Krag Sniper

[R005t3r]

Would anyone have a clue as to the monetary value of this excellent Norwegian Krag M1925 Sniper stock? I would like to sell it.


http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x...r/P1020004.jpg
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x...r/P1020006.jpg
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x...r/P1020007.jpg
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x...r/P1020008.jpg
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x...r/P1020010.jpg
Your input is appreciated.

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.

[K31]

How did you end up with just the stock? Where did the rest of it go?

[Badger]

I think the value would only be to someone who wanted to build up a project gun, so I have no idea how to price it.

Have you thought about running a "Make me an Offer" type ad to see if anyone is interested?

Regards,
Badger

[Skippy]

Anyone have any pics or info on these snipers? What sort of optics were they using. Is it US issue or some other country?

[Claven2]

If any country ever made a sniper out of a Krag, it would be Norway.

[Lee Enfield]

If any country ever made a sniper out of a Krag, it would be Norway.

I believe you mean Denmark actually.

[Lee Enfield]

Anyone have any pics or info on these snipers? What sort of optics were they using. Is it US issue or some other country?

IIRC they were a heavier than normal barrel and no optics...

I guess I'll have to look tonight.

Edited To Add: Damn, I hate being wrong; It was the Danish Krag snipers which had the heavier barrel:

Photos

Your stock appears to be a post 1930 M.1925 stock which has been sadly sporterized.

index

[R005t3r]

I'm sorry 'Lee Enfield', you are mistaken. Please check your facts, before taking money out of my pocket.

http://www.kragcollectorsassociation..._Sniper_01.jpg

[Lee Enfield]

I'm sorry 'Lee Enfield', you are mistaken. Please check your facts, before taking money out of my pocket.

http://www.kragcollectorsassociation..._Sniper_01.jpg

Sir, I may well be mistaken.

You asked for opinions, and I gave you mine based on the information you posted (M.1925) and the information I was able to locate on the 'net. I then posted the 2 links which contained the clearest pictures I could locate.

The photo you have used to illustrate your point is one which I used to form my opinion.

From the descriptions on the other page I posted a link to, the photo used is apparently a Model 1930.

Perhaps you were aware of the photo before I posted the link to it?

On my monitor it clearly shows that the top hand-guard extends through the barrel band to the end of the fore-stock. Your stock's hand-guard clearly does not extend through the barrel band.

In the illustration of the M.1925 which I was able to locate, the upper hand-guard is identical to yours. To me this implies that your ID of your stock as an M.1925 is correct; this also implies that your stock has in fact been cut down (also known as "sporterized").


I notice you did not use the other link I posted. This shows illustrations and descriptions of the M.1923, M.1925 and M.1930


index

M1923 Sniper

Well, a snipers rifle was the intention. But it was no success! This same year Norway got its public radio station called Norsk Rikskringkastning - the Norwegian National "around throw". That also became the public's popular name for this sniper rifle - Krag Kringkaster - the Krag Around Throw. And this was meant to be a sniper rifle.
The M1925 has a 66,5 cm barrel covered be the hand guard. The enlarged pistol grip is chequered and it was fitted with aperture rear sight and hooded front sight. It probably was designed for the long knife bayonet.
Long story short, as far as I know there were only produced a total of about 630 of this rifle and most of them were converted to M1930's or hunting rifles. They had the stock cut down, barrel changed etc. To go British for a moment - an original M1923 is pretty hard to find!




M1925 Sniper

The M1925 sniper looks very much like a M1894, except for the enlarged & chequered pistol-grip, the rifled trigger & butt plate, better polishing of the receiver and some minor changes on the trigger guard. I'm not at all sure the M1925 ever was issued to the armed forces or used by them for anything but competitions. The reason for designing the rifle was mainly for the shooters associations to have a military approved sniper that was better and less expensive than the M1923. It should also be possible and inexpensive to convert a M1894 to the new Sniper. The M1925 was approved with 15 and 17 mm barrels, both open or diopter sights, with a total of five different front sights etc. The sniper was supposedly equipped with both the short and the long knife bayonet.
Pretty flexible, if you ask me? Most M1925's were delivered with open sights until 1930, then with aperture rear sight until production ceased in 1950. There were made a total of 2274 “true” M1925's, in addition to the converted M1894's. A number of the M1925's were later converted to the M1930.



M1930 Sniper

It was evident that one had not really succeeded in making the optimal sniper with the M1923 and M1925 – the first being pretty much of a failure in precision, the other one really only being a “glorified M1894”. The army had so far mainly used a M1894/1910 (the regular M1894, but fitted with a scope) as sniper, but there had been problems with the scopes.
Sweden and Denmark had their half-stocked, thick barrelled snipers at the time and Norway wanted something similar.
The M1930 has 750 mm long barrel (13 mm shorter than the M1894). It was 21 mm thick by the muzzle. The sniper was fitted with a sporting stock with hand guard covering about half the length of the barrel. The barrel had no open rear sight and was designed to only have an aperture sight. The front sight was hooded. This sniper did not take a bayonet.

The M1930 on the picture is slightly more “exciting” than the "normal" M1930. It is a German bastard. The receiver is dated 1944 and the number series belongs to the second serie of KJ produced at Kongsberg for the Germans - the NB serie. The receiver is also Waffen-amt stamped. There are no numbers at all one the rest of the rifle. The barrel has the correct length, but it is a 17 mm barrel - the same as the M1923.
The question is then - what is this and when was it produced. It might be a rifle assembled after WW2 when Kongsberg did put together bits and pieces as compensation for people who lost their rifles when the Germans came. It might also be a perfect example of how the Germans put together anything that seemed to be able to shoot straight the last half-year of the war. The receiver is probably produced in late fall 1944 according to the number.
As I'm not interested in prototypes and experimentals, this rifle is available in a swap.

[R005t3r]

Thank you "Lee Enfield" for your tremendous effort to provide me with accurate information. I have indeed viewed your second link, as it is part of my 'favourites'. I apologize for my hasty reply. 'Sportered' is generally a derogatory term, ie.: Lee Enfields. I was not aware that they were purposely cut down by the factory. I am sure this is the case with most enthusiasts. Krags are just such a niche market. I retract my accusation.