1898 Repro handguard from East Taylor LLC

[Pentz]

Having read threads of folks with issues regarding these handguards, I ordered one for my 1896 to which a 1902 rear sight is now attached for cast bullet "issue" matches. My order had some detail as to how I wanted it made. Jack Schwartz called me and we discussed my order; it arrived today and I will say that I am very pleased with the result. The fit is as good as my original 1896 handguard; I wanted the repro to be a little "proud" so I can get a good flush fit. The fit is excellent and I'd recommend Mr. Schwartz for anyone seeking a repro. If in the market call him: we had a good conversation about what I wanted and it shows in the final product. Sorry about the upside down images.....

[madsenshooter]

There you go, fits better than mine did. In all fairness to them, anytime you mass produce something there's going to be one a little outta kilter upon occasion. I see he got the cut a bit better for the elevation slide too. My binding knob hit wood before the slide started up the ramp on the second one I got. Mr. Dremel and a sanding drum fixed it right up.

[psteinmayer]

Looks great! Now will we see you at Camp Perry this year? Of course, you need your chargers too!

[Dick Hosmer]

I'm glad to see he has apparently become more customer oriented. I once asked him if they would make a 26" barrel stock (not difficult, since I'd said that I'd do the required reduction in taper, just set the wood over 4" to relocate the tip milling) - "nope". Then I asked if they would run a regular stock and simply omit the forward lightening cuts - "nope". I even offered to pay a fee for the "special" work. or lack thereof.

General comment NOT directed solely at ETLLC: I also have absolutely ZERO tolerance for a non-fitting hand-guard, period. If you are so hide-bound as to be unable/unwilling to omit a procedure, that says the whole operation is robotic, and if that is the case then 1/4" misalignments of the sight cut (from some suppliers) are absolutely unacceptable. End of rant, but I'd much prefer to spend the time and effort to obtain a real one, whenever possible. When you add the effort (and cost if you lack the skill) to replicate the finish, you will not have saved that much - plus - you still have a repro part - not as bad as a fake cartouche - but certainly in the same ballpark. (Guess that the rant wasn't over - sorry!)

[Mark Daiute]

I've had a range of fit on the handguards I got from East Taylor. The good and the not so good.

Ultimately I've trolled eBay or GB until I got an original for my 1898 with the 1901 sight. What an improvement! Far more satisfying and no one could never tell the rifle was not as issued. The cost was about the same but the fit was perfect. How come Springfield could do it 113 years ago but in 2014 you can't rely on a consistency of quality?

[Dick Hosmer]

Couldn't agree with you more, my friend, it's either right, or it's firewood.

IMO, the "how come" has everything to do with worker attitude, and very little to do with machine capability - we are not the same country we were then.

[11mm]

I wonder if those who reproduce handguards have examples of the relevant Krag on hand, with a good, original stock and sight, to test fit the piece they are selling? It would seem to me that they need such a gauge for final fitting and "acceptance". Of course, maybe that's too much to ask.

[psteinmayer]

I agree 100%! There are far too many out there who say "It's good enough," and not near enough people who have the guts to say "It will be perfect before I ship it!" I can't fathom why it's so hard to test fit as Mark said.

[Mark Daiute]

When I talked to anyone at ETLLC they always told me that they had a good original example in excellent condition they were copying.

[Dick Hosmer]

One barreled action would do, as the receiver ring, and hole spacing don't vary, but you'd need two carbine stocks , 30" and 32" (which latter would cover for the rifle) and three rear sight bases - maybe that is part of the problem with some of the HG suppliers - they're trying to make some sort of bastardized one size fits all gizmo.

[11mm]

When I talked to anyone at ETLLC they always told me that they had a good original example in excellent condition they were copying.
That may be, but wood is probably not as easy to copy accurately as metal is. That is why they would need to fit the product to the appropriate rifle in order to make sure it is correct. I imagine an original handguard could swell or shrink, especially unrestrained by being loose from a rifle, until the errors in copying would compound themselves. It is quite possible that Springfield had functional gauges for acceptance.

[madsenshooter]

He and I went back and forth for awhile. The handguard fit he said, my stock must've been sanded. It was, but an original handguard still fit. He said he tried it for fit, but if he did, he did so without putting the sight on. It fit the barrel fine and dandy, no gap on the side, which I have pictured here, until the sight was put in the slot. I probably could have fixed it, but felt once I got done I have to much gap on one side of the sight slot. It wasn't easy to get the screw holes for the sight lined up while pulling that gap! But I'd buy another from him if I needed one. Of the reproductions I've bought, these are the best.

[sdkrag]

I visited with a stock maker from one of the big supplier/builders that supplies a lot of the stocks on the marker. They had a Krag stock on display. I asked if they were going to produce 96 and 98 models. The look I got made me think I'd asked what kind of cheese the moon was made of. He didn't have a clue.

[Mark Daiute]

He and I went back and forth for awhile. The handguard fit he said, my stock must've been sanded. It was, but an original handguard still fit. He said he tried it for fit, but if he did, he did so without putting the sight on. It fit the barrel fine and dandy, no gap on the side, which I have pictured here, until the sight was put in the slot. I probably could have fixed it, but felt once I got done I have to much gap on one side of the sight slot. It wasn't easy to get the screw holes for the sight lined up while pulling that gap! But I'd buy another from him if I needed one. Of the reproductions I've bought, these are the best.

EXACTLY what I experienced with the same handgaurd. Exactly.

[madsenshooter]

Might have been the same one Mark. Was yours for a 02 sight? I know you prefer the 01.

[Pentz]

Here are the pics of my handguard installed. As said before, I called Mr. Schwartz and he assured me that he'd take a return no questions asked. I'm very happy with the purchase. Now....as noted by others, this is a replacement and not an original. I actually don't care; I needed this handguard NOW to go along with my rear sight for issue-class CBA matches. Without it I could not compete. Yes, the grain and colors don't match; I'm not interested in faking colors and grain for this rifle.

Speaking of matching, I've had hundreds of milsurp rifles pass through my hands, and replacement handguards are usually evident by differences in wear, color and patina. Finding one that "fits" my stock in shape, color, grain and patina is going to be difficult. If and when an excellent authentic handguard comes along at a price I am willing to pay I may get that, but I may also restore the rifle to its 1896 configuration. Works for me. My rant mode off.

[Parashooter]

Too bad you don't care about the appearance. Original handguards are seldom grain-matched to stocks anyway, but the color of yours is very close. 15 minutes spent giving the handguard a light French polish using linseed oil for pad lube could produce an equally close match in patina/sheen and also darken the new wood just about right.

http://i43.tinypic.com/2ytxwsp.jpg
French-polished new handguard with original Krag stock.

[madsenshooter]

I fiddled and fudged a lot with mine, even mixed different stains, just couldn't seem to get it exactly right. But then I've got originals that don't exactly match the stock either. One odd one is on my .310 groove diameter 92/96 now. It looks like a good match on one side, but is more orange on the other side.