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General >> Ammunition, reloading, shooting, etc >> 1898 shooting way high
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Message started by Shaun on Sep 1st, 2019 at 1:48pm

Title: 1898 shooting way high
Post by Shaun on Sep 1st, 2019 at 1:48pm
I took my old 1898 out of the gun safe and started shooting it yesterday, something I haven’t done in over 20 plus years. I noticed she is shooting way high as in 4 feet at 400 yards. I know it has always shot way high as long as i have owned it but never had the chance to go long distance until yesterday and can’t seem to figure out what’s going on. It has the original rear site but it las what looks like a front site that was added when the weapon was shorted some time in the past long before I was around. It also has a pacific peep. I have tried about every site picture I can come up with and have bore sited the weapon on a bench and when I look thru the barrel with the peep and front site on target at 400 yards it’s looking at sky. What and I doing wrong because I can’t make the front post taller and can’t make the rear site lower. But this gun had to shoot with accuracy at some point in its past. Thanks in advance for your thoughts

Title: Re: 1898 shooting way high
Post by madsenshooter on Sep 1st, 2019 at 2:38pm
Your Pacific sight probably gives you a higher line of sight than any of the standard sights.  I'm afraid the only choice you have is to install a taller blade.  They're not hard to make, I've even made a few that are .070" wide to make them easier for my old eyes to see.  Your aftermarket front sight might be the wrong height for either the standard sight or the Pacific.  Some have changeable blades, some don't.  Here's the way to figure out what you need.

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Title: Re: 1898 shooting way high
Post by Local Boy on Sep 1st, 2019 at 3:03pm
S & S Firearms sells a tall replacement sight that you could possibly modify to meet your needs:

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BTW: A seller on ebay sells wide sights if ever you should need one:

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Title: Re: 1898 shooting way high
Post by butlersrangers on Sep 1st, 2019 at 3:12pm
A close-up picture of your front-sight would beget further suggestions.

You do need a higher front sight.

Title: Re: 1898 shooting way high
Post by madsenshooter on Sep 1st, 2019 at 3:31pm
Yea it would be good to know what it is.  Thanks for that wider front blade link BR, his looks a little neater than mine, which are made with a file.  CMP rules allow increased thickness and height, but they're supposed to be the same profile as an original.  I'd have to file it some more if I bought one, so I'll stick with my own.

Title: Re: 1898 shooting way high
Post by butlersrangers on Sep 1st, 2019 at 4:53pm
'Local Boy' generously supplied the 'links', I cannot claim credit.

Title: Re: 1898 shooting way high
Post by Shaun on Sep 1st, 2019 at 6:01pm
Here is the front site post
51AAAA42-EA91-4A4A-9E00-6B6729A8D507.jpeg ( 520 KB | 8 Downloads )

Title: Re: 1898 shooting way high
Post by Shaun on Sep 1st, 2019 at 6:02pm
Front view of site post
9A3FC3B5-E43C-4627-A68E-D0400AF5F63C.jpeg ( 278 KB | 1 Download )

Title: Re: 1898 shooting way high
Post by Shaun on Sep 1st, 2019 at 6:14pm
Model serial number
0ED006C7-BAB2-47DE-9FD7-BD70FD1EB973.jpeg ( 568 KB | 1 Download )

Title: Re: 1898 shooting way high
Post by butlersrangers on Sep 2nd, 2019 at 3:12am
'Shaun' - BTW, welcome to the KCA Forum!

Your 'banded' front-sight base appears to be for the 1903 Springfield. There is an 'upper base' and pinned blade that fits into this 'banded lower-base'.
I believe, if you put a regular 1903 upper base and blade in your base, it will give you a lot more front-sight height. (The lock-screw in your base is a crude replacement).

Your serial number, 119861, if I read it correctly, is documented in SRS data (Springfield Research Services):

119861 - Model 1898 rifle, issued in 1899, to Co. D, 3rd Kentucky Vol. Infantry.

Attached is a picture of a Krag with the Springfield 1903 front-sight fitted with a commercial blade.
Krag_load_170_front_sight_001.jpg ( 135 KB | 1 Download )

Title: Re: 1898 shooting way high
Post by Shaun on Sep 2nd, 2019 at 5:05am
Thank you for your help I went ahead and ordered the front site post like what you have on yours. Also thanks for the history on my rifle that is so awesome that the information is still available.

Title: Re: 1898 shooting way high
Post by butlersrangers on Sep 2nd, 2019 at 5:46am
Only a small percentage of Krags are documented in SRS data, (IIRC - about 4 percent). These were Krags, found mentioned by serial number, in official documents.

A 1903 front-sight with a G.I. Blade should be slightly taller than the sight in my first picture.

FWIW - I have a Krag with a serial number 117 digits lower than yours, but, it was built as a model 1898 carbine. There are lots of carbines around your serial number. However, your Krag is documented as a Rifle.

I have yet to own a Krag that appears in the SRS data.  :'(


detail-6.jpg ( 31 KB | 0 Downloads )

Title: Re: 1898 shooting way high
Post by olderthansome on Sep 2nd, 2019 at 3:44pm
I have 129638 - also issued to Co D, 3rd Kentucky in 1899.

Title: Re: 1898 shooting way high
Post by Whig on Sep 2nd, 2019 at 4:59pm
That's really neat to find two rifles that shared battle together 120 years ago!

Title: Re: 1898 shooting way high
Post by Rcat7147 on Sep 3rd, 2019 at 10:13am

Whig wrote on Sep 2nd, 2019 at 4:59pm:
That's really neat to find two rifles that shared battle together 120 years ago!


And I have 118749, also issued to Company D of the 3rd Kentucky Volunteers!  Three of them all on one forum...that’s crazy!

Title: Re: 1898 shooting way high
Post by Knute1 on Sep 4th, 2019 at 10:36pm
Shaun, I have a 1903 banded front sight on my sporter as BR discussed. The original set-up as I received the gun was pretty beat up. So I bought a new band and little accessories along with a brass beaded blade from Numrich Gun Parts. You can also get a white beaded blade, which it appears you have right now. Makes it easier with the bead, of course.

Title: Re: 1898 shooting way high
Post by Shaun on Sep 5th, 2019 at 2:52am
That is so cool that it is a documented Krag and I would probably have never known if the front site wasn’t wrong on it. I found a front site and ordered it so when it comes in I will get it put on and will post new pictures.

Title: Re: 1898 shooting way high
Post by waterman on Oct 23rd, 2019 at 8:05pm
I would note that many workable higher front sights are often marked "in God we trust".  You can get the basic material for a dime.

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