Neighbor's Krag

[A. F Medic]

Neighbor just brought over to me what looks like a Krag carbine. I can't post images yet as he took the carbine back to his house.

Carbine was refinished. No "P" or cartouche. Barrel 22 inches long. Humped hand guard. Looks like an 1896 sight with a "C" right above the number 19.

Sight is deep in the hand guard but I could see numbers 6 and a 5 on the left side. On the right was spaced graduations. Sight goes to 20.

Rifle is MODEL 1899. Springfield Armory. # 358448. No cleaning rod but three holes. No lighting cut.

Correct Krag sight but no "C"

Has unmarked sling swivels. However the main part of the swivel can be twisted and removed by lifting on a little silver pin. My carbine came with the same swivels and I was told that they were Mossbergs.

Forearm has the pinhole on left side with long tension spring on the right. Solid barrel band.

Did I miss anything? I did not want to take it apart but I am sure that I could if I got the owners permission. Carbine??..

Information

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[chuck in idaho]

A.F. Medic
Yes, it is a MODEL 1899 Carbine. The serial number dates to late 1901 production which would have had a MODEL1901 rear sight and MODEL 1901 handguard as issued. The MODEL 1896c rear sight and Model 1899 handguard were issued on `99 carbine's in the 216-240,000+ s/n range so they may not be original to this carbine.
Is the front sight blade short (0.265") or tall (0.410") ?

POst some pictures if you can.
HTH
Chuck

[A. F Medic]

Chuck.
Since I do not have my hands back on the rifle yet, I can not post images. But I will try later.

I looked in Poyer's book and it is a 1896 sight and a humped handguard. I did finally find a "C" on the right side of the sight but the "C" was close to the beginning of the sight. Hard to see as only the top part extended above the wood line.

Maybe when it was built they had not gone through all the 1896 parts yet? I do not have a clue. Did Poyer mention 1896 sights etc on 1899s?

I went through my notes from last night and I did measure the front sight. Remember, it is still attached to the barrel. Also, I assume you mean the sight blade.

I measured as best I could from the shooter's side of the sight where you could see the blade in the sight. I believe I got .035 inches roughly. Thickness is .063 if that means anything.

Do you or anybody else have an image of the swivels on an engineers carbine? I believe that was the only time swivels were used???

[A. F Medic]

Just found out that there is an oiler hole in the butt stock but no gate to access it. Butt stock numbers match. 260

Also, there is a "F" under the bolt handle. Thank you!

[Dave]

The swivels diffinatly sound like Moss. detachable type, second issue, (Pre WW11). Carbines, of course, had no swivels. That 96 carbine sight is worth big buck in its own right!

[steved409]

Thanks to 5madfarmers we can say that many '99 carbines may have had sling swivels. There was a G.O. advising the addition of sling swivels to '99 carbines. And as carbines (even earlier models) came through arsenals, there was the means to update them to M'99 specs. I am in possession of a NOS stock made for M'96 carbines to bring them up to M'96 reg's (long stock/no sling bar inlet) and it was CUT FOR A REGULAR ARSENAL BUTT SWIVEL!

SteveD

[andiarisaka]

Funny you should mention him, I was just thinking I sometimes miss his ravings. Here, he could have his own little section and not bother those who don't understand his brilliance. I found another thing he is probably right about, the cadet rifles were for the most part, the rifles with 1895 dated receivers. Appears the armory was working on them about the same time it was working on the first 96 carbines, you know the ones with 1895 receivers.

[jon_norstog]

Andi/Madsen & list:

FWIW I had an 1896 Krag for years which I believe to have been an original carbine, SN 31224, no cutout for saddle ring, late model sights and sling swivels. Those Krags got modded pretty good by the arsenal, something that I believe rather than detracting from their value, gives them some soul. If only they could talk!

I sold that carbine to Ron Peterson in ALbq, back in 1992, for $300. I wish I had it back!

jn