Finally found my Krag

[ssgross]

She's all put back together. I'll get to the stock work next weekend. I want to scrub with mineral spirits and a blue kitchen scrubby to lift the layer of grime. Light wipe with alcohol to even out the finish, maybe a very light layer of stain to hit the couple deeper scratches that go below its existing finish, then linseed oil.
Here is the bore after one pass with JB paste and kroil - pick is more or less average for the whole length. Gonna be another week at least before I get to see how she shoots. But will certainly post back the results.
Attachment 110483

Information

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[ssgross]

Brass finally came in the mail! I had plenty of Hornady 180gr SP's on hand and loaded up a bunch. I also drilled and tapped the back of a case for my Hornady OAL gauge to check max case base to ogive to make sure the chamber hadn't been drilled out. I saw a long freebore as expected, but the bullet stays in the case. I bubba-checked the headspace with a case and aluminum tape on the back - bolt closes with 1 piece of tape, but not 2 so headspace appears to be fine.
I then took the firing pin out of the bolt, and used my just loaded ammo to check feeding. Ejection is fine. Bolt picks up a round fine when the magazine cutoff is off, and skips when the cutoff is on all as expected. However, the lead tip of every round in the magazine hits the left rim of the chamber, and doesn't glide in unless I stick my finger in and re-direct.
I've read about the problem, and went to Cabela's hoping to find some 220gr round nose. It's like Armageddon has already happened in there - not a single box of ANY 30cal bullets, not a single box of primers of any kind, and the only powder on the shelf was some pyrodex.
Armegeddon aside, I'd sure like some ideas to make this rifle feed smoothly. I've read about sometimes switching out the cover on the left works, but would rather not. Can the spring be adjusted? The bolt catches on the right side of the case, pushing the nose hard against the left side of the receiver. Can the spring be adjusted to counter that?

[browningautorifle]

I've had trouble feeding anything but the 220 rd nose. I used 150 gr pointed and 180 pointed...it was made for the long round nose. Even casting some would be better. It's a length and profile thing. Butlersrangers will have some more on this, also Jon Norstog... They've done WAY more.

[AlexRod85]

Wow! Nice looking rifle!

[ssgross]

I don't think it's the spring (but would be happy if I'm wrong), my sidplate fits like a glove - ever so slight lip on the sidplate where it mates on the feed ramp in the receiver (e.g. side plate protrudes a thousandth or 2 into the reciever). If anything, that couple thous. would help it. I've seen the other posts on just the last round not feeding...but for me it's every round.
I finally found a place on the inter webs with 220 round nose bullets. They're in the mail. I'll shoot the 180 SPs I loaded over the weekend or early next week and post back whether or not case ruptured from a tampered-with chamber (I'm doubtful, but the mathematician in me says it'd be dishonest to say 100% confident without making a casting), and how she shoots.
I read a horror story on another forum when I was researching the feeding issue - guy says a local gunsmith used a file to cut a half-moon on the left of the chamber, then tacked an ugly weld onto the feed ramp to "push" the rounds right, and welded to on the cover plate.
EDIT: Just saw another thread here with "my krag will feed almost anything but is more accurate with 220 RN". Made me think that although my SP rounds poke the side of the chamber when I was playing with it on the workbench, when I cycled with a bit more force like one would when on the firing line, they slipped right in, albeit with a bit of friction. Pulling one out shows the soft lead tip deformed with large burr on the left side. Probably also why his doesn't shoot as well with SPs.

[butlersrangers]

Lots of U.S. Krags are tolerant of cartridges with different bullet weights and profiles. Most Krags handle 180 grain hunting projectiles well.

Some Krags are just fussy.

Springfield Armory and U.S. arsenals just had to check to make sure that there was proper functioning with issue ammo and its 220 grain RN 'jacketed' bullet.

The inside of the Krag's left side-plate plays an important role in smooth and proper cartridge feed. (Occasionally the plate is loose and not properly seated or a model 1896 plate has been put on a model 1898 Krag).
The inside of the plate should be clean and free of dents and burrs. Rust, crud, or old hardened cosmoline can interfere with smooth feeding.

There is a 'lobe' toward the inside front of the plate. The case-shoulder meets this lobe and it influences the cartridge feed angle.

Krag owners experiencing feed problems have sometimes found the side-plate to be the culprit. (A spare plate is a cheap and easy test). Some owners have built-up (and re-shaped) the lobe with solder or epoxy to correct the feed-path for a desired load.

Most of my Krags are not 'cartridge sensitive' and tolerate 180 grain SP's and 168 grain 'spitzers'.

You may have to alter your Over-All Cartridge Length. Possibly your projectile is seated-out too far?
The projectile tip may be touching the barrel-breech, before the case-shoulder makes contact and gets directed by the lobe of the side-plate?

[ssgross]

You may have to alter your Over-All Cartridge Length. Possibly your projectile is seated-out too far?
The projectile tip may be touching the barrel-breech, before the case-shoulder makes contact and gets directed by the lobe of the side-plate?

I thought so too. The 180 SP's have a cannelure, and I have seated until the cannelure is completely covered up. I usually seat until I just barely still see the top of the cannelure. I didn't crimp, and I think I can go just a tad further in. I'll seat some 150 SPs too and see how that feeds. I also think I'm gonna take you up on the idea of putting the ladder back in the white.
I'll shoot it on Monday - was going to go to Quantico today to get it on paper, but rain in the forecast means yard gets mowed first. Then, I think its about time lots of pictures and a range report! Those 220 RN's are in the mail mon. or tues.

[jon_norstog]

Hello SS! The Krag can be finicky about ammo alright. Ive had a few, some would feed anything, some would only feed RN bullets. As a hunter I stick with RN anyway as they expand better than most spitzers at Krag velocities. The hangup seems to be at the joint between the receiver and the side cover plate, where it's supposed to turn the bullet toward the chamber. You should see what my hunting rifle does to "ballistic tips."

I think you could get in there with a dremel or a die grinder and just fair up that joint. The metal on the side cover is case hardened and will take some work. Be careful not to cut deep into the receiver, which is a lot softer.

Good luck!

JN

[ssgross]

I think you could get in there with a dremel or a die grinder and just fair up that joint. The metal on the side cover is case hardened and will take some work. Be careful not to cut deep into the receiver, which is a lot softer.

Jon - are you saying the feed angle at the joint needs to be lessened? If I hear you right - removing some material from where the side-plate and receiver mate would make the feed slot closer to parallel with the receiver (of course I don't mean grind it parallel, just grind or file in that direction) should change the point at which the case gets it's first "bump" over to the right? Wouldn't removing material from that area move the round time more towards the lip of the chamber, instead of further to the right? In my rifle, the hangup is the nose of the round hitting the flat to the left of the chamber, not snagging on the joint where the sideplate mates with the receiver.

Another question for the group...was the original ammo jacketed? I found this picture labeled as Winchester 30 US Army from 1895. If authentic, it looks like jacketed with a soft lead nose.
Attachment 110996

[butlersrangers]

So much for trusting memory, I studied the feed of various .30-40 loads in a model 1896 and a model 1898 Krag, today. I studied the interior of a couple of loose side-plates.

The inside of the Krag side-plate has a 'ridge' and it is farther back than I described.
This 'ridge' appears to act on the taper of the cartridge-case body and does not touch the case shoulder.

With the initial movement of the Bolt, the top cartridge rim is just contacted by the bolt-face.

The initial movement moves the cartridge forward and the cartridge tip 'dips' downward. With further movement the bullet tip makes contact with curved surfaces of the side-plate and receiver that form a ramp, directing the bullet nose toward the chamber. It is very important that the seam between the side-plate and receiver be smooth. Round-nose bullets have an advantage riding over the seam.

While the cartridge is moving forward, the ridge on the side-plate and edges of the receiver opening to the magazine continue to act on the cartridge and may influence the angle it takes toward the chamber mouth.