual on a Krag Stock.

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I have seen that eagle's head, and variations of it, on many pistols before like in Butler's post. Never seen it on a Krag. Interesting. Later arsenal rebuild or inspection?

Whig wrote on Jul 4^th, 2019 at 6:31pm:

Your #33 Tag doesn't add to or detract from the overall value of your Krag. But, I like it! It adds to its intriguing history. I would place a value of $1000 on your Krag plus around $100 for the sling. I would pay a little more for a Krag rifle like yours with a better bore but many of the ones I have are pitted like yours. They still shoot well since, as your pictures show, the rifling is strong. Butlers gives some good info about the sling. You have a really nice condition one. I use a leather conditioner called Sno-Seal on my slings and holsters to protect and hydrate the old leather. It has beeswax and gives it more life when they have had 100+ years of drying out. Yours doesn't look too bad but there are some cracks and it looks a bit dry. I use Howard's Feed & Wax for my stocks to give a little more hydration and conditioning. It also has beeswax and works nicely. Your wood has some cracking around the metal parts and could use a little conditioning but it is not as dry and cracked as I have seen on others. If the stock is real dirty and dry, I'll give it a few good rub downs with Boiled Linseed Oil. Yours is not dirty, though. So, now you need ammo and a place to shoot. If you are not comfortable with checking the chamber and bolt out, you might have someone else do that to make sure it is fire-worthy. The 30-40 Krag is rarely dangerous to shoot but it should be examined.

I had already headspaced it and it checked out. Bolt is in great condition. I had shot 5 rounds with about 1 MOA. The rifle worked flawlessly.

I don’t know what the “O” or “0” marking on the bolt handle means though.

Excellent results!

The bolt handle marking is most likely some sort of production number that has no known significance. This has been researched, debated and discussed at length in previous posts you can search for if interested.

Keep shooting!

Whig wrote on Jul 4^th, 2019 at 6:37pm:

I have seen that eagle's head, and variations of it, on many pistols before like in Butler's post. Never seen it on a Krag. Interesting. Later arsenal rebuild or inspection?

That’s what I’m wondering is if it was rebuilt/inspected during WW1 because of that eagle marking. I’m very happy I found this rifle.

Krags have been around for so long with official military and private use that each rifle has a unique history. If each could talk! There are so many different variations, changes, markings, alterations that each is truly unique. I can't explain many of the changes or markings on some of my Krags.

I think the Krags have the most interesting histories of any military firearm. That's why I'm addicted!

BarrelBaggins wrote on Jul 4^th, 2019 at 7:42pm:

Whig wrote on Jul 4th, 2019 at 6:37pm: I have seen that eagle's head, and variations of it, on many pistols before like in Butler's post. Never seen it on a Krag. Interesting. Later arsenal rebuild or inspection? That’s what I’m wondering is if it was rebuilt/inspected during WW1 because of that eagle marking. I’m very happy I found this rifle.

I also have several of those stamps on an M1917.  Very interesting to see it on a Krag.  Thanks for sharing.

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Whig wrote on Jul 4^th, 2019 at 4:05pm:

Paul, were original period Krag slings 64 inches in length? I have some slings I got on my Krags but don't know much about original ones and subsequent issued slings. If you are using your 50 inch sling for competition, are you wrapping it around your left fore arm? I would think 50 inches would be too short for that.

Whig, I believe, as Butlersrangers said, the 64 inch single strap sling used on the early Krags were designed for carry purposes only.  The 1907 sling is actually comprised of two segments, and uses two hooks.  The short strap threads through the butt stock swivel and attaches to the long strap.  The long strap is usually 48 inches, but for shooting can be longer to accomodate different shooters (mine are 50 inches).   

For shooting from Prone, the short strap hook is removed from the long strap and either removed from the swivel, or hooked near the swivel.  Then, the keepers are used to cinch the long strap around the upper arm and the hook is used to adjust the tension.

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Thanks, Paul. i've seen it done in some videos but I've never tried it myself.

One of these days...

I was just thinking about the “2” mark on the stock above the P. Maybe the 2 was stamped above the original proof mark with the eagle stamp after it was rebuilt and proofed again.

Until the early 1900's U.S. Shooters seem to have used the Trapdoor Sling and Krag Sling as a 'Shooting Aid' only in the Back Position.

The left foot and sling were used to steady the rifle in this peculiar position, for long range shooting.

First photo shows traditional prone position with no Sling support.

In the early 1900's, Townsend Whelen proposed the training and use of the Sling, around the Left Upper-Arm, as we continue to use it today.

2nd photo shows novel arrangement used to make the 66 1/2" Krag Sling serve as a Shooting Sling. (Note slings attached to 'stacking-swivel' by the U.S. Infantry Team in the 1903 'National Matches' at Sea Girt, N.J.).

In Third photo, I have attached a 66" sling to my Krag to show attachment.

4th photo shows N.J. shooter in 1904 using 66" sling attached to 'stacking-swivel'.

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The link below is to one of my favorite Krag youtube videos. I'm always amazed at the speed these Norwegians shoot their Krags. They reload with speed loaders and pull the trigger with their middle fingers so the thumb and index finger stay positioned to work the bolt at lightning speed.

At 2:36, one fellow shows how he threads his arm in his sling to support the rifle in the prone position. Just what you guys are describing for us.

Watch and be amazed:

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The '2' behind the krag trigger-guard is probably a Stocker or Sub-Inspector's stamp. Most Krags will have initials or a number in this spot.

Graphic - Peters 1901 - (non-sling use)

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Awesome. Thanks a lot for all the input guys, I learned a lot about Krags! Must more to learn.