I know I could "search" this but I enjoy fresh feed back from you folks. My friend just got his Gramps 30-40 Krag and is curious about them. Good bad and so forth. Is it just me or are they expensive to shoot? Thanks for any and all comments on this rifle.
30-40 Krag
- Thread starter Jim_100
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MMCSRET
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Not particularly expensive if you load. Remington and Winchester sell cases, Prvi may also. Shop around, and keep loads mild.
Nugilum
Member
Sunray
Member
"...Prvi may also..." Nope.
Both Remington and Winchester only load it seasonally. The brass is seasonal too.
Both Remington and Winchester only load it seasonally. The brass is seasonal too.
Well you said any & all comments, so:
I mentioned on another thread about an old friend, now sadly passed on, who had a 30-40 Krag. He got it from his dad and I think it was his gramp's too. He inherited it not so much out of loving kindness but because his dad had backed over it with the pickup, then pulled forward to see what he hit!
The barrel was as crooked as a dog's hind leg, you could see it from a distance! Regardless, Steve learned how to shoot it as is, and from that time on got his deer every single year! One heck of a fine rifle it was. Nobody else on the planet could shoot the thing accurately except Steve, but it sure worked, even with a badly bent barrel.
I mentioned on another thread about an old friend, now sadly passed on, who had a 30-40 Krag. He got it from his dad and I think it was his gramp's too. He inherited it not so much out of loving kindness but because his dad had backed over it with the pickup, then pulled forward to see what he hit!
The barrel was as crooked as a dog's hind leg, you could see it from a distance! Regardless, Steve learned how to shoot it as is, and from that time on got his deer every single year! One heck of a fine rifle it was. Nobody else on the planet could shoot the thing accurately except Steve, but it sure worked, even with a badly bent barrel.
Put some pics up when you can. Krags are beautiful, graceful, accurate shooters. Once you work the bolt on a Krag, everything else feels like it's full of sand.
Easy caliber to reload, fairly hard to find, and expensive caliber if you need to buy factory ammo.
Easy caliber to reload, fairly hard to find, and expensive caliber if you need to buy factory ammo.
Jim Watson
Member
Pictures will help.
I think of five main types of Krag, in order of declining collector interest and dollar value. Of course the year model and presence or absence of arsenal upgrades counts a lot.
Military carbine, unaltered.
Military rifle, unaltered.
DCM carbine, converted from rifles at Benicia Arsenal for NRA sales in the 1920s.
Nice gunsmith sporterization.
Bubba attempt at sporterization.
I think of five main types of Krag, in order of declining collector interest and dollar value. Of course the year model and presence or absence of arsenal upgrades counts a lot.
Military carbine, unaltered.
Military rifle, unaltered.
DCM carbine, converted from rifles at Benicia Arsenal for NRA sales in the 1920s.
Nice gunsmith sporterization.
Bubba attempt at sporterization.
The Krag is famous for the smooth action. I think it has panache. The split receiver makes scoping a bitch but I prefer a nice receiver sight, anyway.
The father of my best friend when I was a kid had a cut down Krag. He used it for at least 30 years as his deer rifle. I always thought it a strange and appealing rifle so I started looking for one. Took about 15 years to find one as I didn't want to pay more than $150 (this was from late 1970s until early 1990s).
Finally in 1992 I spotted one at a local gun show. Expecting the usual "$200" reply when I asked about the price I was was shocked when the dealer said "$90." Feigning indifference I counter-offered $80 and walked away with it for $85. Two rows over I found a set of RCBS dies for $10 and I was in business. The Krag is one of those guns you really have to reload for as factory ammo is limited, scarce and very pricey.
A few years ago I grew weary of the cut down military stock and put some nice walnut on it. I think it's quite handsome.
The father of my best friend when I was a kid had a cut down Krag. He used it for at least 30 years as his deer rifle. I always thought it a strange and appealing rifle so I started looking for one. Took about 15 years to find one as I didn't want to pay more than $150 (this was from late 1970s until early 1990s).
Finally in 1992 I spotted one at a local gun show. Expecting the usual "$200" reply when I asked about the price I was was shocked when the dealer said "$90." Feigning indifference I counter-offered $80 and walked away with it for $85. Two rows over I found a set of RCBS dies for $10 and I was in business. The Krag is one of those guns you really have to reload for as factory ammo is limited, scarce and very pricey.
A few years ago I grew weary of the cut down military stock and put some nice walnut on it. I think it's quite handsome.
Krags are very well made. Swing open up the magazine and marvel at the amount and quality of the machining. Labor was a LOT cheaper in those days!
Factory ammo is hard to find and expensive, so it's a reloading proposition. Stick to book loads, Krags have only one locking lug, so they are NOT the rifle to try to magnumize.
Factory ammo is hard to find and expensive, so it's a reloading proposition. Stick to book loads, Krags have only one locking lug, so they are NOT the rifle to try to magnumize.
Ed Harris
Member
I have an 1896 Krag "Bannerman" sporter. Factory ammo is scarce and expensive. Bet bet is to buy a set of Lee dies and a couple hundred new factory Winchester brass.
Krag barrels vary all over the map. It is necessary to cast the chamber, being sure to capture the freebored portion of the chamber throat ahead of the case mouth until the rifling starts. The cylindrical freebore diameter determines correct bullet size. In my rifle is it .314 and I use jacketed bullets intended for the .303 British. If I use .308 bullets accuracy is poor. If the cylindrical freebore section in your rifle casts at .311 or less, then use .308 bullets. You don't really care what the groove diameter is farther down, the throat size is what matters.
Once you know throat diameter you can use published data with bullets of appropriate diameter. In my rifle as a hunting load I use the Hornady 174-gr. SP .312 diameter roundnosed bullets or the similar Remington Core-Lokt 180-gr. with 38 grs. of RL-15 which chronographs about 2200 f.p.s.
A full power cast bullet load which works well is the Lyman #314299 cast of wheelweights, and sized .314" with 28 grs. of RL-7 for 1900 f.p.s. You can also use 28 grs. of 4198 for similar results.
For a plinking or small game load i use the Saeco #322 120-gr. LFN for the .32-20 Winchester, loaded as-cast and unsized at .315", seated out and crimped in the lubricating groove, with 6 grs. of Bullseye for about 1300 f.p.s.
Krag barrels vary all over the map. It is necessary to cast the chamber, being sure to capture the freebored portion of the chamber throat ahead of the case mouth until the rifling starts. The cylindrical freebore diameter determines correct bullet size. In my rifle is it .314 and I use jacketed bullets intended for the .303 British. If I use .308 bullets accuracy is poor. If the cylindrical freebore section in your rifle casts at .311 or less, then use .308 bullets. You don't really care what the groove diameter is farther down, the throat size is what matters.
Once you know throat diameter you can use published data with bullets of appropriate diameter. In my rifle as a hunting load I use the Hornady 174-gr. SP .312 diameter roundnosed bullets or the similar Remington Core-Lokt 180-gr. with 38 grs. of RL-15 which chronographs about 2200 f.p.s.
A full power cast bullet load which works well is the Lyman #314299 cast of wheelweights, and sized .314" with 28 grs. of RL-7 for 1900 f.p.s. You can also use 28 grs. of 4198 for similar results.
For a plinking or small game load i use the Saeco #322 120-gr. LFN for the .32-20 Winchester, loaded as-cast and unsized at .315", seated out and crimped in the lubricating groove, with 6 grs. of Bullseye for about 1300 f.p.s.
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Cocked & Locked
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I like mine!
bannockburn
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Saxon Pig and Cocked and Locked
Those are two very nice sporterized versions of the venerable Krag. My own Model 1898 was given to me by my godfather a number of years ago. An old "parade" rifle, it had been completely chrome plated, and given a heavy coat of varnish on the stock. It took me countless hours to carefully refinish the stock, deplate the metal surfaces, polish all the ancillary parts, and then have the rifle reblued to closely match the original Springfield Armory finish. It took a long time but it was definitely worth the effort to restore this finely crafted rifle.
Those are two very nice sporterized versions of the venerable Krag. My own Model 1898 was given to me by my godfather a number of years ago. An old "parade" rifle, it had been completely chrome plated, and given a heavy coat of varnish on the stock. It took me countless hours to carefully refinish the stock, deplate the metal surfaces, polish all the ancillary parts, and then have the rifle reblued to closely match the original Springfield Armory finish. It took a long time but it was definitely worth the effort to restore this finely crafted rifle.
Jim Watson
Member
C&L, that is a VERY nice looking Krag.
Anybody here got one with a flatgate conversion? I have read about them for years but never seen one.
Anybody here got one with a flatgate conversion? I have read about them for years but never seen one.
fireman 9731
Member
Now seriously... how do you all keep finding these nice rifles laying in the woods with a box of ammo and a set of sheds right next to it?!?!?!?
tkendrick
Member
I'm not snob or anything, you understand. But there's Krags, and then theres all that other junk.
I have two, one which I have had since the early 70's is an old Bannerman conversion. Take a 220 grain round nose in front of 30 grains of IMR 4895, and it will print 1.5 inch groups all day long. It's a plinking round at about 1650 fps.
It's still my go to gun for hunting, and I have taken everything in North America with it, except for Griz. That was the one time I felt under-gunned, but that's another story.
I have two, one which I have had since the early 70's is an old Bannerman conversion. Take a 220 grain round nose in front of 30 grains of IMR 4895, and it will print 1.5 inch groups all day long. It's a plinking round at about 1650 fps.
It's still my go to gun for hunting, and I have taken everything in North America with it, except for Griz. That was the one time I felt under-gunned, but that's another story.
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