Stokes Kirk and Sedgley Krags

[butlersrangers]

My 'Poor Boy' Sedgley Krag:

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Information

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[browningautorifle]

'Poor Boy'

Interesting way they rotated the barrel (and re cut the chamber I would think)...was that a rod bayonet '03 barrel repurposed? Rechambered to 30-40?

I read post 2 and see that's exactly what it is...

It would certainly be a sweet deer rifle too.

[butlersrangers]

'BAR' - That 1905 ('03) barrel has a near mint bore. It could have been in .30-03, then .30-06, and then in .30-40. It accepts Factory Ammo, but, has the tightest chamber of any of my Krags. With shortening at the breech, the indexed barrel ended up "upside-down". It shoots well.

[browningautorifle]

That 1905 ('03) barrel has a near mint bore.

It certainly would be. That's why it was chosen, could have been a take off or surplus for the obvious reasons. At the time an excellent choice. I'll bet it does shoot. Make me want one again for just shooting purpose, mine are all gone. Just brass and dies left now.

[butlersrangers]

'Frederick303' - IMHO, The Krags of Sedgley, Stokes Kirk, and Bannerman, were economy, utilitarian arms, assembled from assorted surplus parts during the Depression. They 'made-do' with available U.S. Military parts and some commercial parts to make inexpensive rifles.

Many Gun-Smiths (professional and amateur) did this. Sedgley, Stokes Kirk, and Bannerman just did it on a more extensive basis.

I don't think these arms fall into strict 'Types', (like official military models do). They were improvised, usually following carbine styling, made in limited numbers, using surplus/sold-off military parts. The stocks were often thinned-down and hand-guards were discarded to reduce weight.

Like yourself, I find these 'Hunting Krags' to be an interesting & collectable sub-species.

[butlersrangers]

Leroy Rice of Elyria, Ohio, made sheet-metal 'peep' sights and other accessories for 'home gun-smiths'. A lot of his products are present on altered Krag rifles.

I recently bought a 1949 'Mailing' of his products: