Project: converting a carbine to long rifle

[LARscout]

I bought a 481000 Model 1898 Carbine (SA) a month ago that I now plan on rebarreling with the 30in barrel and getting an 1898 Boyds stock for it.
http://www.boydsgunstocks.com/product.htm?pid=10827&cat=1227#
Ultimate goal is a match rifle.

Im assuming the reciever will take the longer barrel.

[dave]

Go right ahead as you do not have a real carbine but a cut down rifle. A real 98 carbine would be worth 2-3 times (maybe more, only 5000 were made) the value of a rifle and I'm sure no one would recommend converting a carbine to a rifle. I'm sure the rifle barrel would fit, even if it was a carbine.

[Mark Daiute]

what's your stock like? I'd rather stretch out a stock that has been cut down than use a boyd stock. at least that way some of the original lineage remains. My .02 I'd even go so far as to purchase a good Springfield stock and stretching that out if the one you already have is butchered beyond use. Especialy since you want a "match rifle" and not a collector rifle.

I did exactly what you are proposing and I ended up with a very nice rifle.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e268/Mayne1713/IMG_0837.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e268/Mayne1713/IMG_0833.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e268/Mayne1713/IMG_0838.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e268/Mayne1713/IMG_0834.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e268/Mayne1713/IMG_0839.jpg

Alas, this rifle is gone now.

[psteinmayer]

I've heard horror stories with regard to stocks from Boyds... and at the very least, you're looking at a lot of sanding and carving to get everything to fit properly. Mark's got the best idea... that of grafting a new fore-stock onto your existing stock. Many have done it!

As for the barrel, you should have no problems installing a new full length barrel. I'm no expert, but I don't think there's a difference between the receivers used for carbines or rifles.

Paul

[Dick Hosmer]

+1 for a graft - really the ONLY way to go, unless your rear section is no good.

[madsenshooter]

I don't think there's a difference between the receivers used for carbines or rifles.

None, except some of the carbine receivers have Model 1899 on them. Even those could be made into rifles. I'd go with a CMP barrel, just for the stronger steel.

[sdkrag]

Grafting would work unless the current stock is an original carbine stock. I would not graft that.

[psteinmayer]

Amen to that!

[raymeketa]

I have re-stocked a couple of Krags in my day and I'm here to tell you it is one of the hardest actions to fit a stock for than you'll ever encounter. Unless you've done stock inletting and fitting before, you are in for a lot of work. If you are set on doing this, you may want to check with other stock suppliers, such as Fajen or Bishop (or whatever they call themselves now-a-days). They used to sell Krag stocks that were fairly easy to fit, plus you could get them with a pistol grip which makes for a much better "target" type stock. Not to mention better looking as well.

Just my opinion which is worth exactly how much you are paying me.

ray

[LARscout]

Im sorry to say, most of my vintage rifle stocks are Boyds repros. I've experienced a few minor problems here and there but nothing major. I have Springfield Armory rifles going back to 1898 with 21st century stocks, so what can you do...

Mark, thats a good job in putting that Krag together.

I'll consider the pistol grip stock. The one I have now is worth a bit more than scrap wood with that crack.

Should I worry about the fact that the bolt only has a single locking lug as far as loads go?
I only plan on the basic 35-40grs of 4895 with a 148gr. and whatever RNs I can find in heavier weights.

[kragluver]

The Krag action is plenty strong so long as you stay within the pressure range it was originally designed to handle.

[madsenshooter]

I agree with that. I'm having a 6mm Rem 700 takeoff barrel turned down and threaded for an 1896 action. Finished cartridge will be a 6mm/303British Ackely Improved with a long neck that will have about the same capacity as a .243 Win. A bit below most of the starting loads for the .243 will be max loads for the Krag. With the Ackley configuration I'll have to do some work on the receiver and side plate to get them to feed, but I already have dies, reamer, brass and a bullet mold.

I have a nicely sporterized 99 carbine stock that's cut for the 96's bolt channel and the barrel will finish out at about 22". My new coyote rifle to replace the 6x45 AR I recently sold.

[daveboy]

Concerning Boyd's Krag stocks...I have used their stocks to restore many vintage rifles and have always been pleased. I read the reports about how horrible their Krag stocks were and to be honest I was a bit skeptical about the negative reviews. I should have heeded everyone's warnings! The first stock I received was not even completed...the wood was just "hogged" out, barrel channel was off-center, the cut for the band spring was not there, etc... I could go on and on. It was so bad that I took photos and sent them to customer service. They sent me a new stock which was not much better, but I had to pay the shipping fees to ship the first stock to me and then back to Boyd's. Then, I also had to pay shipping to me for the second stock!!!!! Their customer service attitude was pretty much "too bad." I will never buy another Boyd's stock as long as I have any other option.

daveboy

[madsenshooter]

Avoid the repros from Bob's Gun Shop too. I haven't tried them, but here's a possible source: http://www.dunlapwoodcrafts.com/Gunstocks.php I know they leave a lot in the middle that needs taken down. One of our members visited them in the past and reported good fit, with some work needing done.

[LARscout]

Thanks, I'll try them.

Can anyone date my reciever?
481,000 seems to be 1905 according to a list I found. I was hoping I actually had a 19th century rifle in my possession.

[Dick Hosmer]

No, more like 1903.

Supposedly a VERY small number may have been assembled in 1904, but nothing (in the way of newly-produced service rifles) after that.

[M2Phil]

Concerning Boyd's Krag stocks...I have used their stocks to restore many vintage rifles and have always been pleased. I read the reports about how horrible their Krag stocks were and to be honest I was a bit skeptical about the negative reviews. I should have heeded everyone's warnings! The first stock I received was not even completed...the wood was just "hogged" out, barrel channel was off-center, the cut for the band spring was not there, etc... I could go on and on. It was so bad that I took photos and sent them to customer service. They sent me a new stock which was not much better, but I had to pay the shipping fees to ship the first stock to me and then back to Boyd's. Then, I also had to pay shipping to me for the second stock!!!!! Their customer service attitude was pretty much "too bad." I will never buy another Boyd's stock as long as I have any other option.

daveboy
It's difficult to describe the feeling you get when you take THAT out of the box.
In addition to what Daveboy has already listed, the sideplate area was solid wood, the buttplate area had to be shaped and inletted for the tang, rough grooves routed for triggerguard and butt swivel, rough shallow groove for grasping grooves. No screw holes drilled, but that was a good thing, considering... As stated, you'd do better to start out with a walnut plank.

[LARscout]

I can confirm alot of the horror stories about Boyds vintage stocks. None of my swivel mounts fit in their channels, the sideplate section still needs to be cut out and like Phil said, maybe 1/2 of the holes for the screws were drilled out.
Butt end is about 1/4in too wide on each side of the butt plate, so thats gonna require a good deal of sanding. As well as sanding of the toe of the stock.

I like the color, thats about it. It'll match the 1901 handguard repro.
This will be the last rifle I build and what a rifle it will be...
My 1903 will be jealous.