Hello all, thanks for your time!

I just inherited a Krag rifle and I was wondering if you all could help shed some light onto it's history and maybe identify it.  First and foremost, I am not knowledgeable at all with guns other than firing a few rifles and shotguns in my 20's (15 or so years ago) so please explain most things like I'm 10 (terminology, etc...).  I have posted a bunch of pictures but if you need more just let me know and I'll do my best.   

So as far as the known history of this piece, it was my wife's grandfathers that he purchased forever ago for hunting.  I know it's not much info but that's all I got.     The markings on the gun itself show 'U.S. Model 1898. Springfield Armory 403339'.  The gun looks to be all original with no replaced parts but I could be wrong.  It just looks evenly old all over.  I'm pretty sure it hasn't been fired in over 60 years and it looks like it may have some rust spots.  It's been in Florida for all of those 60 years. 

On the wood there is a stamp that looks like some cursive letters and then under that the date 1902.  There is a letter 'U' stamped onto a metal ring where the stock meets the barrel and underneath the stock just behind the trigger there is another stamp with some kind of squiggled symbol and a number '33'.  The gun from end to end measures 44" almost exactly.

So what do I have here?  I've read a little and there seems to be a difference in a rifle and carbine and it also looks like a lot of these may have been modified for hunting and parts replaced or altered. 

I really appreciate all your help and comments!  Thanks in advance for all your help.

'rking' - Welcome to the KCAForum.

The family Krag that you inherited, #403339, is a U.S. model 1898 infantry rifle that had its barrel and stock shortened for Hunting. The original front sight appears to be 're-mounted' on the cut-down barrel.

The knob on the 'cocking-piece' appears to have been 'dove-tailed'. The Lyman gun-sight company use to make a commercial 'peep' sight that was mounted in that fashion, on the striker-knob.

Your Krag was built around July or August 1902. The stock stamp ('acceptance cartouche) is "J.S.A. 1902" for Joseph Sumner Adams, Springfield Foreman, who inspected the rifle for military acceptance. The "circled P" stamp indicates the rifle was proofed and tested for function. The #33 was a stock worker or inspector. The "U" on the barrel-band is an assembly aid and should be on the right-side of the arm. Your rear-sight is the model 1901 rifle sight.

Wow!  Awesome awesome stuff thanks!  Okay a few more questions... was this rifle constructed for military service and then sold off and modified by a third party or was it modified by the military and sold?

If I take this gun in to be cleaned for firing what do I need to look for in a gunsmith?  I want to make sure someone is familiar enough with a weapon this old I imagine so it doesn't get messed up.

What type of ammunition will this thing accept?  If I read correctly, it fires a .30-40 type round which needs to be custom made?

Last, what type of value would you asses something like this?  I also received an 1860's long rifle and a 70 to 100 year old pump action .22 that I am trying to identify and want to get both of these under my insurance and they need some type of value for the rider.

Thanks again all!  Love the knowledge on this site!

Oh cool thanks psteinmayer!  I will get some pics of these two and get em up for you all to take a gander.  I've been trying to research this pump action .22 and it looks like it's a Remington 12a with a hexagonal barrel.  It takes short, long and long rifle rounds and has a serial number RW 178348.  I can't seem to find a serial number data base but some light web browsing may put it between 1914 and 1920. 

The long rifle is an odd duck and I think it may have been frankensteined together.  It is muzzle loading but the stock doesn't go all the way down the barrel like most of the pics I've seen online.  The plate has the U.S. Springfield and eagle stamped into it and the date is 186 something... It's just worn away but doesn't look filed off.  There is no acceptance cartouche anywhere on it either...  I did read that there was a guy shortly after the war that bought subpar springfield parts and made his own rifles to sell but I have no way of knowing how to figure that out. 

Pics coming soon!

Okay!  Here are a whole new slew of pics of the 2 other rifles in question...

...and here is the Remington 12a

Allowed by the government?  Bannerman was high bidder at a lot of US War Department and Navy Department auctions.  That (plus probably many payoffs) is what kept him & his heirs in business for a long time.  Bannerman's heirs are still at it, supplying some of us with both real & repro parts.

Paul, your Dad probably miss-spent much of his youth at 'Shooting Galleries' with 'pump action' rifles in .22 short.

Those 'Shooting Booths' were my favorite part of the Michigan State Fair and Boblo Island Amusement Park!

The Remington .22 is a Model 12, manufactured from 1909-1936. "Pedersen" named on barrel is the same man who designed the Pedersen Device to convert the 1903 Mark1 Springfield into a semi-automatic rifle (.30 cal. straight walled cartridge) during WW1.

The current value of the Remington Model 12 is probably best established by viewing successful bids on GunBroker for similar conditioned Remington Model 12s.