Where Did You Find Yours

[butlersrangers]

Nice detail on the U.S. picket pin equipment. I think I'd rather go into a fighting campaign with that equipment than a bayonet. It reminds me of a WW-2 British shovel/pick tool, I use to have. The detachable handle had a fitting to mount a No. 4 Rifle 'spike' bayonet to probe for land-mines.

[browningautorifle]

I know the one. The picket pin had so many uses in the original design. Wonder how it worked out? Can't be too well considering how few kits we see today.

[butlersrangers]

Sometimes rarity may mean something was used a lot!

[browningautorifle]

TRue, sometimes to it's end. You'd think those tools would have had a hard life, digging in that hard old caliche out in NM and such. That handle of the picket pin would have been hard on the hands even with your ropers on...

[RudyN]

I had previously posted that I found a Krag at a LGS. It was a cutd own model which was made to looking like a carbine and had a 1892 rear sight on it. I got it for a decent price so I wasn't upset that it wasn't a "real" carbine. A few weeks later I went back to the same shop and they happened to have a full size rifle in the rack so I now have two Krags. from what I can tell it was made in October of 1903 which makes it one of the last Krags built at Springfield Armory.

[browningautorifle]

A bit of an addendum on my home cooked school gun...now thanks to a friend on this forum I have the front band screw and installed. I changed the sling I made for a 1907 sling that looks much better, until I can get another. My picket pin case didn't clean up very well and I have a WTB on the other forum for a steel scabbard, if anyone knows of one...? I have pics of some of the fine details now, the name carved in the left side and the writing on the stock at the trigger guard. It says "Shanghi" and there's more under the wood that shows this rifle to have been with the USCS at one point. Also, can someone tell me if this was the correct sight for this rifle when it started? It leaned to one side and I had to shim it to stand straight, seemed odd...thought it might have been replaced by an owner at one time. The front one appears to be the shorter one...

[gsimmons]

Nice rifle, Jim. It turned out great.

[RT Ellis]

I acquired two rifles and four carbines. I still have one rifle and one carbine. Of those I have records on:

Rifle M1898 local gun store 1977 $185.50
Carbine M1896 local gun store 1976 $206.70 sold
Carbine M1899 local dealer 1972 $84.00 sold
Carbine M1901 Yuma gun show 1968 $55.00 sold
Carbine M1896 acquired in trade c.1977

I think your best chance of acquiring want you want is through Gunbroker, but you should be prepared to pay a premium price. And no pipe dreams about finding one at 2000 market value.