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 10 History of my inherited Model 1898 (Read 3657 times)
Aitrus
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History of my inherited Model 1898
Oct 26th, 2019 at 12:43am
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Good evening, everybody.

Last year, when my father passed away, I inherited his 1898 Springfield.  He had purchased it from a friend back in the 1980s.  That friend of my father's eventually became my own father-in-law in 1998.  He and I still go motorcycle riding to this day.

My father-in-law doesn't recall when he acquired the rifle, but he recalls sporterizing it in the late 1970s.  He remembers buying it during a gun show in the early 1970s in Alaska, but doesn't know how it got up there.

Both my father and father-in-law used the rifle for hunting moose in Alaska, to great effect, and my father took it with him to Texas when he retired (he used it to kill a few razorbacks in the 15 years he was there).  The armorer I took it to has given it a thorough look, and declares it safe and fully functional, with headspace around +0.014" - 0.018".  He had to replace the bypass lever spring, but other than that, all the rifle needed was a good cleaning.

The only other information I've been able to glean about the rifle is that it's serial # 247385, which I believe means that it was a carbine manufactured in 1899.  Any other help in this area would be much appreciated.

On a similar note, I also inherited my father's Savage 242, Series 6 .410 Over/Under shotgun.  I have great memories of this gun, as it and my Chipmunk .22 were constant companions as I roamed the woods of central Alaska in my youth.  Top barrel usually had #4 or #6 shot, and the bottom always had a slug.  Lots of squirrel, snowshoe hare, ptarmigan, lynx, and snow fox were taken by me with these two arms.
  
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Aitrus
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Re: History of my inherited Model 1898
Reply #1 - Oct 26th, 2019 at 12:44am
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Second series of pics.
  
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Knute1
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Re: History of my inherited Model 1898
Reply #2 - Oct 26th, 2019 at 2:48am
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Sounds like you had some high time way up north.
  
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butlersrangers
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Re: History of my inherited Model 1898
Reply #3 - Oct 26th, 2019 at 3:47am
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'Aitrus' - Welcome to the KCA Forum. It is neat that you have a 'sportered' Krag that is connected to your father and father-in-law.
(Kind of incestuous)!

It is likely that your Krag, #247385, was assembled around January, 1900, as an infantry rifle, with a 30 inch barrel.
(By this time period, Model 1899 carbines were being manufactured, and were stamped "Model 1899").

Your stock is a "cut-down" rifle stock with an added-on pistol grip.

Your rear open-sight was made by William's Gun-sight Company, (Davison, Michigan). There are a couple of tapped holes on your receiver, in front of the bolt-handle, likely once holding an aftermarket Lyman or Redfield 'peep'-sight.

Your 'banded' front-sight looks like a Redfield or Lyman product.

Your Krag was obviously "cut-down" to make it handy for Hunting.

It is still great for that purpose and a Family Heirloom to boot!
  
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Aitrus
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Re: History of my inherited Model 1898
Reply #4 - Oct 27th, 2019 at 7:41pm
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Knute,

Yes, it was certainly quite an experience growing up in the '80s and '90s in the backwoods of Alaska.  Lots of good memories.

butlersrangers,

Thank you for the additional information.  Am I correct in understanding that the rifle was stamped "Model 1898" but was actually an 1999 model carbine?

Hopefully this rifle will see service again on occasion as a hunter, and definitely will be handed down as an heirloom when the time comes.
  
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butlersrangers
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Re: History of my inherited Model 1898
Reply #5 - Oct 27th, 2019 at 8:01pm
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'Aitrus' - "No", to your question.

Your "model 1898" Krag is a 'cut-down' rifle.

In 1899 and 1900, Krags manufactured as carbines would be marked "model 1899".
  
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Aitrus
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Re: History of my inherited Model 1898
Reply #6 - Nov 2nd, 2019 at 1:35am
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Ah, I understand now.  Thank you for the clarification.  My knowledge of Krags is pretty sparse, so I'm learning as I go.

I don't reload, and don't shoot often enough to make it worth the investment.  I've read about the locking lug cracking problems from overpowered cartridges.  The only 30-40 Krag that I can find locally is a few boxes at my local Sportsman's Warehouse.  These are Remington Core-Lokt 180gr rounds, loaded to 2,430fps at the muzzle.  Would these rounds be good a good choice for this rifle in this condition?  I would assume that Remington would know that most of these rounds would be used in older rifles, and would hopefully load them appropriately.
  
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Whig
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Re: History of my inherited Model 1898
Reply #7 - Nov 2nd, 2019 at 2:46am
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The locking lug is rarely any problem with Krags shot today. Pretty much all factory ammunition made for the 30-40 Krag is fine to use in these old Krags if your Krag is mechanically sound.

If you have a sporterized Krag, it may be important to have it checked to make sure it has not been re-chambered for another cartridge. Occasionally a shot out chamber is re cut for a larger cartridge like 35-40 caliber. This is quite unusual but it should be checked by someone appropriate to make sure the receiver and chamber are sound. Check the barrel to make sure it looks clear of any obstructions and there are no bulges anywhere. Make sure the bolt looks Ok also. Then get some Remington or Winchester factory ammo and blast away!

I may be over stating the obvious about making sure your Krag is fine to shoot but we never know what has been done to some Bubba-ed Krags out there. We want you to be safe.
  
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Knute1
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Re: History of my inherited Model 1898
Reply #8 - Nov 2nd, 2019 at 2:56am
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Remington, Winchester and Hornady sell 30-40 ammo within pressure ratings of the Krag. But you need to know the condition of your individual rifle, which can only be assured by a competent gunsmith. Hornady is the most recent ammo supplier and seems to be more available. It is easier to find ammo/brass than just a few years ago. If you do find yourself shooting the Krag more often you may want to take up reloading. I can only suggest Lee reloading equipment since I have found it economical, provides fair quality cartridges, and has a good website with videos on how to reload. Brass is easy to order. You may find a gun shop with gun powder. I don't believe you can go wrong with IMR4350 powder. Get a good reloading manual. Otherwise, if you can find an adequate supply of ammo for your shooting needs, more power to you. Its just that a lot of us can't shoot a box per year and feel satisfied. Wink
  
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butlersrangers
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Re: History of my inherited Model 1898
Reply #9 - Nov 2nd, 2019 at 4:47am
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Ask your father-in-law. This Krag was used by him as well as your father. I am sure he would know its history in regard to 'chambering', ammo that was used in it, and how it performed.

Most of us do not have much to go on, except visual inspection, when we latch on to an 'experienced' military surplus arm.

Your Krag has a family track record!

IMHO - It is hard to find a competent "Gunsmith", nowadays, especially one that knows anything about Krags.
  
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Aitrus
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Re: History of my inherited Model 1898
Reply #10 - Nov 17th, 2019 at 11:24pm
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Thanks for the advice, gents, and for the concern for my well being as well.  I'm retired military, so I know my way around firearms, I just don't don't know this model very well.  It's been a pleasure learning about this rifle and it's history.

I have indeed had it checked out by a competent gunsmith, a second-generation smith that comes highly recommended by a number of shop owners and shooters in my area.  He verified that the weapon is still chambered in 30-40, that the barrel is very clean and smooth, and that all hardware is in good condition internally.  He stated that he would personally have no worries putting another 5 or 10k rounds through the rifle (making sure to clean and check for wear and tear as normal) before considering retiring the rifle to a mantelpiece display.

Talking with my father-in-law about the rifle, he stated that it had never failed to fire for him as long as he used factory ammo, and that the accuracy was excellent using the iron sights he'd had installed.  It was sporterized by an ex-military gunsmith in central Alaska back in the '70s who had done similar work on a number of Krags in his career.  That was why my father-in-law had chosen that particular gunsmith - he'd seen examples of his work elsewhere and appreciated the apparent quality of the man's skills.
  
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Whig
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Re: History of my inherited Model 1898
Reply #11 - Nov 17th, 2019 at 11:27pm
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Great history on a great rifle! Thanks for sharing your family treasure. Go and shoot it lots and let us know how much fun you had.
  
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Local Boy
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Re: History of my inherited Model 1898
Reply #12 - Nov 18th, 2019 at 5:17pm
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Welcome once again to the forum Aitrus (you must be a fan of "Myst"),

Thanks for keeping your family's Krag history alive... I've enjoyed reading about it!

Good to hear from a fellow Alaskan...what brought your family up to Alaska and where did you live?

Many of us, who live up here, were transplanted by the military.

How Krags wind up where they do, is for the most part, a big mystery.  Many, as mentioned in other KCA post, were acquired through Bannerman or W. Stokes Kirk.  Back in the day (unlike the present) they were cheap and got the job done...as evidence by your father/father-inlaws hunting successes.

The area outside of Spokane has some nice hunting areas...maybe you can try and add some deer to your Krag's game getting success list! Wink

Once again thanks for sharing and Thank You for your military service.

BTW: Which military service did you retire from and what was your job???

  
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Aitrus
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Re: History of my inherited Model 1898
Reply #13 - Jan 5th, 2020 at 6:01pm
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Local-Boy,

Yes, I'm a fan of the Myst series of games.  Good brain teasers.

My family history in Alaska is pretty wide.  I grew up a little south of the Salcha area, halfway between Fairbanks and Delta Junction.  My father came to the state when he was a teenager (he's originally from west Texas).  Grandpa (mom's side) was originally from California, but after the war he went to Alaska and built a couple of homesteads.  There he met my grandma, who had roots going back to the gold rush days.  I've got family running all over the Kenai peninsula, plus a few in the North Pole / Fairbanks area.

It was actually the military that took me away from Alaska.  I married early in life but without too many job prospects.  I felt honor bound to provide a good living for my wife and future family, and decided to join the Air Force based on my dad's advice.  He said that since I wasn't gay the Navy wasn't an option, and since I was smarter than both jarheads and grunts, it should be the Air Force for me.  I retired a couple of years ago after spending 10 years on active duty and 10 in the Air Guard.  Even though every generation of my family has served in some capacity since the Revolution, I was the first to make a full career out of it.  As for my job, I was an EOD technician for most of it.  If you know what that is, then you know where I've gone and what I've done, so I'll leave it at that.

Thanks for the welcome, everybody.  Much appreciated.
  
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Re: History of my inherited Model 1898
Reply #14 - Feb 14th, 2020 at 8:14pm
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You mind if I add your rifle to the KCA serial number database?
  

Curt Quickel
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