Midwestman- Welcome back to the KCA. You appear to have done real well in acquiring an authentic M1896 Krag carbine. It sure appears well "weathered" but that just adds to the wonderful history that your carbine has. We all wish our rifles and carbines could talk to tell us what they have been through.

The metal has almost been totally stripped of any bluing or case hardening. There is a good bit of pitting throughout and lots of honest wear on the stock and metal parts. The saddle ring looks to be an original feature of this carbine being an earlier 1896 creation. Later ones were restocked without the saddle ring. The replacement one that is somewhat rust pitted fits well with the rest of the patina of your carbine.

The rear sight appears to be authentic. The slide is properly stamped with the "c" as is the right side. The right side "c" actually looks somewhat high on the side but I'd have to see it with the hand guard removed to evaluate it further. I have lightened your one picture to show the stamping of the slide better. The front sight blade can easily be replaced.

I'm not an expert on the added peep sights that yours has but is it drilled to attach or is it fitted into the cut off lever slot? If so, it can be fixed easily without damage to the receiver. Drilled receivers significantly lower collector value.

Even though your carbine is in rough shape, it is still desirable and a great addition to your growing Krag collection!

More will come about the details of your Krag. I don't have my references to check more about your serial number's history. We all try to work together to answer questions and make corrections to anything we may report incorrectly. Great to have different eyes check it out.

Also, how is the bore? That can be important in how it may shoot.

Thanks.

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