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A friend of mine has a 96 krag it is all correct except for the rear sight and handguard. It is a very nice rifle. What we can not figure out is it has the firing proof P but no inspector stamp or date. The stock the rifle has never been sanded. Does anyone have any idea how it could have got out of the arsenal with only a firing proof P
My thought would be that the Krag had a field replacement stock (these were unmarked) applied while in service. When the rifle was sent to the armory for the sight upgrade, it was gone over, test fired, and had the new firing proof stamped into the replacement stock.
If they inspected it at the armory and they fire proofed should they not have stamped it with a rebuild stamp like when 03 went through rebuild ?
The stock is likely a replacement that was done at the armory. The 'firing proof' (script P) stamped on the stock wrist, behind the trigger guard area, was done at an armory or arsenal. Field replacement stocks would lack the 'cartouche & date', as well as, 'script P'.
A new 'acceptance cartouche' and date were probably viewed as unnecessary, since the arm was already accepted by the service. (Royalties paid and 'on the books', so to speak).
Lots of Krags were 'rebuilt' or 'refurbished'. They were taken apart and the parts (being interchangeable for a given model) were not kept together. Stocks got switched and the 'dated cartouche' will often disagree with the production date range of the receiver's serial number.
Krag stocks do not normally have a series of 'rebuild marks' as found on later U.S. arms.
IMHO and observation: There are occasional odd markings that appear on some Krag stocks, likely put on during the WW1 period: small 'eagle head' and Ordnance Dept. 'crossed cannon' stamp.
Some Krag stocks have Capital letters like A, CA, and AA in the 'cartouche' area. These are puzzling. I am not aware of anything definitive on the subject. (In my opinion) - The letters may indicate arsenal rebuilding/repair and the location where it was done, in the early 1900s.
rice, a lot of Krags had a kind of rough life, exposed to the elements in Cuba and the Philippines. It was pretty much de rigeur for these weapons to be turned in to the arsenal by a unit returning from overseas. Once the arsenal got them, almost anything could happen - but they are still legitimate US military rifles/carbines. If the gun is not "correct" it may be trying to tell you something.
Good luck!
jn