Frank started, because he had so much interest in research information on Springfield Armory military arms, a quarterly newsletter called the Springfield Research Newsletter. These newsletters contained many listings, pictures and data on Krag rifles and carbines. Readers would send in questions that Frank would answer as well as information they had obtained on personally owned firearms that would be included in the newsletters.

Frank Mallory published The Krag Rifle Story book in 1980 after compiling so much research information and historic data on Krags.

The Springfield Research Service Serial Numbers of Martial Arms was published in 4 volumes. The 4th and final volume stated that there would be no further volumes of the SRS forthcoming since the newsletters included so much further collected data.

The information in the SRS manuals was compiled from U. S. military sources including direct Springfield Armory records, Office of Chief of Ordnance, National Archives and other sources.

The SRS manuals contain records on Civil War rifles, Colt firearms, Remington firearms, Sharps, S&W firearms, Trapdoors, Krags, Model 1903s, Model 1922s, M1 rifles, M1 carbines and Model 1917 rifles.

Volume 1 (Actually called 1st Edition) was printed in 1983 and contains individual records on 46,500 of many of the above military firearms.  The Krag section (of course most interesting to us!) has 7,878 individual entries on rifles and carbines. This encompasses M1892 - M1899. Many of the entries are for firearms used in the Spanish American War by the 1st USV Cavalry known as the Rough Riders.

Volume 2 was printed in 1986 and has new data on 33,800 individual firearms. There are 2,572 new Krag entries again that supplements the previous edition.

Volume 3 was printed in 1990 and contains 33,800 new individual entries (same number as Volume 2-not a typo). There are 903 new Krag entries in this volume including M1892 Krag rifles used by the 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps.

(contd)

Thanks Whig for sharing!

McPheeters Antique Militaria currently has all 4 volumes for sale.

$650 Ouch!

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Supply and demand!

You're welcome. They've helped me out a lot.

There are definitely unknowns out there waiting to be discovered! Don't ever think otherwise or the search is over for most of us!

Can't imagine how many will continue to trickle in discovered in an attic or closet for generations. People die who have accumulated firearms over years and eventually a widow decides to give them away or send them to an auction house to be bought by one of us as the next temporary owner.

So, keep up the search.

'knute1' recently found Government documentation of 60 Krag serial numbers that were not recorded in SRS data.

These sixty model 1898 Krag rifles were on Alaska's Pribilof Islands. They were listed in an inventory included in Department of Commerce and Labor correspondence, published for a 1911 Congressional Committee.

The rifles were under the control of Department of Commerce Agents on St. Paul and St. George Islands. The rifles were employed by Natives guarding the fur seal breeding grounds and nurseries from raids and poaching by (mainly) Japanese 'Sealing Pirates'.

At least some of this equipment was still in place on November 11, 1918, when some of these guards were photographed Firing an 'Armistice Salute'.

It is likely other Krags may be documented in obscure places and surviving paperwork.

IMHO - Knute's find is a gem with context, description of use, and at least 11 to 14 years of possession. This is a lot more interesting than most SRS entries.

Thank you: I had not seen this. I really like the historical part of collecting. It almost turns an inanimate item alive.
       Thanks again, kc

Parker's career would make a great Movie.

He certainly knew his equipment & tactics, was audacious, and exploited topography, to carry the day in the Santiago Campaign.

attached: St. Paul Island 'natives' in cropped detail, two Gatling guns and two 1.65" Hotchkiss Mt. Cannons.