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Love the 1898s. Love the round. Such a joy to shoot and load.

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Have several Krags - sporters and military configurations and just picked up a Remington-Lee 1899 sporter recently have hunted them all but haven’t had any luck with them so far. Really like the round and typically use cast 190-210 grain for hunting and target shooting.

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Krag love-fest that’s cool, I’ve got my old school center fire rimmed cartridge covered with the 32 Win Special, I’m good.

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Originally Posted by SS336
Originally Posted by 10gaugemag
[quote=SS336]I’m a fan of the Krag, both rifle and cartridge. Have hunted with mine a bit but never much luck. Still hold out hope. 😁

More pics?

Rifle specifics?

Looks sharp in this 1 picture.

I have shown it before and some people might be a little sick of it.
But I am proud of it. It was given to me in non working order and pretty bad cosmetically. The plastic fore end tip, gripcap, and buttplate had shrunk a lot. The stock had a few issues and the metal had some surface rust.

The bore, surprisingly enough was in good shape. So I spent time on it and replaced the plastic with ebony, fixed the issues with the stock and stripped it and refinished it. Filled some holes and had it reblued. Found a Redfield 102K receiver sight and went to the range. It’s very accurate with just about anything. Hitting the gong at 200yds at the range is not to hard at all.

It has a little bit of headspace problem that our own John Barsnees helped me with.
Now, like I said above, I need to shoot something with it. 😁

[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]

[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]

[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]

That is about as nice a Krag as there is!

Another design feature of the Krag barrel is that the 30" infantry rifle barrel and the 22" cavalry carbine barrel is the same contour. They simply shortened the rifle barrel.

As for employing the safety lug as a second locking lug, it was done a fair bit by shade tree mechanics. It looks good on paper but not many carried through on all the protocols involved, chiefly not re-carburizing (case hardening) the bolt afterwards. The act of removing .020" or so of surface area on the back of the main locking lug in order to bring the safety lug to bear will invariably erase the case hardened surface exposing the soft steel inner core. Rapid lug setback can be expected, hence the desire to re-carburize it. And, if the operation is effected by lapping the lug into its lug seat to achieve the same result, you run the risk of "burning" through the case hardened surface of the lug seat's bearing surface too. Again not good. The solution obviously was to re-carburize everything involved, and not many gunsmiths were/are set up to do that. Then when all that is attended to there's the matter of having created gross headspace for which the only real cure is to set the barrel back a thread and re-chamber. At the end of the day it's well advised to just shoot them as is.

An anecdote I've related here before concerning the Krag safety lug, as told by Michael Petrov: He set out to destruction test a Krag, remotely fired with a string, by loading increasingly larger charges of Bullseye until she blew. He got all the way up to an insane amount of that powder, well over 20 grains as I recall with a standard .30 bullet, when the receiver, barrel tenon, and front of the bolt shattered like a grenade. But the main body of the bolt stayed in the gun and didn't fly into space, held by the way by the safety lug - which was the only lug he used in the test because he had ground the main lug completely off the bolt......

All that said, I'll continue treating my Krag with the gentle respect it deserves at the tender age of 125 years.


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An odd duck of a Krag:

A conversion done on the .22 Maximum Lovell wildcat* probably in the late 1930's, by Hervey Lovell himself (signed in the barrel channel). Magazine removed making it a single shot, heavy straight barrel, Pacific double set triggers (push the front trigger forward to set the rear trigger, assbackwards from what we think of as "normal" double set triggers). Quite accurate. (Ignore the el-cheapo front rest I used the day I took the pic. I had forgotten my Sinclair and had to borrow one. I always seem to forget something when I go to the range!)

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

*One of the series of .22 wildcats Hervey (yes, with an e) Lovell created, based on the old .25-20Single Shot cartridge. The Maximum Lovell 's case body is blown out straight and the shoulder angle increased to 40degrees and moved forward leaving a rather short neck - the "maximum" capacity case for a .22 based on the .25-20SS. Pretty modernistic for its time. It'll propel a 45 grain bullet as fast as a factory .222 50 grain.

L-R: .25-20 Single Shot, R2 Lovell, .22 Maximum Lovell
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

Last edited by gnoahhh; 01/29/23.

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Originally Posted by gnoahhh
Originally Posted by johnn
Originally Posted by selmer
Originally Posted by johnn
Originally Posted by selmer
Originally Posted by johnn
Its a capable round, seems like it held the record for elk for many years, which doesn't mean all that much other than it will do the job.
I bought this a few years back and intend to take it for a walk in the moose woods.
Supposedly has a Pope barrel. but unmarked so I am doubtful, it does shoot good.

[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]
Beautiful rifle. Is that a Stevens 44 1/2? I have one that I had CPA rifles make a .30-40 Krag barrel for. It's a shooter. I've used exclusively cast boolits in it.

Yep, Stevens alrght, appears to have been redone as the bluing is in good shape. Another tell is the wood on the beavertail forearm doesn't match.

I bought it via a online auction, caliber was unknown at the time. Was pretty happy it was a 30-40. Gail at CPA helped me out with a firing pin and a couple of screws, they sure build some beautiful rifles.

Unless I'm mistaken, I think the original 44 1/2 frames were all case hardened. Mine still has over 50% of the case hardening left and the bluing on the original .22 LR barrel is still deep and lustrous. My great-grandfather purchased it new along with the J. Stevens 6x scope with external adjustments.

That sounds like a pretty special gun.

It is pretty nifty! Stevens never chambered the 44 1/2 for large bodied cartridges like the .30-40 (and big BPCR cartridges) because it was deemed not up to snuff. Strong design but limited by smallish barrel tenon diameter, best limited to cartridges of .30-30/.32-40/.38-55 head diameters. It's why Paul Shuttleworth designed the CPA copy of the 44 1/2 action to be wider with a larger barrel shank, and made it out of modern high strength steel alloys and not the low carbon case hardened steel that Stevens employed. You can make a CPA work with anything you can shove into it, not so much with a Stevens.

I sent mine off to Gail and Paul to determine if they would recommend using the frame with a .30-40 Krag barrel because they told me that different eras of frames have different steel compositions. Apparently mine is on the stronger end of the spectrum because they said they would no qualms about fitting a .30-40 Krag barrel on it and so they did. It’s a hoot to shoot. Low recoil with cast loads and the barrel is stinking heavy that I can’t imagine full house loads will have much for recoil either. That gun has the best single stage trigger I’ve ever pulled on it. Like breaking a fragment of glass at a shade under two pounds.


Selmer

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Very cool, Selmer. A buddy, who is occasionally on the 'Fire, sent Gail a 44 1/2 action to have barreled to .30-40 but she wouldn't do it. Don't know exactly why. CPA's good people, Gail did me more than a couple good turns over the last few years.

Strange about "different era frames", as the 44 1/2 was only made during a very narrow window of time, 1902-1913 (although there's some argument over the year at either end of that spread), and according to Tom Rowe, were all made of low carbon case hardened steel.

Last edited by gnoahhh; 01/29/23.

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Originally Posted by gnoahhh
Very cool, Selmer. A buddy, who is occasionally on the 'Fire, sent Gail a 44 1/2 action to have barreled to .30-40 but she wouldn't do it. Don't know exactly why. CPA's good people, Gail did me more than a couple good turns over the last few years.

Strange about "different era frames", as the 44 1/2 was only made during a very narrow window of time, 1902-1913 (although there's some argument over the year at either end of that spread), and according to Tom Rowe, were all made of low carbon case hardened steel.

All I know is that I discussed it with Gail on the phone and she said they would examine the frame and made mention of not all being the same steel. She also wanted to examine for any signs of flaws in the frame. The .30-40 case BARELY schooches past the extractor.

With the .22LR barrel and original scope
https://photos.google.com/search/rifle/photo/AF1QipNyb-jl1IBTOneURz3a1Ts6dtzscjNYVjDdoTzS

Don't have a good closeup with the .30-40 Krag barrel on, but here it is.
https://photos.google.com/search/rifle/photo/AF1QipM91JMoqKTkmlvRH3Nw1SMSMkiyPUAoKzFdLcQv

Better light with the .22 LR barrel on
https://photos.google.com/search/rifle/photo/AF1QipOop-So30NrUZvCIz3nmK0iaB9yNXW4NGcS36Pj


Selmer

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Thanks, Selmer.

Quick question: does your then 3-year old daughter shoot her own deer now? smile


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Originally Posted by gnoahhh
Thanks, Selmer.

Quick question: does your then 3-year old daughter shoot her own deer now? smile
Ha! No. She is now 17 and shoots her own rabbits and pheasants. That quote came from looking at the taxidermy critters in Cabelas in Owatonna, MN.
She called them "ugly buggers" at that age. She has had deer in her crosshairs and she just can't bring herself to pull the trigger on one. Which is fine. She can make that decision for herself. The first time it happened as I was whispering to her to squeeze off on a big doe at 75 yards she told me three times in a row "I can't do it dad. I just can't shoot one. They're so pretty." "You do understand that if you don't shoot her, I'm going to shoot her, right?" "Yep. That's fine." And I did. HUGE Iowa whitetail doe. She helped me gut it out and butcher it. No problems. Just doesn't have the desire to shoot one. I ask her every year. Got a tag last year, didn't have a chance to see if she would shoot one. Heck, I barely filled my tag last year. She's a great shot with a .22 LR rifle and "her" K38 that she claimed. She loves shooting centerfire rifles at the range at reactive targets. But no deer. Her older sister, on the other hand, is a deer slayer. Started with a 20 gauge slug gun until she was old enough to legally use my Encore as a .357 Max pistol. I've lost that pistol to her now because she claimed it. Hence the reason I have a .350 Rem Mag XP-100 now. She shot a beautiful buck with it with two younger siblings and me in the blind back on December 20th.

[img]https://share.icloud.com/photos/05aGanq6VD-utUJdL8nelkXrA[/img]

[img]https://share.icloud.com/photos/07b5c4xyaUGhWtPRSlxHh3ZvQ[/img]

[img]https://share.icloud.com/photos/0eeHVoy1Yg6H8Bv5mcBnosSbA[/img]

[img]https://share.icloud.com/photos/008sGofx_hSTu1ayWsjdqbmng[/img]

Last edited by selmer; 01/29/23.

Selmer

"Daddy, can you sometime maybe please go shoot a water buffalo so we can have that for supper? Please? And can I come along? Does it taste like deer?"
- my 3-year old daughter smile
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I’ve always been interested in the 30-40AI, in P.O. Ackley book it shows some impressive velocity, I’ve toyed with the idea of a 30-40AI in an Encore handgun, it being a rimmed case, which I like in a Encore.

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Killed my first couple of deer with a sporterized Springfield factory 180s. Killed a moose with a 16 1/2 inch JD Jones Contender carbine with factory 180 Remingtons. Killed a lil Alabama 6pt with a Ruger#3 220 Silvertips

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Love my "sporterized" 30/40 Krag!

[Linked Image from larsenfamily.com]

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Originally Posted by 300leonidas
Love my "sporterized" 30/40 Krag!

[Linked Image from larsenfamily.com]

I like it. That just says pure, unapologetic, huntin rig to me. The kind of rifle with which to prowl the timber, swamps and thickets.

Last edited by mart; 02/07/23.

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Originally Posted by Mule Deer
I've had several military .30-40 Krags, in various degrees of condition from all-original to "sporterized," but have also owned several other rifles chambered in .30-40. Right now I have this Ruger Red Label, an early generation 20-gauge with an extra set of rifle barrels in .30-40. Got it from a friend some years ago, who bought it at a gun show. There are no markings of who made the rifle barrels, and the guy my friend bought it from had no idea either. But it will put a shot from each barrel into two inches or a little less at 100 yards.

[Linked Image]

But my favorite .30-40 hunting rifle was probably this Shiloh Sharps reproduction of the 1885 Winchester "High Wall" single-shot. This mule deer doe looks a little disheveled because after the shot, she took off running, and in a few yards hit a big cottonwood tree head-on, obviously dead on her feet.

[Linked Image]

I think that I know who made your 30-40 Krag Red Label barrels. PM sent.

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I have an untouched 1895 carbine, half of a matched pair, the other being chambered in 303 British.

Have had a couple of sporterized Krags, including a mannlicher stocked carbine that was smithed by Wilbur Hauck.

My Father had a Winchester 54 that had been rechambered from 30-30 to 30-40. It was a rifle that I had hoped to inherit, but he gave it away to someone while I was in the Army.

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Originally Posted by Steve Redgwell
The 30-40 is based on the 303 British.

Post and wiki ici.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt.../true/re-a-modern-303-rifle#Post17542405


Good old Steve the anti gun facist celebrating Trudeau and his anti gun laws

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

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Originally Posted by 260Remguy
Originally Posted by Mule Deer
I've had several military .30-40 Krags, in various degrees of condition from all-original to "sporterized," but have also owned several other rifles chambered in .30-40. Right now I have this Ruger Red Label, an early generation 20-gauge with an extra set of rifle barrels in .30-40. Got it from a friend some years ago, who bought it at a gun show. There are no markings of who made the rifle barrels, and the guy my friend bought it from had no idea either. But it will put a shot from each barrel into two inches or a little less at 100 yards.

[Linked Image]

But my favorite .30-40 hunting rifle was probably this Shiloh Sharps reproduction of the 1885 Winchester "High Wall" single-shot. This mule deer doe looks a little disheveled because after the shot, she took off running, and in a few yards hit a big cottonwood tree head-on, obviously dead on her feet.

[Linked Image]

I think that I know who made your 30-40 Krag Red Label barrels. PM sent.

I remember seeing an article years ago about double rifles being built on 20 gauge Red Labels and for a number of years I am almost certain I recall that it was Butch Searcy doing it. I have since read a couple of times online that he built rifles on Red Labels and also on Browning BSS shotguns. Other than saying that it must be true because I saw it on the internet, I can't confirm it one way or the other.

I do recall from the article, that it mentioned that the original Red Label barrels were cut off the monoblock which was then refitted with rifle barrels. I thought at the time that it was a short-sighted way to do it, that it would have made more sense just to machine a new monoblock and preserve the 20 gauge barrels as well. Was that what was done with the one you've got John, or does it seem an original Red Label monoblock was sacrificed?


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I have a Canadian friend who has built eight SXS double rifles ranging in caliber from 450 No. 2 Nitro Express down to 22 Hornet. I refer to the Hornet as his stopping rifle for ground squirrels. They were almost all built on CZ shotgun frames using the method cra1948 describes above. You have to really strain your eyes to find the joint between the end of the monoblocks and the beginning of the barrels. They are all works of art that include fitted cases he also made.

He has used them in Africa, Alaska, across the states, and, of course, Canada. My favorite is in 303 British, made with two barrels off the old Ross bolt actions. The thing is quite the shooter and is what he used when hunting deer here with me in AL.

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I took my custom #3 Sidelever to Namibia. 180 gr Nosler Partision 3031. Have also killed several Whitetail, Mule deer and pronghorn with this .30-40.
[Linked Image from imagizer.imageshack.com]

[Linked Image from imagizer.imageshack.com]

[Linked Image from imagizer.imageshack.com]


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