Sporterized Krag - WTF?

[MeatMarket]

I saw a sporterized Krag in a gun shop in SC. It nearly made me cry in sadness and pity for the thing. I hate it when people ruin and erase history. Why bother, why not just buy a new hunting rifle instead of ruining a piece of history?

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.

[Patrick Chadwick]

It nearly made me cry in sadness and pity for the thing. I hate it when people ruin and erase history.

If the barrel has not been cut back, you could, of course, buy it and restore it to its (presumed) original configuration as far as is feasible. The forums here have many examples of excellent work of this nature.


Patrick

[kragluver]

In the 1920s and 30s the Krag had no historical value. It was just an inexpensive hunting rifle. While sporterizing one TODAY would be questionable, to blame our fore-fathers for taking a good, inexpensive rifle and turning it into a handy deer rifle that kept food on the table throughout the Depression or other hard times is short sighted. Who knew in 1920 or 1930 that the Krag (or any other milsurp rifle) would ever have value? Almost nobody.

[Harlan (Deceased)]

kragluver is correct. Even through the 60's great rifles like 1903's were considered to have little or no value. Commercial hunting rifles were very expensive so many people sporterized them. Some are almost works of art in their own rite.

My dad was in the Korean War. I remember him seeing an M1 Garand for sale cheap sometime in the sixties and he cussed it and said "who would want one of those heavy pieces of %$@#."

[mack]

Harlan and kragluver, thank you for saying what I felt.

When these rifles were sold in the 20's and 30's from the local state guard armories, they went for less that $5 in some cases. As you said the depression drove a lot of these rifles into sporter use to simply stave off starvation.

These rifles were cheap enough and that's the way they went.

I just finished restoring a Krag sporter and it turned out fine. She's back to her former glory., looking for all the world as good as the day she was issued.

I have previously done several 03 and 03A3's and I am proud of the restorations. Carry along a tape measure and check the barrel length.

[vintage hunter]

Meatmarket, this Krag you speak of, was it in a shop in downtown Aiken?

[MeatMarket]

Meatmarket, this Krag you speak of, was it in a shop in downtown Aiken?

Yes on Richland Ave on the right just past Reynolds St. And on second thought, it may actually have been a carbine. I don't know and I feel foolish for jumping to conclusions. I don't know enough about Krags to identify it for sure, I just had the long version in my head and made an assumption. If I passed up a good find by mistake, it's fine by me because I wouldn't have been ready for that purchase anyway at the time. I'm not sure if it's still there.

[vintage hunter]

It was a rifle thats had it's barrel cut down to 24''. Did you notice how Bubba the Gunplumber attached the 1903a3 front sight with a screw up through the bottom of the band? If fact, most all the milsurps in that place are Bubba rejects. Way over priced too. The owner claims to be getting in some 1903's and a couple Krags soon that are supposed to be in original configuration. We'll see.

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

It is interesting how the years change perspective on things. I am still sad when I see it even though sporerizing was completely rational at the time. I do wonder somtimes if there is anything currently produced that will illicit those feelings at some later date.

[Harlan (Deceased)]

Unfortunately, there are very few military rifles that will ever be surplused out to civilians as those in the past since most have been full auto capabilities from the 60's onward. Another reason to take care of, and restore the ex-military rifles we are allowed to own.