1898 Krag rifle...

[coneten]

I went back to the shop and snagged another Krag rifle. This one is Model 1898, SN# 232262, it has a cartouche with a 1902 date, also a circle cartouche under stock, a stamped rack #5 on right side butt stock. The butt plate is solid so not correct for this rifle?. Exterior metal and wood look original and in very good condition, bore is strong. I am having a difficult time figuring out the rear sight...It has no windage knob, is a ladder affair to 1100 yds. V notched slider that does not make contact with the sight base rails...missing parts? Will attempt pics later.

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[coneten]

Might have better luck this time....as mentioned the butt plate is solid and I have not removed it yet. The rear sight does not seem right.

[5MadFarmers]

That, my friend, is the first I've ever seen. I saw a trapdoor once and it had an 1896 Krag sight on it. Your Krag is the first time I've seen a Krag with a trapdoor sight. Not completely though. It's an 1877 trapdoor sight mounted on a Krag 1896 base. That is perhaps one of the strangest things I've seen on a Krag.

Stock is later than gun. I'd wager there are holes under that buttplate as only the 1892 stocks didn't have them and that isn't an 1892. Not unless somebody discovered a magical method of beefing up the wrist in a way I can't detect. Very unlikely.

Swapping out those 1877 bits for 1896 bits would help that gun greatly.

All in all that's actually not a bad gun. Not bad at all.

[coneten]

The holes are in the butt...one of the screws is much larger than the other. So I am going to National Gun Day tomorrow..I am going to be looking for a rear sight and a butt plate. What might I expect to pay and is there something in particular as far as the rear sight? I looked at the various sights and realized the one on this rifle was too weird.

[5MadFarmers]

I got distracted doing other things.

5 Krag Rifle Sight - eBay (item 260549204183 end time Feb-18-10 18:06:49 PST)

Hurt not to get a bid in there. That is what you need. Just one.

[andiarisaka]

I saw a Buffington trpdoor rear sight on a Krag once, can't recall which auction house had it now, I had more pics sent to me because it had a windage knob at the front, thought it might have been one of those 1905 Krag sights. I hope that's grease I see around the receiver and sideplate, and not some attempt at glass bedding.

[coneten]

The story gets complicated. That is grease BTW. I found sportered Krag rifle today at a show..1898 SN#125822. Chopped stock, no hand guard, very good metal..but a perfect bore....$250 So I planned to do some tinkering and get the initial rifle up to snuff...removed the wood and discovered that the flat base of the receiver/ mag base was cracked about half way across.....and there was some play when pressed hard with fingers. So I decided that the rifle I scored today would have to be the "one". It is looking good but I am having a difficult time getting the long screw to seat into the front nose cap. I now have extra swivels, bolt etc but am very disappointed at the cracked receiver. The sporter stock was made slimmer with a pronounced comb..in his infinite wisdom, the creator also ground down the edges of the butt plate so it is useless..the wood is proud about 1/4 inch around the sides. Live and learn!