.22 Krag

[boltaction]

Good morning:
I recently acquired a .22 Krag in a rather complicated trade deal, and am wondering a bit about it. It appears to be the Gallery Rifle, and is stamped on the side with the usual US Springfield Armory Model 1898, but with the addition of a Cal .22. The serial number is 4764XX. The rifle is full wood, full length, and appears to have a full bore centrefire magazine and feed well, and also the usual bolt, but a .22 barrel. I haven't gotten out to the range with it yet, but I've chambered a spent .22 casing and it appears that the .22 chamber must be very slightly offset so that that standard centrefire firing pin in the bolt whacks the casing just inside the rim. I would think it should fire just fine. The rifle is complete except for one screw holding in the rear sling swivel assembly.

I haven't been able to find a lot about these, but it seems they were purpose built AFTER the Krag was withdrawn from service? Was that because the reserves or militia were still armed with Krags, or was it just because there was a demand for small bore military weight rifles and there weren't enough Springfields made yet? Were there many of these made, and do many survive? Were they in a specific serial number range or just higgeldy-piggeldy? I live North of the 49th, and generally collect Rosses and Lee Enfields, but also have a reasonable collection of small bore trainers from different countries. For US stuff, I've run across the Springfield M2 of 1922, Mossbergs, etc, but never a Krag .22 before. It seems very practical and very nicely done.

I can post some pictures if anyone is interested. If no one is interested, I might post some anyway just for the heck of it.

Ed

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[browningautorifle]

You should post some pics because we're interestd. I'd love to have one of those rifles.

[boltaction]

Here are photos of the rifle. I laid it out next to my regular Model 1898--the 22 is the bottom rifle in the first photo. The rifle has one cartouche on the underside of the stock, but no inspector cartouche on the left hand side as with the other Krags and Springfields I have seen. I don't collect much US military weaponry, so am not certain, but assume that the second cartouche is not there because this was not an issue item? If anyone has any questions, or wants to see any other part of the rifle, let me know. I took the photos indoors because I just had surgery on my knee and didn't want to take it outside, but I may try to get some better, daylight, photos in a few days.











































Hope people enjoy seeing the photos.

Ed

[browningautorifle]

Love it. What's the hole in the left side of the reciever from?

[gsimmons]

According to the serial number the rifle was made in 1903. They were a military issue rifle. It's hard to say why there is no cartouche with date, it may be a replacement stock done while in service. Its a very nice rifle and quite rare.

[boltaction]

Love it. What's the hole in the left side of the reciever from?

I have no idea. I have a couple of Danish Krags, a Norwegian, and a US M1898, and the book on the Scandinavian Krags, but no references on the US ones. Until I looked at my other M1898, I thought it might be a US Krag thing. There's only one hole, so it's not some dumbass drilling it for a scope. I searched the Gallery rifles on the internet, and found this reference from Cowan's Auctions, which specifically mentions a hole in the receiver, so maybe it's something to distinguish the 22 from its big brother??? I also found a reference to the rifle on the NRA Museum website saying only about 850 were made in .22, but it doesn't mention the hole

* Springfield Model 1898 Krag Gallery Practice Rifle, - Cowan's Auctions



I also found a reference to the rifles on a Gunboard called Culver's Shooting Page (ain't Google great?), in which one member told another that the Gallery Practice Rifles only had an undated, script cartouche stock. I don't know if that's correct or not--the fellow might be wrong, in which case I don't want to perpetuate an error....

.22 Gallery Practice Krag

However, there was also a story about a Gallery Rifle on the Krag Collector's Forum, which mentions that the rifle the fellow bought had no cartouche, which he attributed to sanding, so perhaps it is correct these rifles never had one--restocked when converted perhaps? The hole is still a mystery though.

Krag Collectors Association

Ed

Ed

[daveM96]

That's a beautiful example of a Krag Gallery Practice Rifle! There's some excellent information on the GP rifle in both Brophy's book "The Krag Rifle" and Mallory's book "The Krag Rifle Story". The hole in the side of the receiver is where the extractor cam is located inside the receiver. This modification was necessary because of the poor performance of the regular .30 cal extractor.

There appeared to be only 841 (Brophy) manufactured, so they are relatively rare....especially in the condition yours appears to be.

[browningautorifle]

I'd still love to have one of those. I've always found the full sized rifles converted to .22 facinating and fun to shoot. So tame by comparrison.

[boltaction]

Agreed! The Lee-Enfield and Mauser .22 conversions are a hoot to shoot, and it's always fun unloading one out of a gun case at the small bore range, as there is invariably someone who thinks you're about to blast the .22 silhouettes with a .303.......

My main collection has always been Lee Enfields, Rosses and Mausers, and this rifle has joined more or less by accident. If I decide to sell it, browningautorifle, I will let you know.

Cheers

Ed

[browningautorifle]

I'd love to add a Krag, .22 conversion and a hard to fine collector piece all at the same time. I won't think about the cost for now. It would be frightening...