Many Krag rifles were "cut down" (barrels and stocks shortened) to make them handier for hunting and sporting purposes.

Sometimes the question has come up as to whether a barrel is an altered Krag barrel or a non-Krag replacement barrel made from something else.

In my experience, there are four easy clues to tell if a barrel was originally a Krag barrel, that may have since undergone some alteration.

1. Rear sight holes properly located and threaded (.156"X30tpi). Sometimes, these holes have been discretely 'plugged'.

2. Barrel breech/extractor-notch: Machined cut on barrel breech appears properly sloped for extractor-claw and 'timed' (indexed & aligned) with extractor notch in receiver.

3. Presence of barrel proof "P".

4. An Index mark on barrel lines-up with mark on front of receiver ring.

p.s. Note - This does not mean that a barrel is the original one on a Krag receiver. It just helps identify barrels that are of U.S. Krag origin.

Krag barrels were proofed, completed, and finished, before installed on a receiver and seem highly interchangeable.

(The diameters and taper of Krag rifle and carbine barrels is the same from breech to 22 inches from the breech).