Finally got to shoot. I knew I remembered some kind of round-nose in the multi-generational family ammo heap, but the rounds I was thinking of turned out to be 6.5x55. It's a big heap, tho, and in the back of a drawer I found exactly two rounds of .30 Army.
Looked from google like that headstamp was between 90-110 years old so I kept looking. Fortunately a buddy came up with half a box of Corelokts. I fired five rounds, one at 15 to make sure I was on the paper, and four more at 50. i made a windage adjustment, guess I should've just shot to group, but I think it's likely going to end up being a pretty accurate little carbine. More accurate than my eyes and that skinny little bare metal front sight blade can do, anyway. Last two were side by side above the bull.
This was my first time shooting any Krag, and the action really does feel great. Fed very smoothly from the magazine. Only issue was that ejection wasn't very convincing, brass just dribbled out of the side unless I really pulled the bolt back sharply and even then didn't go far. One of these days I'll look at the ejector and spring and see what's up. I'm happy with it tho.
Glad you got to put some rounds through your Krag. Keep the two old cartridges for your collection.
Krag ejection is very dependent on the speed and momentum of the Bolt being pulled to the rear! There is no ejector spring on a Krag.
The ejector just lies 'folded down' below the Bolt. There is a square-cornered groove machined into the Bolt-body that straddles a lobe on the tail of the ejector.
Near the end of Bolt travel to the rear, the groove ends in an incline which contacts the lobe. This flips the 'hinged' ejector out of its recess, so that the tip of ejector catches the cartridge rim. The cartridge case pivots upward,
causing the case rim to disengage from the extractor-claw and the bolt-face flange, as it flips out of the action.
It's all in the speed and timing!
Last edited by butlersrangers; 01-13-2022 at 02:42 PM.
They're so smooth, just run the bolt like you mean it.
The fall of shot can have to do with your type of aiming mark too...a round bullseye can sometimes leave room for error. I know. I'm one of those old guys too...
Still trying to summon the courage to trim back the for end to the proper length.
Not sure why CMP would have placed the sight in the incorrect position. I wish I had not noticed it. Now it bothers me.
Glad you got to put some rounds through your Krag. Keep the two old cartridges for your collection.
Krag ejection is very dependent on the speed and momentum of the Bolt being pulled to the rear! There is no ejector spring on a Krag.
The ejector just lies 'folded down' below the Bolt. There is a square-cornered groove machined into the Bolt-body that straddles a lobe on the tail of the ejector.
Near the end of Bolt travel to the rear, the groove ends in an incline which contacts the lobe. This flips the 'hinged' ejector out of its recess, so that the tip of ejector catches the cartridge rim. The cartridge case pivots upward,
causing the case rim to disengage from the extractor-claw and the bolt-face flange, as it flips out of the action.
They're so smooth, just run the bolt like you mean it.
The fall of shot can have to do with your type of aiming mark too...a round bullseye can sometimes leave room for error. I know. I'm one of those old guys too...
I'm a junior old guy, my eyes just started deteriorating a couple of years ago and I'm still trying to figure out aiming. But I was trying for a function check more than anything, that target was the one that happened to be up in the woods. One of these days I'll run up some more ammo and settle down with it. It's a cool gun!
---------- Post added at 03:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:55 PM ----------
Originally Posted by HOOKED ON HISTORY
Still trying to summon the courage to trim back the for end to the proper length.
Not sure why CMP would have placed the sight in the incorrect position. I wish I had not noticed it. Now it bothers me.
How far off is it? I remember looking for that measurement without success. I wonder if there's any consistency in the way CMP or others did theres...
I grabbed a model 1898 U.S. Krag rifle that was handy.
I set a machinist-square across the muzzle-crown and slid-out the rule, until it stopped against the front-sight base, (where the 'flare' comes off the barrel contour).
It measured approximately .425 inches, from crown to front-edge of the base. (I ignored the hidden-dovetailed part of the base that blends into the barrel).
I will confirm measurement with a carbine, tomorrow.
BTW 'Hooked', exactly how long is your barrel?
Last edited by butlersrangers; 01-14-2022 at 02:21 AM.
Today, I measured the distance from the barrel crown to the front-sight base on two original U.S. Krag carbines.
On one the distance measured .416", on the second it measured .445".
The difference (.029") is about the thickness of three 'index' cards.
The average of both measurements would be .430".
I also measured the (muzzle-crown to front-sight base) distance on five U.S. Krag rifles. Distances ranged from .429" to .439", or the thickness of one index card, (.010").
The average measurement for all rifles was .432".
This measurement is more critical on Krag rifles (than carbines) because of the need to accept and latch a bayonet.
Probably a good dimension to aim for would be .430" to .432", (muzzle to front edge of base), if attempting an original looking front sight on a U.S. Krag barrel, rifle or carbine.
Last edited by butlersrangers; 01-14-2022 at 02:07 PM.
PM
Originally Posted by bearrowland
