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Krag Serial# 438271 *corrected # * (Read 2724 times)

1911Ron KCA Forum Member Offline Krag Enthusiast! Posts: 59 Location: Buckeye,Az Joined: May 16^th, 2015 Gender:	Krag Serial# 438271 corrected # Feb 22^nd, 2020 at 8:35pm	Print Post
	I have had this rifles for a few years and it is great shape. If I remember correctly it was towards the end of production when they adopted the 1903. (You need to *Login* to view media files and links) (You need to *Login* to view media files and links) (You need to *Login* to view media files and links) (You need to *Login* to view media files and links) (You need to *Login* to view media files and links) (You need to *Login* to view media files and links) I would like to have it entered into the database please, thanks Ron
	« Last Edit: Feb 24^th, 2020 at 9:17pm by 1911Ron »

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Whig KCA Official Member Offline Krag Enthusiast! Posts: 1324 Location: Balt MD Joined: Sep 24^th, 2016 Gender:	Re: Krag Serial# 488271 Reply #1 - Feb 22^nd, 2020 at 8:38pm	Print Post
	I would go with SN: 438271 not 488271. Can others evaluate closer? Beautiful Krag and great cartouche!


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1911Ron KCA Forum Member Offline Krag Enthusiast! Posts: 59 Location: Buckeye,Az Joined: May 16^th, 2015 Gender:	Re: Krag Serial# 488271 Reply #2 - Feb 22^nd, 2020 at 9:03pm	Print Post
	More pictures added.


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butlersrangers KCA Forum Member Offline Krag Enthusiast! Posts: 6330 Location: Michigan Bi-Peninsular&Proud Joined: Oct 7^th, 2009	Re: Krag Serial# 488271 Reply #3 - Feb 23^rd, 2020 at 1:13am	Print Post
	I think "1911Ron" got the number correct, (488271). Possibly, the Die has distorted the second '8'? It never ceases to amaze me, how difficult it is to read serial numbers on some Krags. A very nice Krag, 1911Ron!


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Whig KCA Official Member Offline Krag Enthusiast! Posts: 1324 Location: Balt MD Joined: Sep 24^th, 2016 Gender:	Re: Krag Serial# 488271 Reply #4 - Feb 23^rd, 2020 at 1:37am	Print Post
	It would be nice to have a clearer enlargement of the serial number. I sure see an open "3" for that second number. "3"s stamped on Krags have a squarish bottom to the number whereas the "8"s are rounded. Big difference. 1911Ron can you take a close up and enlarge that serial number for my curiosity? Thanks!


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Dick Hosmer KCA Official Member Offline Collector of Springfield Arms, 1865-1915 Posts: 1862 Location: Northern California Joined: Nov 20^th, 2005 Gender:	Re: Krag Serial# 488271 Reply #5 - Feb 23^rd, 2020 at 1:52am	Print Post
	NICE rifle!!! For now, at least, I'll go with 438271 also.


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Whig KCA Official Member Offline Krag Enthusiast! Posts: 1324 Location: Balt MD Joined: Sep 24^th, 2016 Gender:	Re: Krag Serial# 488271 Reply #6 - Feb 23^rd, 2020 at 1:59am	Print Post
	I snapped a couple pictures of two of my Krags to highlight the difference between "8"s and "3"s on Krags. This is for fun until 1911Ron gets some closeups for us to examine better. There have been different variations of fonts used by SA for stamping Krag serial numbers over their short manufactured lifespan. But, OP's Krag displays both an "8" and a "3" to compare directly. My two below concur with his numbers on his nice Krag rifle. Deeply stamped "3"s almost always look like "8"s. "8"s are usually rounded and "3"s are usually squared.


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butlersrangers KCA Forum Member Offline Krag Enthusiast! Posts: 6330 Location: Michigan Bi-Peninsular&Proud Joined: Oct 7^th, 2009	Re: Krag Serial# 488271 Reply #7 - Feb 24^th, 2020 at 4:31pm	Print Post
	The serial number font on Krags seems to change at times. Some digits may get odd as Dies appear to wear out, clog with residue, or fail. (They were stamping the markings on casehardened steel)! The depth of the 'strike' also appears to vary. Sometimes there seems to be 'mixed number styles' even within a serial number. I am not arguing. I am pretty 'ho-hum' about serial numbers. It is a reality that some U.S. Krag numbers are easy and some are very difficult to read. Sometimes a magnifying glass and varying the lighting are in order. Photographs can help or fool. It makes you wonder how important the serial number was to the Ordnance Department, "back in the day". IMHO - Probably there is a significant 'error rate' in some numbers reported in SRS Data. Attached are some sample numbers from: 1897, 1901 (2), and 1903: (FWIW - My number, closest to "1911Ron's", has a 'flat-topped 3'. No mistaking that "3" with an "8" .... "Dohz Wascally Spwingfield Gwemlins")!


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Dick Hosmer KCA Official Member Offline Collector of Springfield Arms, 1865-1915 Posts: 1862 Location: Northern California Joined: Nov 20^th, 2005 Gender:	Re: Krag Serial# 488271 Reply #8 - Feb 24^th, 2020 at 4:39pm	Print Post
	I recall "arguing" with Frank, 30 yrs. ago, over the 8xxxxx number(s) shown in KRS1. He was adamant in keeping them in the list, even though CLEARLY wrong.


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butlersrangers KCA Forum Member Offline Krag Enthusiast! Posts: 6330 Location: Michigan Bi-Peninsular&Proud Joined: Oct 7^th, 2009	Re: Krag Serial# 488271 Reply #9 - Feb 24^th, 2020 at 4:56pm	Print Post
	Dick Hosmer - That is a neat conversation that you have shared. No criticism is intended toward Mr. Franklin Mallory, but, it would have been helpful if he had indicated "sic" or "suspect" on serial number records that he found questionable.


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Whig KCA Official Member Offline Krag Enthusiast! Posts: 1324 Location: Balt MD Joined: Sep 24^th, 2016 Gender:	Re: Krag Serial# 488271 Reply #10 - Feb 24^th, 2020 at 5:10pm	Print Post
	Evidently he didn't feel they were questionable, just others. We should always have a high degree of suspicion when things are in the "questionable" realm. I just like to go with the preponderance of evidence and reasoning. I am frequently wrong.


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butlersrangers KCA Forum Member Offline Krag Enthusiast! Posts: 6330 Location: Michigan Bi-Peninsular&Proud Joined: Oct 7^th, 2009	Re: Krag Serial# 488271 Reply #11 - Feb 24^th, 2020 at 5:31pm	Print Post
	Having spent a fair amount of time on family genealogy (with lots of Scottish and French-Canadian ancestors) and worked for 30 years for my county, I accept clerical errors in numbers, dates, and spelling as a norm (and function around it). I have the WW2 "bring back" paper on an Uncle's captured German pistol. If I didn't know the "provenance" of the paper and pistol, the corrected errors would make the form look totally bogus. (Not a lot of good typists or paper in the European Theater of Operations, as the War was winding down)! Such is Life.


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Dick Hosmer KCA Official Member Offline Collector of Springfield Arms, 1865-1915 Posts: 1862 Location: Northern California Joined: Nov 20^th, 2005 Gender:	Re: Krag Serial# 488271 Reply #12 - Feb 24^th, 2020 at 6:41pm	Print Post
	What I found strange was that with all his knowledge (quantities, annual production, royalties paid, etc., ad nauseum) of Krags - he could still find ANY reason to think they were correct. And, with all of the guns he'd handled, he could NOT have been ignorant of, or blind to, the 3/8 issue. His bottom line was - "that's what the record shows, so that's what I'm going to list!" Reminds one of David Farragut.


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1911Ron KCA Forum Member Offline Krag Enthusiast! Posts: 59 Location: Buckeye,Az Joined: May 16^th, 2015 Gender:	Re: Krag Serial# 438271 corrected # Reply #13 - Feb 24^th, 2020 at 9:23pm	Print Post
	I took a different picture and it looks more like a 3 with the tips of the 3 smooshed that could be confused with an 8. I corrected the title to reflect the change, I tried to upload a picture but either Imager or my internet didn't like the upload.


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Whig KCA Official Member Offline Krag Enthusiast! Posts: 1324 Location: Balt MD Joined: Sep 24^th, 2016 Gender:	Re: Krag Serial# 438271 corrected # Reply #14 - Feb 24^th, 2020 at 10:30pm	Print Post
	Good job! Thanks for the posting of your finding. Enjoy your great Krag and keep us posted if you shoot it.


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