Should I buy it? Newbie questions

Today in a shop I found a US Krag rifle for $500. I know zero about Krags but when I saw the near perfect bore on this rifle it intrigued me.

Serial number was about 89,000
Stock was cartouched 1903

The good:
the metal is overall quite nice and is very close in condition to Tinbenders krag on this thread: https://www.milsurps.com/showthread.php?t=4859 No pitting

bore was bright, sharp and shiney, crown was crisp.

Original barrel and stock length.


The bad:
Stock is cracked behind the magazine, which really sucks as the rest of its condition is great, unsanded with only minor dings. I am pretty good with stock repairs and refinishing.

The rear sight was replaced with a buckhorn sight that was dovetailed into the barrel. An original sight would cover the dovetail (although not make it go away)

The handguard is missing.




I am not looking to find a perfect collectors specimen but would this rifle be worth trying to partially restore ? As I understand it the sight and handguard may cost me $200 total??? Is the last version of the rifle sight more reasonably priced?

Your comments would be appreciated.

I do not have a Krag and I use my rifles for shooting, not collecting.
So on this basis, here's my opinion, FWIT.

It seems that the rifle is FUBAR as a collector's item - you can repair the stock, but you can't undo the dovetail. That puts the §500 way out of line.

Spending $500 for "as is" plus another $200 for parts (if you can find them) plus a lot of skilled time to repair the stock (maybe another $100 if it was done for you) means that a complete, unbubba'ed rifle for $800-$1000 would make more sense - if you can find one.

So (for me) it would only make sense if you are going to shoot competitively and the bore is so very, very good that you are sure you are going to have a matchwinner when all is done. And even then I would not offer more than $200 - and be prepared to walk away if the seller persists in claiming a (no-longer existent) collector value.

Patrick

I would agree, that price is too high for a rifle which is really beyond reasonable restoration.

You could probably repair the stock, but the dovetail is simply not going to go away, and I would think this would be a big red light to any buyer.

If you look long enough, you will find a good one for that price.

On the other hand, if you want only a shooter, and that's all it is, because if you got the serial # right, it should be a model 96 made in 1898, nowhere near 1903. The dovetail would make a good anchor point for a Miller Kodiak scope mount, useful for load development. $500 is still a bit much for a mix of parts.

If it is a 96 in a 98 stock, something more has been done to this rifle. Stock cut out for the bolt "channel' or the "channel" groung off?