butlersrangers
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Krag Enthusiast!
Posts: 6330 Location: Michigan Bi-Peninsular&Proud Joined: Oct 7 th, 2009
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Re: 1901(I think) Springer Model 1895, sporterized.
Reply #6 - Jun 28th, 2015 at 5:28pm
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'luvmy40': Your U.S. Model 1898 (Krag-Jorgensen) rifle, #294378, was probably made around December, 1900.
The Krag receivers were numbered and went into parts bins, before being assembled into complete rifles. The Krag was not manufactured, inspected & accepted for service ('Stock Cartouche' date), or issued to troops in numerical order. Dating can only be approximate and some receivers probably stayed in the 'bottom of a bin' for a while. (Also, many Krags were later 'up-dated, rebuilt or refurbished').
It would be likely your receiver originally went into a rifle inspected, accepted and 'cartouched' in late 1900 or early1901.
All Krag models (rifles and carbines) have the same rear sight screw-hole spacing and position in relation to the receiver. All Krag barrels have the same diameter at that point. (In a nutshell, any Krag rear sight model can fit any Krag barrel).
According to Franklin Mallory, "The Krag Rifle Story", 2nd ed., page 129: The Model 1901 rifle sight "...was fitted to Model 1898 service rifles after August, 1901. ..... It was installed on all Krag rifles issued to Regular Army troops after 1903, and was retrofitted to Model 1896 and earlier Model 1898 service rifles." (Your model 1901 sight is OK on your rifle. The Model 1896 and Model 1902 rear sights are also possible. Each of these sight models has a different hand-guard).
The issue front sight blade (removed from its base) on the model 1898 Krag rifle measures .410". It is possible your sight-blade has been filed down. (This would make your rifle shoot high).
(photos of front blade and KCA photo of different hand-guards).
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