Anybody have a Krag and a set of calipers?

[Geneseo1911]

I bought a Krag from CMP. It was mostly complete minus sights. I managed to find an original 1901 sight, and got everything back together. I made the front sight blade from some steel stock. I made it a little over tall so I could file it down, but I can't find any info on how tall the original was. I'm hoping someone would be willing to measure from the barrel to the top of the front sight blade so I know where to start and hopefully get the thing on paper. Ammo is almost as hard to find and expensive as the sights...

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Get on the 25 yard line with some sandbags and a file.. should go pretty fast to get it rough/close.. don't go too far! Then move to 100.

 

[wrench]

.685" from the bottom of the sight base to the top of the sight.

 

[Geneseo1911]

Thanks wrench! I knew somebody around here had to have one!

And I would assume anyone with a Krag probably has a set of calipers...and a press...and some dies...and a bizarre weakness for old military rifles...

 

[rcmodel]

I got dial & digital calipers.
And micrometers.
And rulers.

But I ain't got no Krag!

What I was going to suggest is to put a strip of masking tape on the too-tall front sight.
And mark some lines on it with a sharpie pen.

Then shoot it, while noteing which line on the tape is closest to the right height.


Still not a bad idea to do that.
As all front sights, on all Krag rifles, will not zero with the same .685" front sight height.

I'd try it before you whip out the file and cut it of too short.

rc

 

[Geneseo1911]

That is an excellent idea, rc. Of course, my eyes have a hard enough time seeing that little blade on the looong barrel, so it remains to be seen (no pun intended) if I could make out little lines on it. Maybe some different colored strips of tape or something. Anyway, I'll at least be in the ballpark.

I might actually be smart enough to calculate how many thousandths of front sight move the POI how many MOA with X sight radius at Y yards, but alas I'm far too lazy and will just resort to trial & error.

 

[wrench]

RC has an excellent point, of course you will need to zero the rifle with your own ammo.
I've shot only handloads out of mine, it's accurate as heck, a pleasure to shoot.
Always turns heads at the range
Do give us a range report, (and a few pics), when you get the old girl out.

 

[Suburban Redneck]

Krag .30-40

Took out my Krag: from the center pin to the top of the blade is 0.350". I don't know if that's going to help you, it's a model 1899 carbine.

 

[Geneseo1911]

Finally got to go shoot my Krag!
Guess what sight height I wound up with?

.685! That got me pretty well on at 100 yds.

I only had 20 rounds, and burned those up by the time I got the elevation close. I was shooting three shot groups, all of which were between 2-3", which I thought was pretty darn good for a 110 year old rifle with a rough, dark bore. Here's the piece in question:

As you can see, she was chromed at some point, I assume for VFW service. It is not nearly as "silver" in person as the photo makes it look like. It is worn enough that it just looks very well worn until you look closer. Luckily, nothing was welded or cut, and the stock is in decent shape for its age. Some oil stains, but not too bad. I cleaned it up good and applied a coat of dfariswheel's Antique Oil.

It was beautiful, 60 degree day here today, so I got out a few toys:

This was the first time I've shot the Mauser, as well. It shot about the same, and its bore isn't great either. I need to get a tall sight for it, it shoots about 8" high at 100 yds.

The top .22 (with the ridiculous scope) is my problem child/project gun that doesn't shoot as well as it should, and the bottom one is a gun I inherited with my house that shoots WAY better than it has any right too (especially considering the rear sight is a small bolt with a groove ground into the head), and is quickly becoming one of my favorites. It is a Wards-Western Field No.47, which probably deserves a thread of its own.

 

[wrench]

2-3" at 100y is nothing to sneeze about with iron sights. Good shooting, and a nice old rifle.
Congrats!