Krag gunsmith questions

[Gordon]

I just got a nice old 1899 Krag #4875xx, it of course has been "sporterized" with a beautifully grafted on pistol grip (!) and a Weaver side mount with a nice old K-2.5x with post.The gun is in great shape , nice original finish and the 'sporterising' work nicely done on a very clean carbine stock. It has the original front sight but no rear sight. It also is missing the magazine cut off rod thingie with a thumblever on end and a retainer pin. I found a type 4 mag cut off on the internet cheap enough , problem is I found in my internet search an old Pacifac Gunsight rear peep that looks like it has a rod that matches the missing cut off on my gun! Am I halucinating or does this rear sight go in the mag cut off hole? Anybody ever seen something like that? This would solve my rear sight problem, which I was gonna rectify with reinstalling an original rear ladder sight. Help you old Krag experts!

 

[Jim K]

Yes, sights were made with a rod to fit into the cutoff hole so that drilling and tapping would not be necessary. I haven't seen one for years, but if that is what you want, I see no reason it would not work OK. I have no idea what one is worth today; it would be a collector's item itself.

Jim

 

[Gordon]

Thanks, I'll try it!

 

[anapex]

Man the pistol grip grafting must have been popular on Krags. The beat up one I just got had the same thing done to it.

 

[Jim K]

In the 1920's, Krags were sold through DCM for as little as $2.50 (equivalent to maybe $90-100 today), so they were sort of the "Yugo 48" of the era. Every gunsmith, hacksaw artist and owner of a carving knife went to work on them, with results ranging from beautiful sporters to sickening trash. No one cared; they were just old junk and anything done to them had to be an improvement.

Jim