Page Index Toggle Pages: 1 [2] 3  Send TopicPrint
 25 New to me 1898 cut down "Short Rifle" (Read 7400 times)
psteinmayer
KCA Forum Member
*
Offline


Krag Enthusiast!

Posts: 2391
Location: Ypsilanti, Michgan
Joined: Aug 30th, 2011
Gender: Male
Re: New to me 1898 cut down "Short Rifle"
Reply #15 - Jan 1st, 2019 at 4:34pm
Print Post  
I agree about the "Purists" too!  Some of these so called "Purists" are the same guys who blow hard about having their Garand be "As Manufactured" with matching numbers and absolutely museum quality finish... something we all know is practically impossible (Garand parts are not serialized... they are assembly numbers, and most issued arms go through some type of arsenal rebuild at one point or another).
  
Back to top
IP Logged
 
Jason60chev
KCA Forum Member
*
Offline


Krag Enthusiast!

Posts: 61
Location: Tampa, Florida
Joined: Dec 7th, 2018
Gender: Male
Re: New to me 1898 cut down "Short Rifle"
Reply #16 - Jan 1st, 2019 at 4:57pm
Print Post  
Certainly, yes. Many are expecting pristine, unmolested, un rebuilt, fresh from the armory floor examples for the price one would pay for a complete mixmaster. True, M1 parts are not serialized, but there were enough revisions that, if one were to take the time to study, that a representative rifle from a particular month/year could be assembled. I did that with a March 1944 rifle, recently, but getting the wear pattern of all those parts to match....UGH!!!! Also, compound the "matching" parts philosophy to the fact that Springfield Armory worked on the Last In-First Out inventory system. So, it is quite possible for a later rifle to have earlier and mixed parts if those parts bins hadn't been replenished. Of course, they were making rifles to fight a World War....NOT for future collectors.

I also recently assembled my most difficult M1 (Yes this reply is off topic from Krags).....an All Beretta Danish Contract rifle. Trying to locate ALL "PB" marked parts......yes, they were all marked.....was a chore and a little on the expensive side. But whata neat example for my M1 collection.
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Culpeper
KCA Forum Member
*
Offline



Posts: 904
Location: Right Coast of Africa
Joined: Mar 30th, 2005
Re: New to me 1898 cut down "Short Rifle"
Reply #17 - Jan 1st, 2019 at 5:10pm
Print Post  
Jason60chev wrote on Jan 1st, 2019 at 9:21am:
I received enough criticism from the M1 Garand crowd "Purists" when I had a BM59 built, about "destroying" a piece of history.


It's not that most of us are purists (Okay, maybe there are a few that are) but most of us are shall we say semi-purists.  The Garand guys have their flavor of the disease and we have ours.  One can not just run out and just get parts anywhere for a Krag.  They have to be stripped off an existing gun.  I think most guys here will agree restaint and caution for the future krag owners is the word of day.  I have bubba'd Krags that I have taken out of circulation and would have no problem turning a muzzle.  I presumed your stock had been cut back a bit when they lopped off the front of your barrel.  So if your stock is intact please do not cut on it.  There are too many "carbines" from the early 20th century floating around.

Find the crappiest bayonet you can get for twenty bucks and open the hole up.  But if you could, though, stamp some place on it that it was modified or changed as a warning to future purists and the unsuspecting.  However, I think Mr. Hosmer has the correct solution.

Those Garand guys don't have a leg to stand on. Angry  You cannot swing a dead cat without hitting some site that sells trigger guards and assemblies.  They are common.  On the other hand no one is making new op rods yet some dweebs insist on cutting them  short.  I'll shut up and color when someone starts making op rods.

I know your pain about being overseas.  Did that for years on RAID and VOSS programs.

Soooooooo.  When do we get to shoot that BM-59?
  

Deacon in the Church of the Mighty Krag. Member of People Eating Tasty Animals (PETA).  (You need to Login to view media files and links)
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Culpeper
KCA Forum Member
*
Offline



Posts: 904
Location: Right Coast of Africa
Joined: Mar 30th, 2005
Re: New to me 1898 cut down "Short Rifle"
Reply #18 - Jan 1st, 2019 at 5:21pm
Print Post  
psteinmayer wrote on Jan 1st, 2019 at 4:34pm:
I agree about the "Purists" too!  Some of these so called "Purists" are the same guys who blow hard about having their Garand be "As Manufactured" with matching numbers and absolutely museum quality finish... something we all know is practically impossible (Garand parts are not serialized... they are assembly numbers, and most issued arms go through some type of arsenal rebuild at one point or another).


Don't forget battlefield recovered guns.  They put them in a pile and put together everything that was not battle damaged and handed off it to the next guy in line.
  

Deacon in the Church of the Mighty Krag. Member of People Eating Tasty Animals (PETA).  (You need to Login to view media files and links)
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Baltimoreed
KCA Forum Member
*
Offline


Krag Enthusiast!

Posts: 320
Location: Aurora, NC
Joined: Feb 5th, 2016
Gender: Male
Re: New to me 1898 cut down "Short Rifle"
Reply #19 - Jan 3rd, 2019 at 12:05am
Print Post  
I love my 1899 Constabulary Krag school rifle. Fast handling, light and bayonetable. This is what the bidness end looks like. It came to me missing the screw but its got one now. It also has a nice 1899 bayonet along with my faux Bowie bayonet.
‘Remember the Maine”
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Baltimoreed
KCA Forum Member
*
Offline


Krag Enthusiast!

Posts: 320
Location: Aurora, NC
Joined: Feb 5th, 2016
Gender: Male
Re: New to me 1898 cut down "Short Rifle"
Reply #20 - Jan 3rd, 2019 at 1:25am
Print Post  
If the op’s rifle bbl is cut and the stock is cut the originalness of the rifle is gone and can’t be recovered. Given enough money, time and with wood and gunsmithing skills a rifle can be made to look as it did when it left the factory or 50 years later. But it will never be ‘original’ again. School Krags were built from 30 inch bbled rifles nobody wanted. They couldn’t give them away. While I would never have holes drilled in a ‘03 or krag rcvr or shorten an original bbl once the deed is done you can’t undo it. I would suggest to the op to do the least amount of new damage and replicate a school rifle with his newly aquired altered Krag. Turn the bbl for the Krag bayonet, properly crown it, mount a correct sight and move the bayonet mount to the correct location. Shoot it often, repeat as necessary. They’re neat firearms.
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Mark_Daiute
KCA Forum Member
KCA Official Member
*
Offline


I love YaBB 1G - SP1!

Posts: 242
Location: Newcastle Maine USA
Joined: Jul 11th, 2003
Gender: Male
Re: New to me 1898 cut down "Short Rifle"
Reply #21 - Jan 3rd, 2019 at 11:54am
Print Post  
Jason has all the ingredients to replicate a school rifle.
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Jason60chev
KCA Forum Member
*
Offline


Krag Enthusiast!

Posts: 61
Location: Tampa, Florida
Joined: Dec 7th, 2018
Gender: Male
Re: New to me 1898 cut down "Short Rifle"
Reply #22 - Jan 3rd, 2019 at 12:29pm
Print Post  
That is my intention. Install correct front sight. The barrel is about an inch too long and the stock is about 1 1/2" too long. Think making it a School rifle would work out just fine. Are you suggesting leaving the barrel at 23"? I have thought about that, too, just to keep costs down. From the measurements I have, the Upper band/Bayo lug will still need to be moved back some to mount a bayonet.

Quote:
I would suggest to the op to do the least amount of new damage and replicate a school rifle with his newly aquired altered Krag. Turn the bbl for the Krag bayonet, properly crown it, mount a correct sight and move the bayonet mount to the correct location. Shoot it often, repeat as necessary. They’re neat firearms.

  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Jason60chev
KCA Forum Member
*
Offline


Krag Enthusiast!

Posts: 61
Location: Tampa, Florida
Joined: Dec 7th, 2018
Gender: Male
Re: New to me 1898 cut down "Short Rifle"
Reply #23 - Jan 3rd, 2019 at 12:41pm
Print Post  
I work with PTDS aerostat.

Where do you live? I live in Tampa. Would love to let you shoot the BM59.......unless Congress or Florida passes more stoopid laws.......UGH!!!!

Tomorrow they open the flood gates.

Quote:
I know your pain about being overseas.  Did that for years on RAID and VOSS programs.

Soooooooo.  When do we get to shoot that BM-59?

  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
butlersrangers
KCA Forum Member
*
Offline


Krag Enthusiast!

Posts: 6330
Location: Michigan Bi-Peninsular&Proud
Joined: Oct 7th, 2009
Re: New to me 1898 cut down "Short Rifle"
Reply #24 - Jan 3rd, 2019 at 12:52pm
Print Post  
Leaving the barrel a tad long will 'signal' to future collectors exactly what it is. (A good thing).
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Jason60chev
KCA Forum Member
*
Offline


Krag Enthusiast!

Posts: 61
Location: Tampa, Florida
Joined: Dec 7th, 2018
Gender: Male
Re: New to me 1898 cut down "Short Rifle"
Reply #25 - Jan 3rd, 2019 at 2:02pm
Print Post  
Not a bad idea and I can still shoot and attach a bayonet and enjoy it all I want.

butlersrangers wrote on Jan 3rd, 2019 at 12:52pm:
Leaving the barrel a tad long will 'signal' to future collectors exactly what it is. (A good thing).

  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Baltimoreed
KCA Forum Member
*
Offline


Krag Enthusiast!

Posts: 320
Location: Aurora, NC
Joined: Feb 5th, 2016
Gender: Male
Re: New to me 1898 cut down "Short Rifle"
Reply #26 - Jan 3rd, 2019 at 3:53pm
Print Post  
I also agree that leaving the bbl a tad too long would identify it as a modern rebuild not an original. Gives you an inch more sight radius too. It’s not hard to cut back the stock to move the bayonet mount to the correct spot. I did that with my 21 inch bbl ‘03 build.
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
butlersrangers
KCA Forum Member
*
Offline


Krag Enthusiast!

Posts: 6330
Location: Michigan Bi-Peninsular&Proud
Joined: Oct 7th, 2009
Re: New to me 1898 cut down "Short Rifle"
Reply #27 - Jan 3rd, 2019 at 5:45pm
Print Post  
FWIW - List Franklin Mallory compiled of sales of 1,385 "school rifles" to various U.S. military schools.
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Baltimoreed
KCA Forum Member
*
Offline


Krag Enthusiast!

Posts: 320
Location: Aurora, NC
Joined: Feb 5th, 2016
Gender: Male
Re: New to me 1898 cut down "Short Rifle"
Reply #28 - Jan 3rd, 2019 at 9:54pm
Print Post  
It’s a shame that nobody thought to write down the serial numbers of what rifle went where. A simpler time.
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
butlersrangers
KCA Forum Member
*
Offline


Krag Enthusiast!

Posts: 6330
Location: Michigan Bi-Peninsular&Proud
Joined: Oct 7th, 2009
Re: New to me 1898 cut down "Short Rifle"
Reply #29 - Jan 4th, 2019 at 4:20am
Print Post  
Western Military Academy, (Alton, Ill.), purchased Krag short rifles in 1908 and 1912 for a total of 180 rifles.

Although, the Academy closed years ago, I found some neat period photos on a Western Military Academy Facebook Page.

The 1898 and 1904 newspaper photos appear to show 'trapdoor' Springfield rifles.

The entrenchment photo with 'black powder blank firing' definitely shows Krags. (I suspect the bores experienced a lot of neglect).
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Page Index Toggle Pages: 1 [2] 3 
Send TopicPrint