Finding the correct hand guard will not be futile, just expensive.

There are a few well known idiots on ebay and Gun Broker who buy up perfectly good Krags and tear them a part and sell the parts for much more than they bought the Krag for. The various hand guards are available for this reason but often for $150 and up.

We don't support the fruitless disassembly of good Krag rifles and carbines for profit in this manner. Parts can be made available from damaged or even low value sporterized Krags that have no military collector's value.

A reproduction can be made to look very close to the original with some work on your part. A repro will not affect shootability. Good luck and keep us informed.