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Hopefully the link to my screen shot works. I asked for a SRS check on the CMP forum for my rifle 473698. There were no hits but another forum member posted the info in the screen shot. If my rifle falls between the listed serial numbers would that mean it was issued along with the listed numbers?

IMHO - I think there is way too much emphasis placed on Krag serial numbers appearing in SRS data.

Very few Krags were found in government reports, returns, and paperwork. Most mentioned 'incidents' and issuance of arms are of little significance.

The Data only gives a brief glimpse of a given Krag's likely long service.

Some entries are easily misunderstood:

Krags were not issued to the "New Cumberland Guard". (The Guards, at the New Cumberland, Pa. Army Depot, were recording the serial numbers of obsolete arms they were instructed to destroy)!

Most Krags, used in historic events, are not represented in SRS Data.

There is certainly lots of history that almost every one of our Krag rifles and carbines carries with it be it from a national perspective or a personal, family history. Just the changes and upgrades or alterations carry historical information of different types that may or may not change value.

But, the historical research that Frank Mallory put into his Springfield Research Service documentation gives us a unique glimpse into the official military documentation for those Krags that had a specific kind of historical record that we can use to better understand where a specific Krag was at one moment in history. Especially if that moment demonstrates an important battle such as The Spanish American War.

"Buy the rifle, not the story" is a mantra that we all should live by. But any historic documentation, especially one referring to an important military event, adds provenance to the firearm, which frequently adds value.

It definitely adds another dimension to collecting firearms, including Krags. Heck, they're fun no matter what whether they have an SRS "hit" or not!

Thanks, Ned. You guys have sure taught me a lot about Krags and collecting mil surps in general here at KCA.

I love every bit of it!

Wow. Sometimes you really have to dig. What other research did you do, Dick, that gave you that information on 70210?

There are three rifles belonging to members of this forum that were issued to the 3rd Kentucky volunteers during the Spanish American war.  Mine among them. 
This was revealed in a thread a while back.  Still crazy to me.  It would be neat to get them all together again one day.

(in Larry the Cable Guy voice)Shhoooooot, RCat.  Alls you need is a map, crow bar, and a fast car.  They'll be together in no time flat.


I would love to have some story about any of my guns that I bought used.  I already know the story of the ones I bought new.  It's the story of me.  Maybe I should write it down some time.  Of course it would not be a story without the serial number.

Knowing the history, though, will not change the value of my gun one way or the other when I sell it or someone sells it for me because I am taking a very long nap.

I wonder if my M1917 was with Washington when he and Captain Pershing charged the heights at Chicamauggy...  It does have a low serial number.

Krags!  The best old guns I know.


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