Krag bolt number?

[Stephan]

I was tinkering on my sporterized Krag M1898...had the action pulled from the stock and the bolt out of it seeing how my stock crack repairs had held up with some shots fired and just inspect the bolt and receiver for any irregularities or cracks....all seems good.

Anyhow...I noticed the bolt has a single digit stamped on the bottom flat of the bolt handle...a seven...same number as the last digit of the receiver serial number.

Were/are Krag bolts matched to the receiver in such a manner?

[dave]

Never looked that close at mine. But I have never read they were. The number is probably just an inspectors stamp and not meant to match serial. Dick will most likely give the correct answer.

[butlersrangers]

U.S. Krag bolts were not marked to match receiver, except, very early 'numbered' model 1892 bolts.

[Dick Hosmer]

Never looked that close at mine. But I have never read they were. The number is probably just an inspectors stamp and not meant to match serial. Dick will most likely give the correct answer.

Thanks, but I do not have a definitive answer. If pressed my assumption would have to be that they are something relating to some internal code, meaningful only to SA insiders, and probably tied to completion of some operation, a particular material, or material source, or perhaps related to a piecework tally. I AM certain that such marks have absolutely nothing to do with serialization, however.

[Kragrifle]

Bill Mook studied this a long time ago, but came to no conclusions.

[madsenshooter]

According to Poyer, who is way below Mook as an authority, at around serial #15500 the steel lot # was "sometimes" and/or "often", stamped on the flat that faces to the rear. I like Dick's answer, if the number happens to match the last serial #, it's a coincidence.

[Stephan]

Really not too many markings on a US Krag or the bolt. Just the markings on the receiver top...maybe a letter or two on the bottom of the action...and the solitary digit on the bolt handle.

Hard to keep a bolt 'matched' to a particular receiver with just a single digit stamped on the bolt. My theory about the digit 7 stamped on my bolt is that it's a lucky seven...