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I picked up a thoroughly Bubba'd '99 Krag, primarily to have an example of the action.
It intrigued me,
The stock was shortened, the fore-end slimmed and reshaped, and a pistol grip was grafted in. The receiver is drilled and tapped, with a side-mounted older Weaver scope.
Bubba got especially heavy-handed here. The front bell of the scope would have touched the swell of the barrel around the forward edge of the chamber, so Bubba filed off about 1/16" at the contact point.
The actual function of the action is fine and it should be safe to shoot with normal loads, but... .

 
Well, if the OP is interested, Gunbroker has a regular Mosin Nagant 91/30 made in 1942 for a buy now price of $160. Lowest I have seen in years.
you made me just look through gun broker I didn't find that, saw a lot of starting bid auctions with bids in that price range and saw a boat load of listings with $400.00 up buy now listings plus shipping and plus transfer fees lol. That is one thing that peeves me about gun broker if I remember there are no listing fees so a seller can list and list without being motivated to lower the price when a item doesn't sell.

What I see is starting bids at $150.00 or $200.00 being bid up on and buy now prices for $400 plus just getting no hits. LOL some sellers think they ar going to sell a run of the mill for $500 good luck , the supply isn't that low to be had.
 
I just checked GB searched Swiss K31, wow..... one listing $500 and most starting at $700. Not too many listed either. Far ways from 13 to 15 years ago going for $120.00 lol. BUT they are a magnificent rifle among the most accurate milsurps made and available. I'm not sure I could bring myself to pay todays prices but I already have several thankfully. Even a Swedish Mauser can be had cheaper than s Swiss these days it seems at least based on GB.

I suppose if I was really into milsurps and didn't have one yet I might get one at today's prices but dang....that's a big chunk of change , and this is WHY in the long term best not to sporterize a surplus rifle.
 
They are still out there.
In the last year I have picked up:
  • a Berthier M-16 with a sanded and shortened stock for $120.00;
  • a 1916 Mauser in 7mm with a reshaped stock for $175;
  • a Carcano Model "I" in 6.5 Jap for $150;
  • a Winchester M-1 Garand for $800;
  • a couple of Arisaka Type 99s for $250 total
  • and several parts guns for pocket change, basically.
The beginning of hunting season is the best time to look, when folks drag out Grandpa's old gun to trade for the newest thing in black plastic.
So keep looking

That M1....the guy should be arrested for steeling....same with the 99's if they are in original trim....after they are cut up, they are pretty much worthless.....the rest....modified, and anymore people want original.....Then carcano...and that name gets "cheap" stuck to it....I have seen very nice examples, original bolts, nice tight bolts sell for $350....gun looks like it walked off the factory floor.
 
Occasionally someone will take a Krag to one of those antique military rifle shootoffs and @Slamfire might know something about that. There was a weird speedfeeder that is a serious collectible made that you might be able to duplicate for it.

On the mag, a common problem is a bent hingepin which makes it difficult to open and close the mag along with a small metal rounded triangle which is pinned into the bottom of the receiver. If this is messed up, it can lead to misfeeding issues. Some will feed spire points from the mag and some won't as the issued round was a round nosed bullet. Do not plan on hogging out the receiver feed ramp as it is case hardened and you will get a short life. The Krag is a rimmed cartridge which is good because the Krag is not really setup for gas events outside of the chamber. You do have to load the Krag in a certain way to avoid rimlock because it is a rimmed cartridge.

The bolt is a PITA to remove and requires a third hand to get good at it. Commonly, extractors can get damaged and need replacement and the extractor assembly is RIVETED together. and the bolt itself it a one lug design which is enough for the cartridge that it is chambered for. Some idiots would lap the bolt lugs or the receiver lug recess so that the bolt handled would bear and then fire hot rounds in it. This is idiotic because they lapped through the case hardening and the firearm is now not very safe. If the bolt handle bears at the back on the receiver, don't buy as it is ruined.

The military went through trying to "improve" the issued Krag rounds and ended up having to backtrack after a bunch of them cracked the lugs on their bolts. The Army had to have replacement bolts made to makeup for this disaster. That is one of the reasons that you can still get NOS bolts for it because these rifles were called back into service for rear echelon troops during WWI due to severe shortages of new rifles for front line troops. For that reason, watch out for a cracked bolt lug and more uncommonly receiver damage from rebarrelling. The Krag is difficult to rebarrel without a special receiver head that engages the bottom recesses of the unusual receiver. Occasionally Bubba can create some damage here if they were heavy handed in rebarrelling--those with Springfield 1903 barrels are the usual suspects and this damage to the bottom of the receiver can be hidden if inside a stock.

I already mentioned the trigger but a few misguided souls tried to make the trigger single stage instead of the two stage and you would need to replace such a trigger/sear which is not that difficult. There were a few headless cocking piece Krags made for a bit faster lock time so avoid these. Otherwise than removing the extractor, the bolt itself is relatively easy to break down. Watch out for damaged firing pin tips (these are like the 1903 with a rod and replaceable firing pin tip) that is deformed or a cocking rod that is damaged. Especially scrutinize the parts of a rifle bolt that have demonstrates extensive pitting around the firing pin hole as it is probably piercing primers now and again.

Normal stuff like headspace (.303 gages work for this and get the coin kind), barrel and chamber conditions are just as any other except watch out for wildcats. Bore diameters tend to wander both from wear and when manufactured. What is not normal about the Krag is that the front sight base is brazed on and uses an incredibly small pin to retain the sight blade. The sight base can crack under use and the sight blades can be damaged rather easily. The ones using 1903 barrels have 1903 front sights which are better frankly than the Krag's. Sporters often have a variety of commercial front sights and the 1903 front sight was often added. The issued rear sights are attached with some incredibly tiny screws and these were often buggered up or broken off during rear right removal. This usually requires making a larger holes for the sight to attach and using a modern threaded screw as Criterion did in their new barrels. Scoping these normally requires either using a scout scope mounted forward or a side mount scope. Have no idea about sight bases available for these.

Did I mention that the stocks were fragile? Well, proper fitting is absolutely required for a Krag stock as it is barely a one piece stock. The floor of the receiver is supported by incredibly thin wood and the wrist of these often gets cracks as well as the tang area. Improper fitting leads to chipping and cracking and as the wood is over one century old, people have globbed all kinds of finishes on them and sanded them down to slim them for sporting purposes. GunnyUSMC has probably worked on a Krag stock and I did twice--one to extend an existing cut stock at the front band and the second was to try to restore a stock broken in shipment which was less than successful due to the thinness of the wood. A few places used to make repro stocks but those currently are few and far between. Macon Gunstocks is one that I have seen still making them and they pop up on auction sites now and again. Cut stocks are fairly available.

The second shock is that handguards for these are astronomical and because each of the different sight types requires its own special handguard--you often have to go with repros and inlet them yourself.
examples of the different handguards https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=OvO6nQbq&id=51046C48955EA0565AFD317A51ED07791E713E2B&thid=OIP.OvO6nQbqCSDqF82rOP5-BAHaEt&mediaurl=http://www.kragcollectorsassociation.org/kca/Photos/handguards.jpg&exph=458&expw=721&q=krag+handguards&simid=608015678707206107&selectedIndex=5&qpvt=krag+handguards

One reason that these are so scarce is that they are thin and use riveted prongs on the underside to secure the handguard to the barrel (similar to the SMLE rear handguard and about as fragile.) People trying to remove these without gently popping them loose with the sight blade raised and then navigating the handguard to perpendicular to the sight crack or break them upon removal.

Last, the 1901 and 1902 sights are imho the best for accurate work with the 1901 being a slight favorite. The 1901 was the basis for the WWI era Springfield sight and it duplicates the older Springfield Trapdoor Buffington sights (because the General that approved them for Ordnance was the same guy) and it is adjustable for windage and has an incredibly tiny peep sight for distance. The Crozier 1902 sight is basically an 1898 open sight like the SMLE used but with a tiny peep sight mounted to the rear of the sight on a foldable leaf.

I don't find the bolt that hard...but then I am use to it......I think it is a little like the older ruger 22 pistols, they get the rep for being a real PITA to take apart but once you do it a few times no biggie. Same with the Krag bolt, just lift the extractor out of the way...no real biggie. Just lift and turn.....it is not that hard and I can do it with nerve damage in my left side.....If I can do it anyone that knows how to do it can.

I will leave the krag discussion with this.....IMHO factory ammo (when you can find it) is loaded too hot.....My handloads are closer to the 2000fps number.....I get you need to push some bullets to get them to work correctly on game, that is not me....steel and paper don't care. Also IMHO if you are hunting with a Krag in any form....I am not sure that is a real wise thing to do.....If you need cup numbers that high to get the bullet to do what it is designed to do....is this really the best thing for the rifle.....I don't think so.

But then again I am more of a collector.....but I do shoot them, and have shot them in matches...I always score at the bottom of the field, but part of that I think is dragging a new odd ball old rifle to the next months game. Playing with different toys is fun for me, getting good with just one toy....it just does not hold my interest.....might be more inexpensive if it did.

Aside from that look at C&R's video on the krag a great many of the points he talked about are in that video....there are too books for it, one on the american krag, and another on krag in general....if you are interested I would say grab those.
 
I don't find the bolt that hard...but then I am use to it......I think it is a little like the older ruger 22 pistols, they get the rep for being a real PITA to take apart but once you do it a few times no biggie. Same with the Krag bolt, just lift the extractor out of the way...no real biggie. Just lift and turn.....it is not that hard and I can do it with nerve damage in my left side.....If I can do it anyone that knows how to do it can.

I will leave the krag discussion with this.....IMHO factory ammo (when you can find it) is loaded too hot.....My handloads are closer to the 2000fps number.....I get you need to push some bullets to get them to work correctly on game, that is not me....steel and paper don't care. Also IMHO if you are hunting with a Krag in any form....I am not sure that is a real wise thing to do.....If you need cup numbers that high to get the bullet to do what it is designed to do....is this really the best thing for the rifle.....I don't think so.

But then again I am more of a collector.....but I do shoot them, and have shot them in matches...I always score at the bottom of the field, but part of that I think is dragging a new odd ball old rifle to the next months game. Playing with different toys is fun for me, getting good with just one toy....it just does not hold my interest.....might be more inexpensive if it did.

Aside from that look at C&R's video on the krag a great many of the points he talked about are in that video....there are too books for it, one on the american krag, and another on krag in general....if you are interested I would say grab those.

I have two where it is difficult to move the extractor over enough to get the bolt out, one is a 94 Krag and the other is a 98 model. The 94 came with a bolt, the 98 had to have a bolt fitted to the action along with a new extractor as I bought it as a barrelled receiver. The 96 model, for whatever reason is easier. I suspect that the tolerance ranges are wide enough that it is easier on some than others to move the extractor out of the way to remove the bolt. It is certainly easier to remove the bolt on a rifle with a bolt release.

The Franklin Mallory book is a std. reference but long out of print and pricey. Brophy is another std. reference and also out of print and pricey. The Poyer collector book pretty much lays out parts, models, etc. and is a decent reference for buying or restoring a Krag with a clear diagrams of the rifle and identification of the parts. It is still in print and cheap. There is a reprint of a Technical Analysis of the Development of the Krag which I have not read and various disassembly and parts publications that are cheap. +

All of the factory loads that I have seen for the Krag are around 180 gr. but most of the factory loads available now seem to have spitzer points which can be trouble in some Krags regarding feeding from the mag (unless you use the mag cutoff and make it a single shot). That being said, the factories have access to powders which can often be of lower pressure. There are very few new rifles made to shoot Krag ammo so I suspect that any pressure levels of factory ammo are well below max for the action. That being said, the Krag is a wonderful rifle with cast bullets with the benefits of lower pressure on the 120 yr old + rifle.
 
I have two where it is difficult to move the extractor over enough to get the bolt out, one is a 94 Krag and the other is a 98 model. The 94 came with a bolt, the 98 had to have a bolt fitted to the action along with a new extractor as I bought it as a barrelled receiver. The 96 model, for whatever reason is easier. I suspect that the tolerance ranges are wide enough that it is easier on some than others to move the extractor out of the way to remove the bolt. It is certainly easier to remove the bolt on a rifle with a bolt release.

The Franklin Mallory book is a std. reference but long out of print and pricey. Brophy is another std. reference and also out of print and pricey. The Poyer collector book pretty much lays out parts, models, etc. and is a decent reference for buying or restoring a Krag with a clear diagrams of the rifle and identification of the parts. It is still in print and cheap. There is a reprint of a Technical Analysis of the Development of the Krag which I have not read and various disassembly and parts publications that are cheap. +

All of the factory loads that I have seen for the Krag are around 180 gr. but most of the factory loads available now seem to have spitzer points which can be trouble in some Krags regarding feeding from the mag (unless you use the mag cutoff and make it a single shot). That being said, the factories have access to powders which can often be of lower pressure. There are very few new rifles made to shoot Krag ammo so I suspect that any pressure levels of factory ammo are well below max for the action. That being said, the Krag is a wonderful rifle with cast bullets with the benefits of lower pressure on the 120 yr old + rifle.

Hard to know the pressures on what a factory ammo is at....all we normal humans can do is go off of just how fast it is....and what the weight is....then toss the numbers with some guesses to get yet another guess.

I don't cast, but am lucky enough to have MO. bullet down the road from me....I use their 45-70 like it is going out of style. I just use "normal" off the shelf bullets with Krag, but I do download them. I don't have my book handy but want to say the old standby's like Varget and 4095 are what I go with....could be wrong tho....I don't remember but I want to say 3031 really got along.

Sucks getting old and not remembering stuffs.
 
Hard to know the pressures on what a factory ammo is at....all we normal humans can do is go off of just how fast it is....and what the weight is....then toss the numbers with some guesses to get yet another guess.

I don't cast, but am lucky enough to have MO. bullet down the road from me....I use their 45-70 like it is going out of style. I just use "normal" off the shelf bullets with Krag, but I do download them. I don't have my book handy but want to say the old standby's like Varget and 4095 are what I go with....could be wrong tho....I don't remember but I want to say 3031 really got along.

Sucks getting old and not remembering stuffs.

Ditto on casting, I buy mine from places like Missouri Bullets too and have some with the new to me Hi-Tek coating to play around with reloading.
 
Well, said!

In fact, if you are going to find deals on neat old stuff, its going to be at a show these days, rather than online. We always have a few private selller table, usually old school guys, who arent trying to get stoopid money for their old rifles. In fact, I would say the milsurp market is a little soft these days as the younger generation (with exceptions of course) doesnt seem to be in to them as much as mine was.

US militaria still holds its value pretty well, but I still find Turk, Swede, and South American Mausers for reasonable sums at shows. SKS are pretty high these days- but I think that is in part due to people finally realizing what a high quality gun it is and that they avoid many local feature bans.

At least Prvi is a reliable source for decent mmo. Yes, the milsurp market isnt dirt cheap as it once was, but all is not doom and gloom.

Happy collecting!
As a youngish person myself (turn 30 next year) I look at milsurps today and I compare them to other bolt actions (Ruger and Savage) and I don't see the value in 20th Century milsurps as shooters. Collecting, sure, but I don't see how a Mosin at $400 is a better rifle than a Ruger Predator in .308. Milsurp to Milsurp, I don't see how a $400 Mosin beats a $500 Chinese SKS.

$500 seems high for an SKS to people because 20 years ago they were everywhere for $100. Hey, look at the AK market and the low quality of modern made AK's for the same $500 and you'll realize what makes those Chinese SKS' worth that money.

IMO, the only Milsurps worth buying today are the Japanese Arisaka in 7.7mm. People are adverse to them simply because the ammo is $2 a round for bad factory ammo. Reloading 7.7 Jap is not impossible and brass is easy to form from .30-06 cases. For $300, the Arisaka's are great.

That said, I have an interest in 19th Century black powder cartridge rifles like the Snider, Martini-Henry, and Chassepot. Dunno why, I guess because people are less interested in such guns vs milsurps from the 20th Century.
 
The old Mosins are well built rifles but I could never go for those awkward safeties. Not for me.

TR
Just do not use the safety, Bolt actions can be used without safeties ,Just like the French Army training shows. The French did not even put safeties on their rifles..
 
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I have told this story before....

Back in the 1950's in rural Tenn. the FiL and his brother bought a Krag rifle out of a bucket at a general store....they bought that Krag because they could not afford the $25 for the 1903. They used this rifle for hunting and they did "pretty it up". He went into heart failure and total denial when he saw Krag prices not long ago.....who would pay that for that old gun.....what does a new hunting rifle cost on the cheap side.....why the hell would you buy that.

I think it is a little like the 91/30 of a few years ago....A little...they are so darn cheap why not. Well back in 1950 you did not have not many choices in the inexpensive area, and turning an old $15 Krag into a lighter sporting gun was an option.....today and even back when the MW was $100 it is just flat fing stupid.

fpgt72: Trust me, I know what you're saying and exactly what you're saying. It is easy to look back almost 60 to 80 years and apply today's values.
In the early 1960s, my father and I were what most people today call "bubba." My father was a member of the NRA and back then, there was something called the NRA/DCM. The short form, we couldn't afford a commercial rifle; OTOH, we could afford a less than $20 1903 from the Letterkenny Army Depot. An auto parts store had 1903-A3s and Nazi 98s for $35 in galvanized garbage cans.
I have two "bubba-ized 1903-A* Springfield rifles. The one is a 30-06 and the other is a 25-06 AI. I mowed a lot of lawns, shoveled a lot of snow and whatever to build the 25-06 AI.
How about "real" WWII 1911-A1s for less than $25? Or Nazi Lugers or P-38s for $49.95 from "Ye Old Hunter" delivered to your door? Or more recently, a Poly Tech Legend AK-47 for $150?

Could be when people today look back decades to see what they could have bought today is worth in the future; they'll understand.
 
Occasionally someone will take a Krag to one of those antique military rifle shootoffs and @Slamfire might know something about that. There was a weird speedfeeder that is a serious collectible made that you might be able to duplicate for it.

Krag's are interesting, but due to the lack of a stripper clip guide, I only saw one shot in a 100 yard reduced NRA match. You can't load the thing in the rapid fire stages and complete your string.

I was able to buy this at the CMP. The barrel was excellent, so I had to have it.

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interesting rear sight, very complicated

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From what I have read these were converted from US stocks at Benicia Arsenal in the San Fransisco Bay area and shipped to the Philippines. I have fired some cast lead bullets in the thing, and that's about it. Not really interested in doing more with it.

There was a time when I really wanted a Norwegian Krag in 6.5 X 55. They are as rare has hen's teeth. I believe they were modified for stripper clips. Post WW1 versions are probably better made than the 1890's American Krag's. The Krag is a smooth and slick action, too expensive to make, and in my opinion, too expensive to make into a decent scoped sporter. I have seen one cracked lug on a Krag, and the 30-40 Krag is not some high pressure round like a 300 Win Mag. The early metallurgy and low pressures of the action really limit what can be done with a Krag military action.

The Norwegian Krag is an good example of "not invented here" syndrome. Norway and Sweden were under the same King, and Sweden bought the M1896 Mauser, and Norway should have purchased the Mauser as it is superior in so many respects to the Krag. But the Krag designer was Ole Herman Johannes Krag, (notice the resemblance) and he was the head of the Norweigan Arsenal making service rifles, so, small wonder that Norway used the Krag in 6.5 X 55.

I am going to claim the AR15 is a good example of the American "not invented here" syndrome. I met a fellow shooter last year who is the last surviving member of the Air Force test and selection team that decided to buy AR15's for the Air Force. Before Gen Curtiss LeMay bought the AR15 for the USAF, he had a formal test and evaluation of a number of rifles suitable for USAF base protection. I recall the rifles under test were the M14, the M1 Carbine, probably a Garand, the AR15, and the AK47. The one user test I specifically remember was holding the weapon out with one hand and shooting at targets 200 yards away!. Anyway, at the end of all the user tests, the weapon that was the most reliable, easiest to control, simplest to operate, simplest to maintain, was the AK 47! And these were battle field capture weapons, not some factory prepped weapons. But as the man said, it was politically impossible to adopt a Soviet rifle in the early 1960's. You probably remember that time. Better dead than red, Godless Communism, the Stasi and the Wall.

Now the Communist Chinese are our biggest trading partners and the electronic device you are using to read this, was made in China. And shortly, will also be totally designed and built in China. Godless Capitalism is being questioned as a just and moral economic system. How the world turns!
 
$600 for one is roughly 10 times what they were going for 10 years ago

And they were overpriced back then.

With what they are asking for a clean milsurp these days, you can get a hunting rifle rated at 1 MOA or better...you may want to have a look at the new Rugers and Savages.

Bingo!

I cannot, for the life of me, understand the popularity of Mosin-Nagant rifles in this country. (Same applies to SKS etc.) I recall going to gun shows where there were trash cans full of Mosins, with a sign that said "Take your pick $50 ea." Invariably, after every gun show in our area, people would show up at the range with one, shoot an absolutely horrible group with a Mosin (I'm talking minute of barn side, shotgun pattern groups), and feel good about it.

How Jude Law ever managed to hit anything let alone kill Ed Harris with one is beyond reason.

I will never understand.
 
And they were overpriced back then.



Bingo!

I cannot, for the life of me, understand the popularity of Mosin-Nagant rifles in this country. (Same applies to SKS etc.) I recall going to gun shows where there were trash cans full of Mosins, with a sign that said "Take your pick $50 ea." Invariably, after every gun show in our area, people would show up at the range with one, shoot an absolutely horrible group with a Mosin (I'm talking minute of barn side, shotgun pattern groups), and feel good about it.

How Jude Law ever managed to hit anything let alone kill Ed Harris with one is beyond reason.

I will never understand.
DB, look back to 2001 when the movie Enemy at the Gates came out. Good timing for importers to sell boatloads of cheep mosins. Real steel , wood and a lot of history. I was getting them three for $100 back then. Some are decent shootets. Both my 90 and 91/30 shoot better than I can . The military sights are what they are.
I was not looking for a hunting or precision rifle and true collectibles where out of my price range.
 
That was one of the big draws to the military surplus. Anyone could play. Consequently, you saw every level of quality in wartime rifles, and every level of gunsmithing/gunplumber work. It was good if it helped someone acquire skill without risking a (then $300) M70 or M700. It was bad if someone overestimated their abilities or just hacked mindlessly.

I initially regarded the 91/30 in much the same light as DBCooper, but impulse bought one at Cabelas at the $129 stage and must confess that it has been fun to shoot. Yes, I could make $$ on it by selling it, but shooting it is a bit like shooting a Kentucky long rifle. The old iron holds a fascination for me and I am grateful that I got the opportunity to pick up a few of the old war horses.
 
Also some people do not pick up a gun worrying about shooting tight groups.. Some guns are for shooting tight groups, with other guns, one is happy to hit the Gong. There are many reasons for someone wanting a certain rifle. God knows if I understand all the reasons in myself to even start to explain others.
 
My Chinese T53, dated 1955, is as accurate as I could have wished for, and my favorite hunting rifle. Last time I went hunting with my brother-in-law, we happened across four deer off a fair distance. My brother in law brought a range finder on this trip, and as we were scoping out the ones we were going to shoot at, he read 260 yards out. I got mine with two rounds, and he got his with two rounds. He had a Winchester 88 in 308 with a scope, I had my mil-surp Chinese T53 with iron sites, turned down bolt, and rubber butt pad. I was a very happy guy that day. :)

Had I hunted with modern rifles? Yep. Did I enjoy it with those? No, not as much as I did with a rifle that I had been searching for previously for about 15 years. To me, it was and is the right fit for me, and that's all that matters.
 
I am going to claim the AR15 is a good example of the American "not invented here" syndrome.
It could be argued that, historically, American ordnance was the antithesis of the "not invented here" syndrome. Starting with the M1795 musket, American designs copied French prototypes. With the Krag, the U.S. took a Norwegian rifle and coupled it with a Swiss bayonet. Then, the M1903 Springfield was in reality a modified Mauser. American originality only came to the fore with the Garand. But even there, the inventor was Canadian-born.
 
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