Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Mausers and Military Rifles A Rescued Krag

Here a couple of quick , poor pictures ( I suck as a photographer) of a sporterized Krag I rescued from a lonely life of a gun shop shelf yesterday. The s/n indicates a 1901 mfg. date. Barrel has been gut to 24 inches and everything reblued and a set of sporter/hunting sights installed. The stock is a Fajen.

I have a weakness for the old Krag.

Congrats, good find. Nice looking old school military conversion. Krag actions are slick.

how much? I've been looking for something just like that

Now, that is really nice.

Did I pay or do I want to sell it?

Bless you, we here at the Mauser Rescue Society are well aware that Mauser rifles are not the only poor neglected old soldiers of the world. Your act of kindness could very well mean a new lease on life for a proud old war horse. Your efforts have not gone unnoticed and in closing, as we like to say, adopt a rescue Mauser(or other neglected military bolt) today.

Looks like fun. Get some 220 gr. RN and have at it.

How did that old soldiers ditty go, referring to the Philippine Insurrection? "..and we'll civilize them with the Krag."

Nice rifle!!

how much does something like that cost?

500.00 ish

Nice find. I like them too, having acquired my Grandfather's Krag , a WWI vet. A Lyman or Redfield "no drill" receiver sight is my preference on these "sporter" versions.

You need to post a picture of it.

Pictured are my first Krag and my most recent...The rougher of the two was my Grandad's. He served in France in WWI. While the family told us he brought this home with him, it might very well be he acquired it in the 20's after he returned. Dad said Grandpa was a good shot with the rifle and Dad shot his first deer with it-with full length original barrel and stock. Grampa was a good blacksmith and welder but a poor gunsmith. He cobbled it together and it sat that way for many years until given to me three or four years ago. It actually shoots plenty good enough to take a deer which I intend to do. As usual for me, I couldn't stop with one...others have followed including this last 1896 which was very nicely put together I think.
https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/galleries/14029063/krag-photos

You two guys got some nice Krags.

Actually, Gary (Gnoahhh) is the Kragmeister!

I don't know about that, but I've owned a sh*t ton of them in my life.

First one was in 1969, at age 16, M1896 cavalry carbine- for the exorbitant cost of $30. It coincided with my first bullet mold- a 155 grain plain base design. I cast the first bullets using an empty soup can and a propane torch and immediately stuffed 20 or 30 of them into Krag cases (with no lube on them, first mistake) over top of a pretty stiff charge of 2400 (second mistake). Out in the neighbors field at my "private shooting range" I rapped those twenty shots lickity-split downrange. First couple shot to the sights and I was cock-a-hoop. By the time I fired the last shot they were spraying all over the hillside. Heck, one or two might still be flying for all I know. I trudged home feeling not so hot after all. That night when I went to clean the gun I saw that the rifling grooves were packed level with lead- it looked like a smoothbore. Lesson learned, at the cost of several evenings and a few bore brushes: lube the damn*d bullets, and don't shoot them at around 2000 fps without a gas check. I went on to kill my first deer with that gun.

Favorite one was a Krag built by Sedgley. It was a three shot repeater (two in the magazine, one up the spout) with its magazine box removed but with the follower and spring cleverly fixed under the solid wood RH side of the classic-styled pistol grip stock, Lyman 48 sight. It went away along with a few other treasures 30 years ago, to help finance 36 acres of Pennsylvania woods.

I think I posted pics of my .22 Maximum Lovell single shot Krag custom, with heavy Marksman-style stock and double set triggers? Built by Hervey Lovell himself probably sometime in the 1930's. It's a whizzer.

Current on again-off again project: a M1896 attributable to a Trooper in the 1st Volunteer Cavalry, (Rough Riders). It came to me as a bare action and is being built as an homage to Townsend Whelen's custom Krag sporter. Griffin&Howe-style stock with kidney cheekpiece, ebony forearm tip, steel furniture, new Criterion barrel, Lyman 48 receiver sight, pretty crotchwood black walnut stock. I'll post pics at some point- it's at a gunsmith buddy's shop where I'm doing the work on it. (The college laboratory workshop that is my day job is not exactly a gun friendly environment.)

Grand Rifles!

I look forward to seeing your latest project when its finished.

Very nice Krag sporters hillbillybear and LEADMINER. Congrats to you both on the rifles. I am in the middle of refinishing the stock on my first Krag sporter right now. An 1894 Norwegian. All I know is that after spending some time at the range with a Krag, I already hope to have a second Krag sporter project again someday! Keep the Krag updates coming guys!

Did you happen to see Muledeer's article in Rifle? It was on his 6.5 Nor Krag, as I recall. Been awhile back but I just saw my copy the other day. It is somewhere around here.