Krag Front Sight Cover - Carbine ONLY?

[1903Collector]

Was the Krag Front Sight Cover only used on the Carbine?
Got one on my 1899 Krag Carbine Model 1896. Expensive, but it looks great!
Do I need one for my 1897 Krag model 1894 (...or is it an 1896!?!?), or did they only use the brass front sight protector between battles?

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[1903Collector]

Was the Krag Front Sight Cover only used on the Carbine?
Got one on my 1899 Krag Carbine Model 1895. Expensive, but it looks great!
Do I need one for my 1897 Krag model 1894 (...or is it an 1896!?!?), or did they only use the brass front sight protector between battles?Attachment 128224

P.S., did the model 1895 made in 1899 ever have a version with the saddle ring, or was that only for the SA War Krag Carbines?

Though the 1899 manufactured Model 1895 Krag Carbine is a place holder for an actual 1898 or earlier Krag Carbine I still want it to be 100% correct. If I can add a saddle ring with it being still correct for an 1899 the carbine will look closer to the version used in the SA War (and yes, I know there were other visually distinctive differences in both stock, hand guard band, and maybe the front sight...but few who tour our museum other than myself will know it missed the war by a year!)
My 1899 manufactured Model 1895 Krag Carbine resides in the SA War section of my 102 long gun collection (Military Smokeless Powder Era USA Conflicts - SA War thru the Cold War) on display at the Texas Veterans Hall of Fame Museum in Denton, Texas. It stands next to a 1897 Krag rifle, 1896 Spanish Mauser model 1893 rifle and model 1893 carbine of unknown year.

(THE MORE I LEARN, I BECOME AWARE OF THE HOW LITTLE I KNEW!)

[butlersrangers]

Well '1903collector', your questions leave me confused!

FWIW - The U.S. brass muzzle-cover/front-sight protector was intended for full-length (30" barrel) Krag infantry rifles.
IIRC - They are first mentioned in one of the Chief of Ordnance Annual Reports, printed in the early 1900's.
I suppose such covers could also fit onto 'School Rifles', because their 22" carbine barrel is stepped at the muzzle to accept a standard bayonet.

BTW - The muzzle area of Krag carbines and 26" barreled Board of Ordnance & Fortification rifles were too large in diameter to accept the rifle brass muzzle-cover.

There were two odd a sheet-metal devices, one for rifles and one for carbines, Major Parker's sighting-system, that snapped over the front-sight and provided a taller blade for reduced range gallery-practice cartridges.

The model 1896 carbine (whether marked 1895, 1896, or model 1896) and model 1898 carbines were originally supplied with a 'short' stock and carbine sling-bar & ring.

The sling-bar was dispensed with when the 1899 carbine and its longer stock was adopted. The 1899 carbine was carried in a leather saddle-scabbard. The sheet-metal front-sight protector was adopted in the early 1900's to protect the front-sight in the scabbard.

Model 1896 and model 1898 carbines when rebuilt after 1899, were given a long stock and 1901 carbine rear-sight, to make them more like the model 1899 carbine.

The was also a short model 1896 carbine replacement stock that lacked provision for the discontinued 'sling-bar'.

The carbine front-sight protector came after the SAW and was adopted for the model 1899 carbine. It could be used with earlier 'updated' carbines to protect the leather scabbards.

[butlersrangers]

Examples of the U.S. Krag (brass) rifle muzzle-cover, the carbine front-sight cover, and the Parker system gallery front-sight.

[1903Collector]

Examples of the U.S. Krag (brass) rifle muzzle-cover, the carbine front-sight cover, and the Parker system gallery front-sight.

Thanks for your time.

Your answer on the saddle ring was what I was looking for.

If we are both talking about the sheet metal front sight cover that is snaped on much like the 1903 Springfield version then your answer on the adoption of that for the 1899 to protect the front sight in the scabbard makes sense and answers that question. From that answer I conclude that, unlike the 1903 Springfield, which had no carbine variant, the sheet metal front sight cover was never used on the rifle version as it was never stored in a scabbard.

[1903Collector]