Thinking of buying a Krag. What books should I purchase first to make informed buy?

[5MadFarmers]

The "Spruce Guns" were M1894s in .30-30. Opens a NEW can of worms - but - saved (once more) by the "main battle rifle" theme!

That's not how I heard it. From what I heard you're severely underestimating both the size and ferocity of the mosquitos present during that particular lumber battle. I myself, when pulping as a lad, preferred a 12 gauge with slugs. I want those things to go down the first time. The horseflies were another matter entirely. Dear old dad was too cheap to provide the necessary AAA protection against those buggers. Cheaper to just write off a few kids as wastage.

[Dick Hosmer]

Sometimes it is difficult to differentiate between horseflies and horses**t.

Trust me on the Spruce guns - I happen to know the prime researcher thereof. :-)

[5MadFarmers]

What I know is before that unfortunate summer the IRS filing listed 14 dependants. After it was 9. I'll never forget the morning they got Billy. Horseflies are impervious to 12 gauge slugs. Four rounds into it didn't slow it down. I gave Billy the 5th at his request. Mercy killing.

Missing the H&A Mauser. also the RA and WRA Pattern 14s. Winchester Lee also. I'm skipping the mosquito killers and the '95s.

Need a Blake.

Have a 12 gauge. 11-87. Too cheap for AAA although that M42 Duster on eBay a couple of years ago looked like it might work on the smaller horseflies.

[psteinmayer]

There is one thing... and one thing alone which keeps me from buying more Krags, and anything else for that matter... My Wife!!! She'll shoot me if I come home with another gun, LOL!

[Kragrifle]

Make sure she shoots you with a common rifle. I would hate to see a rare piece end up as police evidence!

[psteinmayer]

Amen to that!!!

[jon_norstog]

Not too much on the Krag per se, but I would recommend reading Charles Johnson Post's book "The Little War of Private Post." Post served with the 71st NY Volunteers and carried a trapdoor, but was in the thick of the fighting. You really get a worm's eye view of the Spanish American War. On the Spanamwar website http://spanamwar.com/

there are unit reports and a lot of letters home, diary entries, etc.

The Krag was not in service a long time, but there was a lot of action, much of it in far-off places. And some of it on the home front, as in the federal response to the Coeur d'Alene mine strike. Welcome to the history club.

jn

[Rick the Librarian]

That's one thing that attracted me to the Krag - about 10 years of first-line service, but a LOT of action seen in that 10 or so year!