Hi all,

I'm cross posting this so I apologize if you've seen it on another forum.  I'd just really like to get to the bottom of this mystery!

The work is really top notch but unfortunately, it's not named anywhere.
Sedgley and Stoeger as well as Griffin and Howe come to mind as custom Krag-smiths, so I scoured the web for some pictures of Krags refurbished by them.

By importing these images in AutoCad, I was able to "trace" the stock, scale it, and overlay it to my stock.

In this imgur album, I've included pictures of this Krag as well as my overlays.

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Some additional detail shots of this Krag:   (You need to Login

I see no markings anywhere (even under the buttplate) to indicate who did the work. Note the brass plate under the trigger guard. That's taking up the slack in the trigger. Clever!

Anyone have any thoughts on this? I can get more pictures of course.
Thanks for any leads on this!

On the brass plate is it thin enough to conform to the angles on the Krag trigger guard. Maybe for the sporter stock the angles were removed and the trigger guard straitened? If very accurately placed the brass strip could take out the side to side play. If it takes out too much of the trigger travel it could leave it with dangerously little sear engagement. On a well made custom sporter that should not be an issue. I would double check the engagement just to be sure that it is still good and not monkeyed with in the almost century since it was built.

Over all it has a very nice professional look to it.

Fred,

It does take out some side to side play as well.  The trigger rest firmly against it.  In other words, you must pull the trigger for the brass plate to settle into its space.

I'll take a look at the sear engagement.  That's a good thought.
I bought this beauty over a year ago.  I'm ashamed to say I still haven't found time to shoot it!

The brass plate seems to function in a manner similar to a device pictured by Dr. Hudson in his book, "Modern Rifle Shooting".

I suppose the 'two-stage' military-trigger was unfamiliar and unpleasant to a lot of shooters, during the late 1890's and early 1900's.

In that era, the initial (take-up) stage was called "drag". These devices hold back the trigger so it is at the 2nd stage.

(I grew up with two-stage triggers and like them. So this is a non-problem).

I did notice, the other day, when some Krag actions are out of the stock & trigger-guard, the trigger (when pulled) may move sideways and the sear will hang-up on the bottom of its receiver opening.
The Krag trigger-guard serves to keep the trigger mechanism centered.

Attached photos: Dr. Hudson's trigger modification and an interesting 'set-trigger' fitted to a Krag. (I don't remember where I got the 'set-trigger' photo).

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