Hi,

Back in the 70s my dad converted a Krag to a 2+1 shot sporting rifle. He found an old American Rifleman series of articles about how to cut off the side magazine box and replace it with a flush metal plate. With the spring in there, that left room for 2 rounds in the magazine (plus one in the chamber).

But those 2 rounds have to be loaded from the top; I don't think the Krag was ever designed for that -- it was made to load either single rounds at a time straight into the chamber, or to feed from the box magazine, which was loaded through the door on the right side.

I bought a box of my standard hunting rounds -- Remington Core-lokt (the pointy ones) -- and they seem about 1/16th too long. After a half hour of fiddling and cursing, I managed to coax 2 rounds into the magazine (at the cost of feeling in my fingertips for two days). This can't be right.

Is there another brand of good .30-40 ammo that is shorter? I see at least Hornady and Winchester make it. Has anyone tried loading a Krag magazine from the top? Any tips or ideas?

Thanks!
Ed Green

Ed Green - Welcome to the KCA Forum.

Over the years, there were several methods devised to make the military Krag into a thinner action for sporting use.

One method was to remove the Magazine Gate & Follower Arm, remove part of the right-side of the Receiver, and cover the new opening with a hinged Flat Door with a substitute Follower Spring. A clever Catch was required to hold the door closed.

A different approach was to dispense with the 'Door' entirely. The Door was replace with a Fixed Plate & Spring or simply covered by the Stock with a captured Spring. This approach required the cartridges to be 'Backed Into' the cartridge opening on the interior of the left receiver wall.

Your description sounds like your father used the Fixed Plate approach. Rather than, "pushed in from the top", the cartridges should be "slid in from the front", rimmed end first.

The projectile (bullet) may possibly have to be inserted part way into the Chamber to allow the base to be backed into the opening in the left wall.

Another issue could be caused by the presence or absence of the Magazine Cut-off Switch.

If the Cut-off was simply removed, it leaves a machined groove exposed in the cartridge-feed opening. The cartridge rim can hang-up a bit on this groove.

If the Cut-off switch or lever is still on your Krag, it could be in the wrong position. It could be blocking the cartridge-feed path and preventing cartridges from being fully inserted or 'backed in'.

If you have a Cut-off lever, on most Krags, the 'Up' position allows free movement of cartridges.

If your Krag is a model 1892 or model 1896 action, you could have an earlier type of Magazine Cut-off, which had to be 'Down' to allow the flow of cartridges.

(The attached photo shows the Krag Cut-off lever in the 'Down' position. On most U.S. Krags, this would Block the magazine feed and cause problems loading. The lever should be 'Up'. However, early Cut-offs were the reverse).

Thanks Chuck, for the far more complete explanation! While 'top-loading' is not ideal, it certainly should NOT be anywhere near as difficult to accomplish, as was explained by the OP, and the cutoff (in one way or another) could well be the culprit.

Wow, I'd just ASSUMED you were (already) simply reversing the loading path, and that the cartridge was hanging up elsewhere - which I did not really think was likely, but didn't want to say so. Often the simplest solution turns out to be the correct one. Enjoy your rifle!

I have always thought that the hinged floor-plate from a 1903 could be grafted on and should work well. But, evidently, there are some pitfalls in that process that just won't fly, else they'd probably be seen once in awhile - as am sure I'm not the only person with that idea.

A lot of nice work there.  I notice the cocking piece is dovetailed, probably had a cocking piece sight at one time.  I see it has a Pacific receiver sight now.  That's why you don't have, or need, a magazine cutoff, the Pacific has a stud that goes where the stud of the cutoff would.

Nice piece of Bird's Eye Maple. That's a very tough wood that they used to make Bowling Pins out of! Possibly, the front sling-swivel screw anchors the barrel to the stock?

Ed's Dad was quite the Craftsman. This Krag Sporting Rifle is soooo early 1960's!

It is fun to look at. Thanks for sharing the pictures.

I like the simplicity of the Pacific K-1 sight. When properly adjusted, it really holds its settings.

You adjust elevation by turning the vertical 'Guide Pin', (which is the main support of the elevation slide). The 'Elevation Lock-Screw' should be slightly loose to allow the slide freedom to move.

While "sighting-in", you have to press the slide downward to make sure the Guide Pin always 'bottoms' in its 'blind hole' in the base.

Once adjusted, you can easily remove the slide from the Pacific base, by removing the 'Elevation Lock Screw'. When you put the slide back on, it will return to its "sighted-in" setting, when the 'guide pin' bottoms.

The original 'Elevation Lock Screw' was designed to utilize a Coin, as a screwdriver.

The factory 'Elevation Lock Screw' is a large knurled head affair, that nicely binds and helps support the elevation slide. It appears Ed's sight has a replacement screw.

Attached are some photos of Pacific descriptions, Pacific K1 sights, and the Lyman 'cocking-piece sight' that Madsenshooter mentioned.

There are a couple of the Lyman 'cocking-piece sights' for sale on ebay right now.

IMHO way too expensive and a basically bad idea.

I once had a 1903 Springfield that was fitted with one. 'Scary Close' to the eye and when it jumped forward it defeated good follow through.

A cheaper route is buying an extra unaltered Krag cocking-piece for better cosmetics.