474807

[Mark Daiute]

If any of you have access to the SRS data would you please check out rifle 474807?

I was gifted this rifle today. Rifle is in nearly excellent condition.

Thanks,

Mark

[butlersrangers]

I checked appendix in Mallory's "Krag Rifle Story", 2nd edition. No 'Hit'.

Closest number is 474870. A model 1898 rifle turned in on 10/20/1917, by Co. "C", 18th Engineers Railway - AEF.
(Your rifle, not being listed in this group, pretty much means it was not issued to 18th Engineers).

Nice gift!

[Mark Daiute]

I checked appendix in Mallory's "Krag Rifle Story", 2nd edition. No 'Hit'.

Closest number is 474870. A model 1898 rifle turned in on 10/20/1917, by Co. "C", 18th Engineers Railway - AEF.
(Your rifle, not being listed in this group, pretty much means it was not issued to 18th Engineers).

Nice gift!

Thank you! This late 1898 is really nice, better than all the others I own since it did not come to be bobbed. There is one wart: the 1898 hand guard was modified for a 1901 rear sight. I have the 1902 rear sight that I believe came with it before a prior owner added the 1901 rear sight.

Mark

[butlersrangers]

Mark -Are there any Stock markings (cartouche, letters, ordnance wheel, "P")? These may give a clue to Pre-WW1 'rebuilding' work.

After the model 1905 sight was adopted for 1903 Springfield, Mallory wrote, that the 1901 sight became the 'preferred sight' for Krags still in use by Regular Army.

The Krag hung around in regular service till around 1908 and far later in Naval service.

The 1902 sight may have been relegated primarily to the National Guard.

It would be hard to know, who or what entity, altered your hand-guard to fit a different sight. Some odd things might have happened during WW1 service.

FWIW - The high serial number, (400K range), Krags that I have owned, had 1901 sights (correction - They had 1902 rear-sights) and standard hand-guards on them.

[Mark Daiute]

This has a perfect circled P and a strong JSA 1903 cartouche. I have no doubt that the prior, civilian owner altered the 1898 handguard to fit his 1901 rear sight.

The gentleman that handed the Krag off to me first handed me the 1902 rear sight then the rifle with the altered handguard and 1901 rear sight. I suspect this one came into civilian hands with that 1898 handguard and 1902 rear sight but we have no way of knowing the truth.

I could:

A. Leave it as it is
B. put the 1902 rear sight back on with the altered handguard
C. get an unmessed with 1898 handguard and put the 1902 rear sight back on
D. get an umessed with 1901 handguard and keep the 1901 rear sight on it.

Decisions decisions. If these were the only life decisions I had to make life would be grand indeed!

Thanks and be well,

Mark

[jon_norstog]

Decisions, decisions, decisions!

jn

[Fred]

“D”
The 1901 is a far better sight
Is your front sight correct for the 1901?

[butlersrangers]

Some of us prefer shooting with the model 1902 sight.

The front-sight blade, (.413" when removed from base), is the same for both 1901 and 1902 rear-sights.

There is an option "B-2". You can put the model 1902 rear-sight back on and restore the original hand-guard, by putting a small walnut 'patch' in the lengthened sight opening.

[madsenshooter]

I'd ask the son you have that helps you with wood work to repair the handguard neatly. I mean put it back to 1902. It's so much easier to reach up and twist the knob in the direction you want POI to go than to make an adjustment with the 1901. What flavor of walnut, black or orange?

[Kragrifle]

Rifle originally was fitted with the 1902 sight. 1901 sights were retrofitted. Handguards are available on EBay but can be a little pricey.

[butlersrangers]

Mark - I got around to looking at collection notes and a Krag in the back of the Gun-Safe today. I made a misstatement in an earlier Post.

The two high number model 1898 Krag rifles that I've owned, #470165 (sold) and #460702, were both made in 1903 and had model 1902 rear-sights and hand-guards.

Both rifles appeared to be 'configured' as they likely left Springfield Armory.

[sdkrag]

My observation has been that many of the later Krags were issued to Guard units and had the 1902 sight. The RA had their Krags and most were fitted with the 1901 sight. Many of the 98 rifles I have owned came out of legions in the upper mid west and had the 1902 sights. Just my guess.

[Kragrifle]

80 rifles were produced/inspected in 1904. Mine is fitted with a 1902 rear sight.

[Mark Daiute]

Greetings, all.

I took the butchered/altered handguard and put it on my less than perfect 1902 made 1898 Rifle. From that less than perfect rifle I took the unmolested 1898 handguard and installed it, along with the 1902 rear sight on 474807. The match in color and finish is, well, perfect. 474807 is now a really top end 1898 rifle and we are the only ones that will ever know that 474807 was not born with that handguard.

My go to rifle has been an 1898 with the 1901 rear sight, that sight has been getting harder and harder for me to use , especially under certain light conditions, hence my move to the 1902 rear sight.

Thanks for the responses.

[Mark Daiute]

I'd ask the son you have that helps you with wood work to repair the handguard neatly. I mean put it back to 1902. It's so much easier to reach up and twist the knob in the direction you want POI to go than to make an adjustment with the 1901. What flavor of walnut, black or orange?

I was gonna say black but now I'll have to check! It's on a rifle with an orange stock and it matches, I've stretched out maybe ten bobbed stocks now and this one I blew the color on, the orange stock did not like the black walnut replacement nor the analine die I use.