30-40 krag

Evening all couple questions about the krag I got a while back I posted some stuff a while back Now an few more things have happened 1) got the ammo and out to the range and loaded it with one round pulled trigger NOTHING happened tried it again nothing again. Well took out bolt the firing pin is broken off nearly .155 off the end of it 2) the ejector did not pull out the round and tried it a few more times nothing.... case stayed in chamber , tipped up rifle and it slid out !!! boy do I need help !!!! or a lot of advice or turn it into a tomato stake along with its matching bayonet. used live ammo and just empty cases nothing. also one other question concering a trapdoor stock, what if the stock has no marking on it at all but is seems like it has the same size as my other one with its markings ? thanks for any and all information you can give me.... Bill hope I can save this rifle ? again thanks bill

OK...you'll need to probably watch Ebay for a firing pin and an extractor for the Krag. There ARE some people sell those parts, maybe Gunparts in NY...maybe a WTB here will get what you need. Don't give up hope there...I'd have stripped the bolt and checked it out before hand, but I did have that happen with a #4 Lee Enfield...like new rifle. Same thing.

The Trapdoor probably has a replacement stock...hard to say without seeing it.

you can try S S Firearms Home . they usually have what you need.

thanks for your reply ... what part of the extractor is bad ? the piece that slides over the shell case or ??? there area few parts that make up the extractor assm. so do I need them all r just 1 or 2 of them ??? thanks bill

Probably the extractor it's self...

thanks for your reply Jim...maybe one more question with this krag at least when I either put in a shell or a loaded one into the chamber I can tip the rifle up and down and hear the bullet move in there is this ok?? an maybe as it is fired the back of the case slams against the bolt and the extractor ?? it seems like with other types of bolt action rifles the bolt fits against the back of the case when ready to shoot it ? again with this krag the shell does move some it there ??? seems like it should not ! if this the case what else can be wrong with this rifle again thanks for you help bill maybe I only have to put in a replacement firing pin I got on order

I just tried my rifle and no noise, but my carbine that I sold might have been different. The bolt was looser when the spring was eased and would have had some slop to it. You maybe should have headspace checked on that rifle...if you can find someone to do it. It would be a gauge not everyone would have. You can wait and see if it's just a broken firing pin is all that's wrong...

thanks for your reply Jim I am hoping the pin comes in to day Friday nooish then will try out assuming that is not it! and a head space gage is used and there to much space can this be fixed ??? some how hopefully thanks again bill

It's hard to fix excess headspace, specially on something like that. It can be done but it's complex and would alter the firearm.

again thank Jim ........... Bill

Pleasure Bill, keep us info'ed for education sake...?

evening all bill again lol I am 99.9 per cent the damm krag is rebarreled a bannerman special ??? assuming it is what caliber could they use ?? also I tried to measure the muzzle bore almost .300 dia. the barrel has not type of marking on it at all! a gunsmith suggested to measure the bore an chamber cast it in other words pour some lead down it then knock it out and measure it sounds drastic !!!. I tried to seat 30-06 will not chamber did go in a bit, 30-30 an 30-40 would chamber lock up but did fit ! again thanks for the help bill p.s. any where to get a 30-40 frag barrel cheap ???? lol

You better show us some pics first and then maybe we can help. Bannerman makes sense, he did lots of that. The whole company was founded on making money and he moved TONS of stuff. Quite a story actually. A chamber casting would be a good idea, let's see the rifle it's self first? Short answer, no where to get a decent Krag barrel cheap. Replacements are available but what's the shape of the rifle first?

'Bill': Your descriptions are making me kind of nervous. Most U.S. Krags will allow some bolt movement and noise when 'un-cocked' and the chamber is empty. However, the movement (a few .001") is lessened and the noise disappears, when the striker is cocked or an empty cartridge case is in the chamber. If you are really hearing a .30-40 cartridge case bouncing around when the bolt is closed, something is not right! Possibly, the chamber has been altered or the bolt-face or locking lug is damaged. Detailed pictures of your bolt and action might reveal potential problems. I would advise you to have your rifle examined by someone knowledgeable about Krags.

Attached are pictures showing how a cartridge case is held by the bolt, the tip of the extractor and striker, a Krag barrel 'Proof' mark, and the barrel/receiver 'index mark. There is also a picture of the 'gap' that should be present between the rear of the bolt rib/safety-lug and the receiver.

Attachment 63401Attachment 63402Attachment 63403Attachment 63404Attachment 63405

Hi Jim looking through a reprint old bannerman cat # 1927 they show for sale 30-06 rounds $1.20 per 100 wow the item that cought my eye was them selling 30 u.s army ammo ??? they look longer than the 06 and also looks like the taper more also ?? could this be what fits mine ?? if so where could I get these from ? and how many calibers of barrels could they put on them rifle ?? and what popular caliber ??? also any advice who sells yet 30-40 barrels ?? as always thanks bill

to answer my last question that 30 u.s. army is probely the 30-40 krag !!

30-40 is the same as 30 US Army. The guns are rated at a lot less for pressure than most, around the same as a 30-30. They won't take re-chambering to something more powerful. Butler's Rangers has a valid point and I'd love to see pics of this one. My old carbine was like he says and loose, but the rifle is tight. Can't hear a cartridge move. It's possible it's been damaged. If it's a Bannerman they assembled rifles from whatever they had on hand. Two have new barrels available... .30-40 Krag Barrel Barrel, .30-40 Krag, 30 Gun Parts | 767220 | Numrich Gun Parts Make sure you read up on barrel change before you get that done so you find the right guy to do it.

If you look for barrel markings ("P" and Index-Mark), it is pretty easy to tell if a Krag rifle has an original Krag barrel.

Caution is always in order because some strange 'Bubba things' have been done over the years. Some Krags were altered by VFW Posts to fire .30-06 'blanks'. These ceremonial rifles would accept a .30-06 Blank but not a .30-06 Ball cartridge. (Extraction was by finger nail???). Last year a member of the KCA Forum (Krag Collectors Association) posted a picture of a .30-40 cartridge case fired in one of these VFW Krags (attached). No harm was done, except to the brass case (Lucky)!

I am not trying to instill fear, just caution. An experienced 'Krag Guy' should be able to spot if there is something 'funky' with your rifle's chamber.

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again thanks Jim there are NO type of barrel markings on it what so ever just the front site and 2 tapped holes for the rear site. I did not quite understand the other post about the 2 companies you mentioned 1) being numrich and other gun parts ? arn t they the same company ?? and what did you mean by the barrel change ? thanks bill one other thing when I log in it says I have 29 unread posts wow how do I see these ? or view them and or delete them thank.... bill... I bet I an a pain in the butt !!!

There's two links there... .30-40 Krag Barrel and Barrel, .30-40 Krag, 30 Gun Parts | 767220 | Numrich Gun Parts But they formed too close together. If you want to sort out a questionable barrel, it gets unscrewed and another goes on. I still think you should show us a picture of this rifle before you go much further. Butlersrangers is extremely knowledgeable in Krags and I think his input here would be invaluable. This could save you coin in the long run too...

Click on the unread post and it will open them up for you. Top right of the page.

thanks for your reply Jim I am going Monday to a couple gunsmith in town this ought to be interesting !!! one thing yet don't laugh I do not even own a cell phone al all so cannot even take pictures of it wish I could I spent the last 15 years on a computer designing spec equip so I try to stay away for all that a while back I had my son take some pic with his phone and they did not come out good at all I could have used my old poloroid and done better than that thanks again thanks for your help bill

My cell is a flip phone so it's no good for anything but making a call. I seldom have it anyway... I use a small drugstore digital camera and it works great. Good luck on the gunsmith...

Dear Jim after stopping at 2 gunsmiths Monday the could not determine what caliber it was but the muzzle was .308 chamber ???????????????? both said would have to cast it to see the size of it one of the gun smiths said maybe a shell got stuck in there and some idiot tried to drill or ream it out!!! the chamber was mess looked like someone tried to get it out oh they did !any way I did want spend any more $$$ on it. so I tried to return it to where I bought it today they bought it back for what I paid for it and the cost of the firing pin !! not bad so if I go looking for another 30-04krag I will take 1 or 2 rounds with me !!! this wont happen again lol I hope thanks for your help bill one guy said it may have been a wildcat round of some type an hard to get shells for an ammo

Yes, the bore is .30 cal. That was Uncle Sam's favorite for some years. I'd still have been wary of what that gunsmith said, just because of the way he worded it... Doesn't matter, this was an educational experience and now you have way more ground under your feet to look for another. If you consume the threads here and over at, say, Culver's you'll have a good working knowledge to purchase a decent collector/shooter...and not break the bank.

hi Jim bill again oh no ! when I had that krag at both place we put a bore lit down the chamber an believe me there were some type of grind or tool marks of some type. both places said also would need to be cast by me or them they do it about $35.00 or so. then I would have decide what to do next depending on the out come of it. we now it wasn't any type us 30 cal. rd. even tried a 300 Winchester no fit chamber was still to big in diameter . I felt I was going on a slippery slope down hill and take poss. few hundred dollars to some how fix it back to 30-40 or god knows what cal. it good be ! then may shells for it ?? . so with all that in mind I went back to the dun store I bought it from told them my problem and settled on them giving back what I paid for it and the cost of the firing pin. if I have learned a lesson it is next time I am looking form a old military rifle take a round or rounds along to try out before I buy it. it seems like the krag had a number of issues like this in the past sorry for my long expiliation for not keeping the rifle . bill

I fully understand and agree...anyhoo, you can now search out a good one.

Maybe that Krag was an intentionally de-activated 'drill rifle'. With the chamber 'augured out', lucky for Bill the firing pin was broken!

That all makes sense too...hard to tell, never having see it.