Hello,

New member here from Jacksonville Florida.  I travel for my job quite a bit, which gives me the chance to check out gun stores.

I found and purchased this one during my current trip to Maine.  I believe that it is correct, but defer to your opinions.

Some pictures:

Welcome! Im far from an expert, but that sure looks like a good deal at 700. Love the dark stock and patina. How's the bore?

'AFJuvat' - Welcome to the KCA Forum.

You picked up a nice model 1898 Krag rifle in your travels. Your rifle, #441830, was built around February or March, 1903.

There is a nice agreement with your rifle's likely production period and the Stock, with its 1903 'cartouche'.

IMHO - All the parts I see in your photos look believable and correct.

You have the model 1902 rear-sight which would be correct in 1903. This sight is very similar to the sight used on the very first, "Rod-Bayonet", 1903 Springfield rifles.

There is some belief that, when the 1903 Springfield rifles were changed to a different sight in 1905, the Krags used by the U.S. Army tended to be fitted with model 1901 sights.

Krags with model 1902 sights may have gone to National Guard units.

The wood finish on the Krag was raw linseed oil.

It does appear some type of varnish has been put on your stock. Some of that finish seems to appear on some of your metal parts.

FWIW - If it were my Krag, I would start with Mineral Spirits on a flannel rag and wipe the wood and metal to see if it dissolves the varnish and cleans the wood and metal.

If that cleans off the varnish, I would then treat the wood with a 50/50 mix of turpentine and linseed, oil rubbed in by hand.

Standard Finishes and Treatment Applied to U. S. Model 1898 Service Rifle at End of Production:

Buttplate cap - case-hardened, like Safety lock, Side-plate, Gate.

Buttplate - 'Browned' (period arsenal term for blued), like Barrel.

IMHO - Krag Butt Plate finish must have been rather thin. They commonly have lightened up with age and use. I think it best to leave them that way. They have developed a nice look, character, and patina.

You have a nice Krag. Don't mess it up by refinishing metal or sanding the stock.

I don't know what your experience is with antique guns and preserving originality for nice presentation.

A lot of people have turned $800 to $1,000 Krag rifles into $400 guns.

BTW - Your stock will likely lighten up in color, if the 'varnish' is removed. '1903' is a bit late, but, there is a chance it is an Italian Walnut stock and hand-guard.

The Italian stocks are lighter and yellower than American Black Walnut ones. However, most of the Italian stocks, I have seen, have 1899, 1900, and 1901 'cartouche' dates, IIRC.

Apparently, some military units stained or darkened their Italian stocks to better fit in with the bulk of their rifles.

Caution - When you take your Krag apart, the 'varnish' may have 'glued' some of the metal to the wood.

To remove the hand-guard: remove the stock and rear-sight first, then slide the hand-guard up the tapered barrel, where it can easily be taken off.

The front-sight blade, if left in place, will prevent the front barrel-band from being taken completely off the barrel. The stock can be taken off with the front band just pushed forward.

butlersrangers wrote on Mar 11^th, 2017 at 5:58pm:


Thanks for the tips!

No sandpaper will be used on the stock.     I've passed on a few 1903s and other rifles where the previous owner had gone crazy with the sandpaper.

The cartouche really cleaned up nicely.

Nice rifle good looking clean up. Wood grain appears to be American black walnut.

I bet you had fun.

Now, Fall In!

Looking at the photo above, you'll see a young Butlersrangers - third from the right, eyeing the camera in anticipation of going to work with his Krag!!! 

The Yanks Are Comin'!