Can anyone ID my grandfather's rifle and gear?

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MASTEROFMALICE

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My grandfather died when my father was eleven. I know little about him other than he served in WWI, I'm not even sure which country her served with (it make have been Greece.)

I have this picture of him which was redone and so I'm posting both for you guys to look at. I'd like any info anyone can give me about his equipment, country of origin, etc.

The redone picture did alter certain things (the barrel on the rifle looks wrong) so I posted the original as well.
 

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Rifle looks like a Krag Jorgensen to me. The US Army used it, but I don't know if that extended to WWI, and would not have been in front-line service. The Uniform looks US pre WWI too, but I'm no expert there.
 
I'm thinking Krag too...but im not real knowledgable on the subject. The redone picture is not right. I think whoever redid the picture wrongly assumed that the wooden handguards were actually the steel barrel. Someone here that know more about this stuff then me will no doubt provide a better answer.

edit: As daniel said, I'm guessing this picture is pre-WWI. Not sure if he is US or not tho.
 
If the era is any help, the photograph doesn't feel like paper (you can see where it cracked in a few places.)

I just don't know if he came to the United States before or after WWI.
 
Definitely looks like long handguards and about 3-4" of barrel and the front sight can just be made out in the unretouched photo. The retouched photo doesn't show it. Definitely looks like a Krag to me.
 
FWIW the Krag was replaced in US service by the Springfield 1903 model. The changeover wouldn't have occurred overnight though, so Krags may well have been in service in some units well after 1903. I doubt any were still in service by 1917 though, except perhaps at National Guard level.

Also FWIW it definitely was not the rifle of the Greek Army. They adopted a Mannlicher-Schoenauer design in 1903. Krags were used by the Danes and Norwegians though.
 
I think it would help to tell what Krag it is if we could make out if the cleaning rod is under the barrel or not. If i remember correctly, earlier US Krags had the cleaning rod under the barrel, and later Krags had them in the buttstock (maybe the other way around tho).
 
Granddad's picture

My father was in the US Army during WWI. Discharged in 1918 (Aunt Katy has his discharge papers).
Glad to see you're proud of him enough to show his picture. A good man.
 
Thanks, guys, but my father, BacSi, actually answered the uniform question. it appears this board answered the rifle question.

So it's an American WWI uniform and he's holding a Krag. If he was discharged in 1918 then the Krags may have still been issued that late in the game.
 
I do not see a front band, front sight or bayonet lug on said Krag; even in what I can make out of the original photo. It might have been a photographer's prop for servicemen to hold while their picture was taken.
 
MASTEROFMALICE said:
Can anyone ID my grandfather's rifle and gear?
Click to expand...
BacSi67 said:
My father was in the US Army during WWI. Discharged in 1918 {...} Glad to see you're proud of him enough to show his picture. A good man.
Click to expand...
MASTEROFMALICE said:
Damn. You weren't supposed to see that finished picture. Don't tell mom, it's a surprise.
Click to expand...
{...}
MASTEROFMALICE said:
...my father, BacSi, actually answered the uniform question. It appears this board answered the rifle question.
Click to expand...

I love this place. :D
 
I've read that Krags were used in stateside training in WWI.

That makes sense as their weren't enough Springfield 1903's to arm the AEF and we had to manufacture the Enfield 1917 in large qualitities to issue to the troops.

So, I wouldn't be surprised to see a U.S. soldier pictured with a Krag. I'd guess the pic was taken stateside.
 
Rifle looks like a Krag Jorgensen to me. The US Army used it, but I don't know if that extended to WWI, and would not have been in front-line service. The Uniform looks US pre WWI too, but I'm no expert there.
Click to expand...
It's a Krag alright. As to time period, state militias/National Guard units had a tendency to hold onto older firearms for long periods of time. A friend once told me a story about a Minnesota Guard unit that was stopped boarding a North Africa bound transport while carrying Trapdoor Springfields. Apparently they had little confidence in "mouse guns" like the M1903(A3) Springfield and the M1 Garand...
 
krag, mauser style action with a side loading magazine. A gentleman at the range had one that had long ago been made into a cavalry carbine, old school high speed, low drag. He let me put a few rounds through it, interesting rifle.
 
A friend once told me a story about a Minnesota Guard unit that was stopped boarding a North Africa bound transport while carrying Trapdoor Springfields. Apparently they had little confidence in "mouse guns" like the M1903(A3) Springfield and the M1 Garand...
Click to expand...

Huh. Some people...
 
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