New to me Springfield Krag found at LGS

[butlersrangers]

'tgoldie00' - Springfield Armory, due to increased rifle production for the demands of the Spanish War and Philippine Insurrection, was in short supply of cured black walnut stock blanks.
In 1899, there were two contracts with a N.Y.C. lumber firm of Windmuller & Roelker for 13,000 and 20,000 Italian walnut stock blanks.
The Italian walnut stocks were shaped and finished at Springfield Armory and usually have 'cartouche dates of 1899, 1900, 1901, and 1902. Many Italian stocks seem to have gotten 'stained' to darken them, (on the unit level?).

Your rifle, #255275, was likely originally assembled in March or April, 1900.

Caution: To remove your hand-guard, take off the rear-sight , take the barreled/action out of the stock, and slide the hand-guard to the muzzle, which will relieve the 'spring-tension' of the hand-guard 'clips'.
Store the loose hand-guard with coins, (a quarter and a penny), twisted into the spring-clips to counter-act the tension on the wood.
Krag hand-guards crack easily, if unsupported or 'snapped' on or pulled off a barrel. (They don't make them anymore)!

The front barrel-band cannot be removed with the front-sight blade in place. The stock can be removed with the front-band held forward. (A piece of masking tape will keep the band out of the way).
If you feel compelled to remove the front-sight blade, the small pin is 'tapered'.
The pin should be driven 'left to right' to remove. Use a proper small drift-punch and support the barrel and sight-base. (A brushing of parts and soak with penetrating oil helps)!

Nice Sling! How long is the total strap?
The Krag sling was basically a 'carry-strap'. Its use as a 'shooting aid', came into U.S. practice, around 1903.
One improvised 'shooting technique' was, to run the sling through the 'mid-swivel', attaching the Krag sling to the 'stacking-swivel'.

(The model 1907 sling, for the 1903 Springfield, was designed to serve as a carry-strap and a shooting-sling).

BTW - A nice original Krag sling gets priced around $75 to $100, these days. Take good care of it. Repro-slings, for actual use, are cheap.

Attachment 114419

[browningautorifle]

A nice original Krag sling gets priced around $75 to $100, these days.

I would have thought more for a scarce sling...but we never see them up here anyway.

[butlersrangers]

What do I know? (I'm going by memory and observation .... dangerous territory)

Value will be influenced by condition and actual length (model) of sling.

(Some gun enthusiasts don't realize slings have value. I was just drawing OP's attention to something significant about his Krag).

I'm old and conservative on prices. A lot of gun enthusiasts are fixated on 'black rifles' and don't want or care about antiques. Prices are unstable.

I don't pay stupid "auction prices" for stuff.

[tgoldie00]

The strap is 1-piece and measures to approx 68in in length of leather, not including the brass frog fingers that extend beyond (which are of the “narrow” variety as I understand it.

[browningautorifle]

What do I know?

Well, we rely on your knowledge here of Krags for instance...I just thought they would be more. Like I say, I've never seen one offered up here.

[butlersrangers]

I believe OP's sling is what Frank Mallory and William Brophy called a model 1887 sling.

It was used with both the 'trap-door' Springfield and U.S. Krag rifle.

At 68 inches, it is a bit long; possibly, it has stretched over the years.

IMHO - It is a clumsy and bulky sling on a Krag, but, historically correct.

Both of the mentioned authors give 66 1/2 inches as the length of the 1887 sling. (In my opinion, a lot of U.S. slings, original and reproduction, seem to break the 'rules of precise length').

Attached pictures show:

1. An overly long (72 inch) reproduction, "model 1887 sling",
properly threaded and attached to Krag swivels.

2. A better 66 inch reproduction sling, attached in the manner
of match shooters, at Seagirt, N.J., circa 1903-1904.

Attachment 114421Attachment 114420

[tgoldie00]

I believe OP's sling is what Frank Mallory and William Brophy called a model 1887 sling.

It was used with both the 'trap-door' Springfield and U.S. Krag rifle.

At 68 inches, it is a bit long; possibly, it has stretched over the years.

IMHO - It is a clumsy and bulky sling on a Krag, but, historically correct.

Both of the mentioned authors give 66 1/2 inches as the length of the 1887 sling. (In my opinion, a lot of U.S. slings, original and reproduction, seem to break the 'rules of precise length').

Attached pictures show:

1. An overly long (72 inch) reproduction, "model 1887 sling",
properly threaded and attached to Krag swivels.

2. A better 66 inch reproduction sling, attached in the manner
of match shooters, at Seagirt, N.J., circa 1903-1904.

Attachment 114421Attachment 114420

I very much appreciate your time and energy in helping me become a much better and more informed Krag owner. I have several things in the mail as previously mentioned (to include a 3-piece cleaning rod and original oiler) to get this thing as close to 100% original as I can.

I am a little bit dismayed that there are no remnants of original cartouches to be found on the stock at all (I used a high-power LED light and some BLO to try and get a view of the areas where they would have been - the side has a VERY faint line that would be potentially where the right-hand vertical line of the inspection stamp might have been, and the P is gone altogether with no notable remnant) but from my reading across a few boards - outright removal of these via sanding would not have been completely unusual in some units, or even among early buyers of surplus.

It’s a shame to have that little bit of history lost but otherwise I am enormously pleased with this rifle as a total package and think it worth the relative investment in it.

[butlersrangers]

It is possible for a 'correct' Krag to have a stock that never had a 'cartouche' or circled-'P'.

Armorers in the military and National Guard had access to replacement stocks that might be new and had probably never been on a rifle or carbine.

A new 'field replacement' stock would lack the 'acceptance cartouche' and function 'Proof' stamps.

Check your wood, right behind the rear tang of the trigger-guard. There may be two or three small stamped letters, (or letters and a number).
These are believed to be stock inspector stamps. They are a good indication of how heavily (or if) a stock was sanded by a later owner.

FWIW - Most U.S. Krags were taken apart and rebuilt/repaired/refurbished/updated, during their likely 30-plus years of service and storage. Most Krags left government ownership as 'parts guns'.

[tgoldie00]

It is possible for a 'correct' Krag to have a stock that never had a 'cartouche' or circled-'P'.

Armorers in the military and National Guard had access to replacement stocks that might be new and had probably never been on a rifle or carbine.

A new 'field replacement' stock would lack the 'acceptance cartouche' and function 'Proof' stamps.

Check your wood, right behind the rear tang of the trigger-guard. There may be two or three small stamped letters, (or letters and a number).
These are believed to be stock inspector stamps. They are a good indication of how heavily (or if) a stock was sanded by a later owner.

FWIW - Most U.S. Krags were taken apart and rebuilt/repaired/refurbished/updated, during their likely 30-plus years of service and storage. Most Krags left government ownership as 'parts guns'.

Nothing found on the top of the wrist - however while I was back there I found these on the back flat of the bolt handle-

[butlersrangers]

The markings on the bolt likely identify production batches or lots.
Forgings moved from Springfield Armory's Water shops to the Hill Shops in wooden crates and metal boxes. Parts got machined, heat treated, finished, and inspected by the container.
The exact meaning of many Krag markings has likely been lost in time.

The small stock initials, I mentioned earlier, are on the bottom of the wrist, right behind the trigger-guard.