A Krag story of ignorance compounded by youth.
My father, who could have afforded any reasonable cartridge/rifle combination returned to the .30-40 after every digression into 'faster, better, newer'. When he was killed, I inherited his guns of course. Of the rifles, at that time, he had only an 1895 Win in .30 Army, and a 1898 Springfield Carbine. Also was a big box of mixed ammo. The ubiquitous factory Peters 180's of course and some good looking (Remington Bronze Points) ammo marked reloads. Without much thought, I burned up the ammo over the next few years in both rifles, hunting, rock busting, but I was mildly annoyed that the Buffington, at it's lowest setting still shot high with the reloads. Finally, after burning up more than a hundred rounds, I pulled down one of the reloads, yikes..a compressed load of 4350, 180 gr Rem Bronze Point....obviously intended for the 1895. I called my uncle, told him what I had done. He reassured me, told me that my Krag had been sent to a machinist retired from Benicia Arsenal, who gave it 'the full treatment' (?). He said that part of the rebuild was a bolt re- heat treatment, 100% bearing surface fit so that the front and rear lugs bore evenly, and headspace adjustment. In 1938 when this took place, my uncle claimed my dad got 'taken' for 40 dollars, twice what the rifle cost originally. Lucky me, the Krag took it all in stride, now it gets a pure diet of published safe loads.
