Hello, all!

I recently acquired a Springfield Armory 1898 for a whopping $20, and I was hoping to find some information about what I have exactly. Hopefully, some of the members here have the knowledge to help out a Krag newbie like myself!

I have absolutely no idea what I am looking at here, so any help at all would be greatly appreciated! I have attached an album uploaded to imgur. I hope that doesn't break any of the forum rules. I can update with more pictures if they are needed for the identification process.

The serial number on the rifle is: 118749.

Thank you in advance!

'CPD311' - Welcome to the KCA Forum.

You did very well for $20. Not only did you get a complete U.S. model 1898 Krag infantry rifle, but, your rifle, serial #118749, is documented in SRS data. (These are Krag rifles that Franklin Mallory found listed in official govt. documents and published his research work in a set of "Springfield Research Services" volumes).

Model 1898 Krag rifle, 118749, was issued in 1899 to Co. D, 3rd Kentucky Volunteer Infantry. (Only a small percentage of U.S. Krags are documented in the SRS data).

Your Krag was built somewhere around August of 1898. It is quite likely it saw use during the Spanish American War. Your rear-sight is a model 1901 sight. It is likely your rifle was reconditioned and updated during its service life.

The 'over-hang' of your butt-plate suggests your stock has been aggressively sanded down in that area.

I would thoroughly clean the grease out of your barrel's chamber and bore. It appears your chamber is rough, but, this may just be an illusion caused by old and heavy grease deposits.

Your Krag appears rough and in need of skillful cleaning. It is not worth top dollar, but, the SRS listing makes it interesting.

Caution - Don't aggressively clean your Krag. Do no harm! Proper cleaning requires knowledge and experience.

Only wipe off the heavy grease, from wood and metal, with soft rags and mineral spirits. Do not remove finish and patina.

Clean the chamber and bore with properly fitting bronze brushes, patches and cleaning rod.

Wipe off dissolved grease with paper towels. Wipe down wood with soft cotton rags and linseed oil.

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond! I greatly appreciate the advice and will make sure I (delicately, of course) clean it ASAP.