Armory Sponsor
Posted: 7/29/2010 9:36:42 PM EDT
Working on a rifle for a friend of mine. I know very little about Krags, the only markings on the receiver are a 1916 date below what looks to be a stylized crown, and a couple small proofmarks. Here's where the problem's coming in. His grandfather had it rebarreled to .243 . I thought all the Krags were originally .30-40 caliber, but he insists that this was originally a 6.5X55MM. Were any chambered for this round? All I'm doing for him is trying to get the magazine to feed the (much)shorter .243 round and getting rid of the worst of the surface rust. I already advised him that if it was originally a .30-40 not to shoot it-based on what I've been able to find there's a large pressure difference. I also told him that t might be beyond my tools to get it to feed the shorter round-marks are visible inside the gun where bullets scraped the receiver wall in feeding.
Anyway, based on the 1916 date, how likely is his rifle to have originally been a 6.5? |
|
You're both right!
All American Krags were chambered in the .30-40 cartridge, and were produced from 1894 until superseded by the 1903 Springfield. The 1916 date indicates that what your friend has is a Norwegian Krag, which was indeed chambered for the 6.5x55mm cartridge. ETA: Ole Herman Johannes Krag and Erik Jørgensen, for whom the Krag-Jørgensen rifle is named, hailed from Norway. Beginning in 1891, a joint Norwegian-Swedish commission tested various calibers and eventually designed the 6.5x55mm rimless round to become the new standard rifle cartridge for both countries. The two nations parted ways, however, when it came to choosing a rifle. The Swedes adopted the faster-loading, stripper-clip fed Mauser, while Norway opted for the home-grown Krag design. If you can't get it to feed the .243 rounds, tell your friend that the correct way to use a Krag is as a single-loader, with the magazine cutoff turned off and the magazine held in reserve. You only use the magazine when ordered by an officer, or when receiving a bayonet charge. Since Norwegian officers and bayonet charges are both presumably in short supply at the range where your friend shoots, the function of the magazine should be immaterial. 
|
|
Thanks to both of you for the information. He gave me a sporterized No.5 Enfield for my trouble in looking the Krag over(Enfield is missing the bolt too, but that can be remedied). It sucks that both rifles are irreversibly Bubbaed, but the Enfiield gives me a donor gun for a cuttom project I have had in my head for years. I wasn't aware of the "single load and save the magazine" purpose, told him that at work today and he got a kick out of it.
Another friend called me last night-has a possibly original 3 band Enfield musket with bayonet he wants me to clean up for him. Thankfully he hasn't taken a wire wheel to it. Doesn't have any berrel markings that say it's an obvious clone, and he said it has a crown on top of the receiver, but photo text messages don't do too well at sending detail fine enough to know if it's the real thing. It'll likely get a very gentle cleaning and go back to him. I told him if he wants a pretty gun to sell this one for what it's worth and buy a clone from Cabela's with some money left over. |
|
Quoted:
His grandfather had it rebarreled to .243 . I thought all the Krags were originally .30-40 caliber, but he insists that this was originally a 6.5X55MM. Were any chambered for this round? That noise you hear, that's me trying not to cry. Norway issued the Krag-Jorgenson in 6.5x55. Ideal caliber for the rifle, and very hard to find. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
His grandfather had it rebarreled to .243 . I thought all the Krags were originally .30-40 caliber, but he insists that this was originally a 6.5X55MM. Were any chambered for this round? That noise you hear, that's me trying not to cry. Norway issued the Krag-Jorgenson in 6.5x55. Ideal caliber for the rifle, and very hard to find. I know how you feel. He felt the same way when I told him what his $85 rifle could have been worth. It's a very interesting action and I'd love to have one in unmessed-with condition. |
|
Quoted:
.243 Winchester in a Model 1894 Norwegian Krag is a very unsafe conversion. Just because some fool did it doesn't make it safe. It's only a matter of time. Dutch That's what I've been telling him. Thinking I'll clean the rust off for him and call it good. I have already advised him not to shoot it, he's one of those guys who says "My grandfather took a lot of deer with it, and it worked out just fine". |
I always wanted a 6.5 Krag from Norway, I love that bullet.
|
Quoted:
The CMP has/had a shitload of "junk" Krags that I assume you could use for spare parts, FYI. Thought about that, but personally I don't feel safe doing that with this rifle either, with no idea how many .243 rounds were fired in it and how much or little life is left in the receiver. I talked with the guy today and told him my advice is to clean it well(I'm willing to do that for him) and hang it up as-is as "Grandpa's rifle" and buy a Mossberg ATR or Remington 770 to shoot a .243. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
The CMP has/had a shitload of "junk" Krags that I assume you could use for spare parts, FYI. Thought about that, but personally I don't feel safe doing that with this rifle either, with no idea how many .243 rounds were fired in it and how much or little life is left in the receiver. I talked with the guy today and told him my advice is to clean it well(I'm willing to do that for him) and hang it up as-is as "Grandpa's rifle" and buy a Mossberg ATR or Remington 770 to shoot a .243. I wouldn't worry about the receiver. If it's going to fail, the bolt will fail. However, un-bubaing it would be a major undertaking, and the idea of "hanging it up" has a lot of merit. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
The CMP has/had a shitload of "junk" Krags that I assume you could use for spare parts, FYI. Thought about that, but personally I don't feel safe doing that with this rifle either, with no idea how many .243 rounds were fired in it and how much or little life is left in the receiver. I talked with the guy today and told him my advice is to clean it well(I'm willing to do that for him) and hang it up as-is as "Grandpa's rifle" and buy a Mossberg ATR or Remington 770 to shoot a .243. Roger. The last time I was at the north store was Feb of '09;judging by their website, all they have for Krags are beat to hell drill rifles that are unsafe to fire, missing parts, etc. |
Armory Sponsor