The last 1896 krag rifles

Hi guys...my books are still sitting in a mobile storage pod from a recent move I am going through. Can someone help? I'd like the serial number range for 1896 krag rifles for each year, 1896, 1897, and 1898.

Thanks for the assist!

1896: 24920-51396
1897: 51397-83076
1898: 83077-109000 (Model 98s started at 109100, so there could be 99 more 96 models.)

These ranges are from Poyer's book.

My copy of Mallory's book lists the serial number range of the 1896 rifle as 36,026 to 108,915.

From the table of serial numbers:

Year serial # 1896 rifles
1896 30000 18825
1897 62000 19848
1898 91000 23220

Right hand column lists total number produced for the year - carbines were counted separately. Unfortunately Mallory's numbers don't add up. I think the serial numbers at the beginning of each year were recorded by Springfield Armory and they were sometimes way off.

I will check my 1896 when I get home - I have one of the last Model 1896 rifles and I would have sworn it was above the range listed in Poyer's book.

Thanks guys. Is it possible for a rifle made late in 1896 or 1897 to have a stock cartouche from the next year, or does that automatically mean the stock was replaced?

Serial numbers were typically listed in the year end fiscal year reports. Stock cartouche dates are in calendar year.

And, one often runs into stocks that have been switched for various reasons over the years. An example I noticed the other day was an 1898 made rifle in a 1902 cartouched stock. Got to remember, after the US was done with them, these rifles served with the National Guards, were used for training purposes in WWI, and then used by various veteran's organizations. It's a wonder any of them still have their original stocks! Oh, and Poyer's table have supposedly been changed to calendar year for convenience.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kragluver

Serial numbers were typically listed in the year end fiscal year reports. Stock cartouche dates are in calendar year.

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Thanks again guys. One last question. What months did SA's fiscal year run from? I take it that an 1896 rifle made late in the fiscal year of 1896 was actually made in early 1897? Or would it be the other way around?

Govt FY back then ran from July 1st of the previous year, through June 30 of fiscal year. So fiscal year 1897 would have been July 1 1896 - June 30th 1897. As shown by the National Park Service's list of Krag serial #'s:

SPRINGFIELD KRAG JORGENSEN RIFLES
[dated by fiscal year: July 1 of previous year – June 30 of fiscal year]

Year number produced serial number range
1894 - 2,953 1 - 2953
1895 - 13,430 2954 - 16384
1896 - 16,262 16385 - 32647
1897 - 31,819 32648 - 64557
1898 - 41,588 64556 - 116146
1899 - 103,778 116147 - 219925
1900 - 70,652 219926 - 290578
1901 - 54,739 290579 - 345318
1902 - 53,246 345319 - 398565
1903 - 61,841 398566 - 460407
1904 - 17,354 460408 - 477762


I have seen some argument as to whether cartouches were applied by fiscal year, or calendar year. Don't really know who is right, I've yet to run across a 1904 cartouche and production of the Krag was ended in Nov 1903, which would have been FY 1904, so I get some inference from that for calendar year cartouching.

Interesting. I just picked up a '96 rifle that's probably 95%, really nice with very old grease in the barrel and on the action. The only thing changed is a 1901 sight (My FAVORITE!), which was probably put on when it was pickled. 1897 cartouche, SN 95981. Can't wait to clean it up and take it to the range!

Year number produced serial number range
1894 - 2,953 1 - 2953 <-- That's to the end of September.
1895 - 13,430 2954 - 16384
1896 - 16,262 16385 - 32647
1897 - 31,819 32648 - 64557
1898 - 41,588 64556 - 116146
1899 - 103,778 116147 - 219925
1900 - 70,652 219926 - 290578
1901 - 54,739 290579 - 345318
1902 - 53,246 345319 - 398565 <-- That is 10,000 off.
1903 - 61,841 398566 - 460407
1904 - 17,354 460408 - 477762

Not commenting on the rest. I will note that I have a very clear picture of a gun in the 482K serial range and that table would have a very hard time explaining it. No, it's not a hard to read "3." In fact I myself own a gun higher than that table allows. Many GPs are in a range higher. Bill Mook owned 481313. If one checks Rock Island Auction's Spring 2009 catalogue, one would find 482306.

For the "10,000 off" remark, confirm with Brophy's Arsenal of Freedom, pg 124. He took his number from Springfield's annual reports. I'm not saying his number is perfect but it confirms the 10,000 off in the above table.

To answer OP's question, Joe DeChristopher went receiver walking one day. After his walk, the following was observed by somebody smarter than me:

109232 Claimed high for “Model 1896”
109292 Claimed low for “Model 1898”

Cheers.