Fascinating! Hate to complain, but could you please redo the series with the lights turned on? 

I'm guessing one of two things:

(1) Prototype - wonder if it differs in any way from the "production" version? Do you have a clip?
(2) Old assembly of one picked up off the floor by an SA worker?

Certainly isn't one of the trial pieces from the 288xxx period.

Again - fascinating - thanks for sharing!

Questions:

1. Can these things be reproduced today?

2. How difficult to install on one of the plentiful altered Krags?

3. Could these be modified to use the British .303 chargers?

In reviewing photos of the Parkhurst - Warren device in "The Krag Rifle Story", page 79, it appears Mallory and Olson used a photo of the Model 1892 'test rifle', as well as, two photos of a Model 1898 action bearing the device.  Model 1892 rifle #4070 was the Ordnance Dept. test rifle and was in the Smithsonian Institution, when Mallory Published (1979).
  d rail's photos of his device show a strong resemblance to the device on the Model 1892 in the photograph used by Mallory.  (IMHO)

That's a big improvement! I've never seen one up close, but I believe the guide lip - which is slightly different than the normal one - is the riveted part being referred to. Had forgotten about 4070, wonder if there was another prototype somewhere in the process?

d rail:  Actually, allowing for the difference in camera angle, the Parkhurst device pictured in Poyer's book looks very similar to your 3rd picture.  (BTW - S & S Firearms, in their 2012 catalog, had a Parkhurst clip for sale at $150)!
  You have a rare item that most of us have never had an opportunity to study.  My 'unsubstantiated hunch' is that in 1900, when the Parkhurst/Warren device was being manufactured for trial, over 1/3 of the U.S. Krags in Service were still pre-Model 1898.  I would be real surprised, if it did not occur to someone at Springfield, to try the device on a Model 1896 Krag.  (Just my opinion and hunch).  Personally, I would leave your Krag as it is;  no point in corrupting evidence.

d rail wrote on Mar 6^th, 2014 at 5:11pm:


All Krags have guide lips - I think those for the Parkhurst device are supposed to be "different" ( a little squarer at the tip, IIRC). I have never heard that the clip-guide block itself was anything but screwed on, and, IIRC, at least some sources state the screw is LHT. I'm nearly positive that any riveting involved was on the little lip piece. 288-289xxx is the correct range for the real ones. Even though this recently discovered example was done LONG ago, and quite possibly at SA, I'm not we should automatically assume that the installation is 100% typical of the trial arms. Still fascinating, though.

d rail:  It would be interesting to see a picture of your Krag's stock, if it still is an original.  The workmanship of the inletting for the device would give some clue if it was Springfield Armory work.