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The Most Valuable Krags (Read 5405 times)

butlersrangers KCA Forum Member Offline Krag Enthusiast! Posts: 6330 Location: Michigan Bi-Peninsular&Proud Joined: Oct 7^th, 2009	The Most Valuable Krags Apr 18^th, 2020 at 3:03pm	Print Post
	These three Krags, because of connection with historic or notorious events and persons of some fame, in my opinion could command the most money. The Steyr made model 1894 Norwegian Krag rifle of Boer General Tobias Smuts. (Serial number may be #124, per South African Collectors viewing a clear original photograph of Tobias Smuts & Krag. Fate of rifle is presently unknown). An altered U.S. model 1898 Krag rifle, briefly owned by Clyde Barrow and likely captured by Joplin, Mo. Police. (Serial number unknown) A beautiful custom model 1899 carbine, #429596, that was presented to General Frederick Dent Grant. The first two Krags have yet to be documented, by serial number, and their location is unknown. The Grant carbine is listed on the Rock Island Auction House site - May 24, 2020, auction - with bid starting at $30,000. ("Whig" deserves credit for first posting this on KCA forum). Do you have better candidates?
	« Last Edit: Apr 20^th, 2020 at 4:00am by butlersrangers »

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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: The Most Valuable Krags Reply #1 - Apr 18^th, 2020 at 3:37pm	Print Post
	Hmmm - that applied pistol grip looks VERY familiar!


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butlersrangers KCA Forum Member Offline Krag Enthusiast! Posts: 6330 Location: Michigan Bi-Peninsular&Proud Joined: Oct 7^th, 2009	Re: The Most Valuable Krags Reply #2 - Apr 18^th, 2020 at 4:12pm	Print Post
	Trapdoor 'Officer's Rifle' ?


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King carp KCA Forum Member Offline Krag Enthusiast! Posts: 296 Joined: Apr 1^st, 2019 Gender:	Re: The Most Valuable Krags Reply #3 - Apr 18^th, 2020 at 5:51pm	Print Post
	I think the most valuable Krag is the one you want and do not own yet.


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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: The Most Valuable Krags Reply #4 - Apr 18^th, 2020 at 6:52pm	Print Post
	butlersrangers wrote on Apr 18^th, 2020 at 4:12pm: Trapdoor 'Officer's Rifle' ? Bingo!


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psteinmayer KCA Forum Member Offline Krag Enthusiast! Posts: 2391 Location: Ypsilanti, Michgan Joined: Aug 30^th, 2011 Gender:	Re: The Most Valuable Krags Reply #5 - Apr 18^th, 2020 at 10:31pm	Print Post
	I guess if I had to choose... the one that I personally would want most would be the Clyde Barrow sporter! That's one I would place in a class case on the wall!!!


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Whig KCA Official Member Offline Krag Enthusiast! Posts: 1324 Location: Balt MD Joined: Sep 24^th, 2016 Gender:	Re: The Most Valuable Krags Reply #6 - Apr 18^th, 2020 at 10:50pm	Print Post
	How about Krag rifle Serial Number 1?


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butlersrangers KCA Forum Member Offline Krag Enthusiast! Posts: 6330 Location: Michigan Bi-Peninsular&Proud Joined: Oct 7^th, 2009	Re: The Most Valuable Krags Reply #7 - Apr 19^th, 2020 at 8:21pm	Print Post
	Is there/was there ... a U.S. Krag rifle #1? Have rifles #2 to #9 been seen since 1894? They are listed in Mallory's SRS tables. (Well, I guess rifle #7 is listed as retired by the Savage Arms Company, in 1899). Probably anything #95 or lower was a test rifle or presentation piece. Original Ordnance 'Trial Rifles' would be precious. I wonder what number was presented to the German Kaiser? Apparently it was in first 300 rifles. Danke!
	« Last Edit: Apr 20^th, 2020 at 4:03am by butlersrangers »

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Whig KCA Official Member Offline Krag Enthusiast! Posts: 1324 Location: Balt MD Joined: Sep 24^th, 2016 Gender:	Re: The Most Valuable Krags Reply #8 - Apr 19^th, 2020 at 11:41pm	Print Post
	Since this is an exercise in wishful thinking and/or dreaming, it is irrelevant whether Krag rifle serial number 1 exists or not! So, there! Blahhh! (Just for fun, of course!)


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butlersrangers KCA Forum Member Offline Krag Enthusiast! Posts: 6330 Location: Michigan Bi-Peninsular&Proud Joined: Oct 7^th, 2009	Re: The Most Valuable Krags Reply #9 - Apr 20^th, 2020 at 12:13am	Print Post
	I was simply noticing that Mallory's SRS tables start with U.S. Krag, #2. What is the lowest U.S. Krag serial number a KCA member has seen, in person? I have never seen anything less than four digits. IMHO - Some 'mega valuable' Krags could be floating around in plain view, commanding no great premium, because they have not yet been identified and documented, as to provenance.


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King carp KCA Forum Member Offline Krag Enthusiast! Posts: 296 Joined: Apr 1^st, 2019 Gender:	Re: The Most Valuable Krags Reply #10 - Apr 20^th, 2020 at 2:22am	Print Post
	In the Krag book by Brophy on page 24 there is a picture of Krag serial no. 1 which was converted to model 1896. It states it was burned in a fire during the 1930's. It does not state its fate.


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butlersrangers KCA Forum Member Offline Krag Enthusiast! Posts: 6330 Location: Michigan Bi-Peninsular&Proud Joined: Oct 7^th, 2009	Re: The Most Valuable Krags Reply #11 - Apr 20^th, 2020 at 3:41am	Print Post
	Thanks 'King Carp', it is amazing what one forgets and has to re-learn. While you were researching, I was going through the online pages for the Springfield Armory N.H.P. collection, (which is not easy)! I found the listing (SPAR 3193) for U.S. Rifle Model 1892 Krag-Jorgensen SN# 1. (I have seen these catalog pages before. It is an interesting read.). The photo used in the listing looks a lot better than the photo and condition cited by Brophy. Maybe the catalog photo pre-dates the 1930's fire or Krag #1 was restored? When the "Quarantine" is over, we are just going to have to go look ourselves! Anyways, we know it exists, where it is, and that it's not for sale! It belongs to all of us, Yeah. BTW - SPAR 697 - Is likely "Trial Rifle" No. 5. A hand-stamped Norwegian prototype, serial #100, that is likely the very rifle that Erik Jorgensen wielded to win the hearts of the U.S. Ordnance Department, in the 1892 Trials.
	« Last Edit: Apr 20^th, 2020 at 6:45pm by butlersrangers »

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Culpeper KCA Forum Member Offline Posts: 904 Location: Right Coast of Africa Joined: Mar 30^th, 2005	Re: The Most Valuable Krags Reply #12 - Apr 20^th, 2020 at 5:28am	Print Post
	butlersrangers wrote on Apr 20^th, 2020 at 12:13am: I was simply noticing that Mallory's SRS tables start with U.S. Krag, #2. What is the lowest U.S. Krag serial number a KCA member has seen, in person? I have never seen anything less than four digits. IMHO - Some 'mega valuable' Krags could be floating around in plain view, commanding no great premium, because they have not yet been identified and documented, as to provenance. I've seen this one. I am just guessing but odds are good some of the founding KCA members have low number Krags in their collections. The only valuable ones to me are the eight transition numbers. 1894-95, 1895-1896, 1896-Model 1896 and Model 1896 to Model 1898.

	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)
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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: The Most Valuable Krags Reply #13 - Apr 20^th, 2020 at 8:03am	Print Post
	I have handled 230, which had the only solid upper band I've ever seen) when owned by a friend here in the Bay Area - odd thing is that it ultimately wound up (unknown to me until he asked about about it one day - what a coincidence) in the collection of Joe Farmer! The lowest number I have ever owned (and still do) is 2546. For a very long time now, my rifle 37045 has stood as the highest observed "1896". The window has shrunk, over the years, to something less than 100, as the lowest "Model 1896" is now somewhere just over 37100. It would be tempting to think that they MIGHT have made the cutoff at a nice round number - but will we ever know? I doubt it.


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psteinmayer KCA Forum Member Offline Krag Enthusiast! Posts: 2391 Location: Ypsilanti, Michgan Joined: Aug 30^th, 2011 Gender:	Re: The Most Valuable Krags Reply #14 - Apr 20^th, 2020 at 2:57pm	Print Post
	Hey Culpeper... Didn't you bring an 1892 in the 1000 range to Perry three years ago?


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