Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Does 30-40 Kragg safely fire in a .303 Brit?

Yep. Sometimes you needed a score card to know who the players were!

One of the oddities (or at least I think so) is that only three countries ended up adopting Krag-Jorgensen rifles for their military. The first was Denmark, with an 8mm round. The second was the U.S., and the LAST was Norway with the 6.5x55.

Some of this appeared as Chapter 51, "Several .30-40 Krags," in the first Big Book of Gun Gack. But I have also mentioned that the cartridge most American call the 6.5x55 "Swede" was co-designed by the then United Kingdoms of Norway and Sweden, though they each used a different rifle, Norway the Krag-Jorgensen and Sweden various versions of Mausers. But it would be too complicated to call it the 6.5x55 Norwegian-Swedish Krag-Mauser--which is one reason SAAMI "officially" calls the round the 6.5x55 Swedish.

Did the 30 03 ever have any other names/ designations ?



BTW
Perhaps they should remarket the 6.5 Swede as the 6.5 Kragmore!

Spelling and grammar have fallen out of fashion, and those who gently point out errors are Nazis, it seems. I guess we’re living in the age of White Ebonics (I misspelled that just now, but took a few seconds to correct it).

I don't know where he comes up with this stuff...my 13 year old grandson informed me last week that the .50 BMG will go into a 12 ga chamber. I of course replied, nonsense and horsefeathers. He said he saw it on YouTube. I have one of those NRA promo .50 BMG bottle openers...sure as hell, it will fit sloppy in his Browning Superposed...kinda sorta. Great possibilities here in the urban gang warfare world, H&R Topper and one free .50 BMG for 100 bucks, amaze your Homies, act now, supplies are limited.

Yeah
I've seen a lot of bs stuff on yoofloob while looking at
various gun and reloading videos.
The reloading has a large percentage of bs as far as
just bad wrong information.
My only worry is that a beginner doesn't have the
knowledge to be able to sort out the manure from
the diamonds. I sometimes wonder if some of those
videos are misleading on purpose trying to get the
uninitiated to make a mistake for the sake of some
stupid prank

There's a lot of literature about the U.S. Krag rifle and most of it is fascinating reading (for a rifle loony anyway who really digs the history of how we got to where we are today). The first book that dealt with the Krag in what I would call a "modern" style of practical info about the design of the rifle and the practical usage of it was written in the late 1890's and first printed in 1903 when the Krag was still in front line service. Its author was Dr. W.G.Hudson, and titled "Modern Rifle Shooting from the American Standpoint". It's been re-printed occasionally over the last 120 years and can be found today in digital format in the public domain right here on the good old Internet. It would behoove anybody with an interest in Krag rifles to read it - and it's a quick read, being a rather small book.

Dr. Hudson was an interesting cat. A medical doctor who seems to have spent a lot more time messing with rifles than he did doctoring. He was renowned in shooting circles for his marksmanship skills and general handiness around a rifle range, and contributed greatly to bullet design and ballistics - not unlike a certain MuleDeer in our midst. (For those cast bullet shooters among us who are familiar with the Lyman mold #311284, it was Dr. Hudson who designed it. It's a 220 grain bullet that was cooked up specifically for the .30-40 Krag, allowing for duplication of the old standard factory/gov't load of 220 grains at 2000fps but with a cast bullet. Still a very popular .30 mold today.)

I have a 1st edition copy, Dr. Hudson's personal copy in fact. It cost me dearly because the seller knew what he had. I stood there at that gun show table and tried to bargain, unsuccessfully, but left with it with a smile on my face. Coincidentally I also came away with a couple of Ned Robert's personal range notebooks from 1909 and 1911 in which he recorded test results with a specific M1903 Springfield. I couldn't afford supper that night! (If anyone in our midst owns that Springfield, serial # 144079, I would grovel at your feet for a chance to buy it!)

I hope you at least had enough $$ to spring 4 a highball.

Doesn’t matter. Got an 1895 Win for each cartridge. And I can read! 🤣

Which one do you prefer?

kaywoodie;
Top of the morning to you my cyber friend, I hope all is well in your section of Texas.

If you or anyone cares to comment, I'd be curious to know how many 95's were made in .303, truly even a rough guess.

The reason I ask is up here in what one would think might be where we'd see them, I can only recall seeing two or possibly three 95s in .303 over a lifetime of looking at as many unique Winchester rifles as possible.

In many historical photos from BC around the turn of the century, we'll see photos of 95s for sure, but most I run into which are still in family hands are in .30-40. I can name a couple off the top of my head - rarer carbines - which are .30-40 and the one 95 I owned for a brief while was a rifle in that chambering.

A shooting and gunsmithing mentor who passed years back had about 8??? 95s in his collection, including a first year flat side, but since he was a collector at least a couple were .38-72 and .40-72 which he liked as they were odd to see up here.

All the best and thanks in advance.

Dwayne

Greetings Dwayne. Hope you and your loved ones are doing well!

I do not know off top of my head and my copy of the new 1895 book is trapped away in a box up in the barn somewhere. I’ve only seen a couple in my cruising around as well and one is up in my gun safe.

Cheers to you and happy new year!!

Bob

kaywoodie;
Thanks for the reply sir.

If you ever find the book and happen upon that info, please feel free to drop me a line here or on FacePlant.

When I looked up the list of chamberings, I realized that I can't place a single instance of 7.62x54 Russian - well maybe one at a gun show one time, but I can't say that with certainty either.

Funny enough as well, I'd say that .30-06 is likely tied with .30-30 as the most popular chambering or better said ammo boxes at the hardware stores when I was a kid - well along with .303 because nearly every farmhouse had a LE or Pattern 14 somewhere. Despite that, I've only seen a handful of 95s in 30-06 up here - well the older ones at least Bob.

The new Miroku ones we do see at the gun shows from time to time, but after looking at the asking price tag, I can't recall looking at one any closer.

Not that they're not worth whatever the asking is or was, just that it isn't a number I'm comfortable spending on a new production rifle.

Thanks again and have a great Sunday.

Dwayne

To me the epitome of a turn of the century (20th century) hunter is a steely-eyed rugged cuss standing on a rock with a mountain vista behind him - wearing jodhpurs, knee high wool socks, calf high lace-up boots, wool shirt, fedora on his head, and a cartridge belt with sheath knife around his waist. Clutched in his hands is an 1895 Winchester, of course.

I’m sorry Angus. I like em both. But I’m really partial to the .30 US

On another note I have a very old box marked .30-220. For Springfield and Winchester rifles

As a kid I read a 1915ish book entitled The Ringnecked Grizzly. The protgonists went on a long hunting trip, two adults and two teanage boys. They carried 95s in .33 Winchester among other period arms. I'd love to read that book again!

You realize, I occasionally dress in this fashion while afield. 😉

Figured you did!

Umm, perhaps the reason for the steely eyed visage with a rather unpleasant cast, with obvious beads of perspiration, was he was tired of trying to pack a '95 by it's awkward balance point...invariably right on the #@*&%! hangy downy magazine thingy. Not to mention, it was heavier than a dead Mennonite.
If you again look carefully at the painting, several hundred yards out in front of ol' steely eye, there is gentleman of a more pleasing countenance, dressed in less flamboyant costume, bounding over boulders the size of an oxen, cool, dry and contented if not smug...clutching ever so lightly a 99 Savage in .38-55. You will note upon closer inspection, he needs not carry a showy knife nor a Mexican like display of cartridge belt.
I much lament the lack of observation of some on the wrong side of the Rockies.

99s do balance nicely right ahead of the lever.....but can sure freeze your hands on a cold day! I think that fellow had a .303 Savage, though.