1899 Krag - What is the proper rear sight and handguard.

[Brightonknight]

Hi,

I have acquired a Model 1899 Krag, that had been sporterized. Fortunately the receiver and barrel were left in alone and not damaged. A ramp front sight had been added by soldering and the rear sight was mounted on a ring that was placed on the barrel and held with a set screws. The barrel is 22" from crown of barrel end to bolt face.

The serial number is #3464XX and different sources place the year as August 1901 (calendar year) or a 1902 (fiscal year) build.

What would be the appropriate rear sight assembly and hand guard for this rifle.

Thanks

Information

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[browningautorifle]

It sounds like you want to put original parts on a rifle or carbine that's been sporterized. Without the original front sight, you'll be procuring expensive parts for an altered piece. Repro handguards are available and you just need to worry about the sight shooting to POA after. Pics would help too...there are a couple rear sights for that era rifle. (Pics stolen from Krag Collectors...)

[Dick Hosmer]

You'd want the M1901C sight, and the last handguard on the riight, BUT, as Jim pointed out, it's kind of a waste because the front sight will never be right.

[browningautorifle]

M1901C sight

I suspect the barrel isn't originally a carbine anyway...but we'll need pics to see. I can't imagine anyone grinding a carbine sight off to make a hunting rifle...cutting a rifle down, there's an idea though. Seen lots of those. A carbine sight will be uber expensive too...

[Kerry49]

Well serial number is in the right range and receiver is model 1899, so good chance original barrel. Just been hacked by bubba. Probably a long time ago.

[Brightonknight]

Hi again,

The weapon was disassembled already and a plan is just to restore it. Goal is a good period correct shooter. The old after market sights are shown too.

The after market front sight was removed, the outline of the old original sight that was ground down can be seen. What's interesting is the original sight looks like it was brazed and dovetailed in. Looks like I can get a gunsmith to mill or file away what's left to present a good front stud seat for a replacement front sight.

Since there are no markings/gouges on the barrel near the chamber, looks like the original barrel for the receiver. Headspace is good and the end of the barrel is not shot out. Has a "P" on the barrel.

From the rear sights that browningautorifle showed, what would be the best bet for an original rear sight assembly to get.

Regards, James



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[butlersrangers]

James - Your barrel is a carbine barrel. Springfield Armory brazed Krag front sight bases into a shallow dove-tail machined into the Krag barrel. As you can see, this was very neatly done.

A skilled gun-smith may come close, but, not likely equal the Springfield workmanship and finish. This work tends to be quite expensive.

If you are striving just to have a 'nice presentable shooter', you can use Krag rifle parts, (rifle sight, a cut-down rifle stock, and rifle hand-guards), which command a lot less money than the cost of legitimate carbine parts.

If your goal is to have an accurately restored U.S.model 1899 carbine, you will invest more money in very hard to find, expensive 'loose' parts, than the value of a completely original model 1899 carbine. (You should Stop and cut your loses now)!

FWIW: A model 1901 carbine rear-sight is the most common of the carbine sights, but, will cost in the neighborhood of $250 to $450. A similar looking model 1901 rifle sight will cost around $75. Initially, model 1899 carbines used the same hand-guard as the rifles. The 'humped' sight protecting hand-guards were added a bit later.

A close approximation of the model 1902 carbine rear-sight can be made by putting a 1902 leaf on a model 1898 base.

Attached photos: 1. Krag model 1899 front sight. 2. Krag model 1901 carbine rear-sight. 3. Convenient 'bastard' sight - 1898 base with 1902 top 4. My 'made from parts shooter' - (1899 action, cut-down rifle barrel with 'banded' front-sight, bastard rear sight, 'cut-down' rifle stock, hand-guard with 1898/1902 sight opening).

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[Brightonknight]

Thanks again for the responses and the pictures provided by BUTLERSRANGER and browningautorifle. The information helped me decipher some of the collector book information.

The dovetail base on the base cleaned out nicely and the one picture shows the original brazing left on the front sight base. The next picture shows the replacement front sight installed and a splash of bluing to see how it will eventually look.

As BUTLERSRANGER mentioned it will cost a bit to restore the carbine to a proper period look and to get the old girl back in shape, yet I think it will be worth the restoration.

Regards.

[browningautorifle]

Nice. I was never so lucky as to have a place to start. My school carbine was at least done by someone that could put the sight base on straight, since it wasn't a carbine to begin with.

[BEAR]

Hey Jim,
My Krag bayonet came with a cavalry picket pin scabbard holster also.

BEAR