Shooting original Krags

[logjam]

I've got a couple of old Krags that look like new. I've never shot any of them. Both of mine, an 1998 musket and a 99 carbine are in nearly new condition and I'd like to work the old warhorses out a bit.

I also have one of those Bannerman Krags with a Springfield barrel attached. It's a cut down musket that looks like a carbine.

Are any of your guys shooting Krags? What do you shoot in them? What do you reload fo them? How straight to they shoot?

Thanks.

LJ

 

[Kernel]

Lucky you. Nice rifles. You might get a better response to your questions on the Reloading forum. Brass and dies are readily available. Great cartridge, easy to load for. Tons of info all over the net. Would be a hoot to shoot with light-for-caliber cast bullets and handloads in the 1600 to 2500 fps range. Sub 2" groups with open sites at 100 yds should be doable. Might take some work to get there, but hey, that's the fun.

 

[targshooter]

Krag .30 US Army loads

I used to shoot two Krags in the 1970s. One developed a crack in the bolt locking lug and so was retired. I had the other tested by a gunsmith using a penetrating dye. No crack. Sold both in 1990.
As for loads: The rifle/cartridge system was originally developed using a 220 grain bullet, and my rifles performed best with that weight. The original load was 2,000 fps with that weight bullet. I never used anything hotter and still got a cracked lug (although it may have already been cracked). The sights were right on per the military specs using that load also! Attached is a good reference book available on line for free.
http://www.archive.org/details/americanrifletre00wheliala
"Thumb" through the pages and there is both Krag rifle and cartridge information. I used IMR 4064 and IMR 3031. I do not remember the loads, however, all reloading manuals I possess have Krag loadings.
Townsend Whelen's "Mr. Rifleman" also has quit a bit of Krag information.

 

[logjam]

You guys are great! Of course I know that I can look in any reloading manual. I have a dozen or so old ones. But I wanted to know if anyone is actually shooting those Krags.

I'll try the cast and 200 grn. jacketed bullet. My guns look almost new. I traded a Lahti pistol w/holster for the musket. Had to buy the carbine, which is a pretty one.

thanks again

 

[kragluver]

As you can tell from my username, I shoot my Krag quite a lot. I've had reasonable success with IMR 4350 under 180 gr round nose (never could get the 220 RN to shoot worth a damn). It really shines though with cast bullets. Krag bore sizes run all over the map. SA didn't get their tolerances under control until late 1899. The bore on my rifle slugs at .312 which is why it only did marginally well with .308 jacketed bullets. It will hold 2" at 100 yds with cast if I do my part.

FWIW - my go-to cast bullet powder is SR-4759. There are quite a few other good ones out there.

 

[logjam]

Thanks Kragluver:

I've got four Krags. An old warn out 98 Musket with a black bore, which when I shoot it, shoots keyholes. I haven't shot it for over 30 years.

I've got a mint 98 and a mint 99 and I've never shot either.

I also own one of those Bannerman fake carbines with the cut down Springfield barrel attached. Haven't shot it either, but for a Krag lover it's an interesting rifle.

I love how Krag's feel. Of course that action is smooth as glass.

I have a favorite Krag game. I hand a guy the rifle. They work the action. I show them how the ammo tray works. I show them the magazine cutoff. I explain how the rear sight works. Then I say, "Remove the bolt". They never can. Sometimes I say, "I'll give you ten bucks if you can removed the bolt". Then they work very hard at it. No luck. Then they decide that the bolt doesn't come out at all. I tell'm that it does.

Finally they give up and hand me the rifle and I show them how to take out the bolt. It's just not obvious how to removed the bolt from a Krag rifle. Kinda hurts your thumb too, even it you do it right.

I also own a mint 95 Chilian Mauser, which is very close to the 93 Mauser that the Spanish used against us in Cuba. While the Mauser isn't as interesting as a Krag, it is indeed a better rifle, and the 7x57 round is better too. We were outgunned in that war.

 

[mjg16915]

I have an 1896, a 98, and a Bannerman krag, along with a Winchester 95 carbine in .30-40. I got a no gunsmith scope mount for the 1898 and use it for deer. I use 180 gr combined tec ballistic silvertips and they work great. I have found that if I keep it around 2100 fps, they are more accurate.

 

[twoclones]

I have a kraig that I've never fired. Been wanting to sell or trade it but haven't really pursued that effectively.

Photos of mine are at
http://www.2clones.com/3040/

 

[logjam]

Nice Krags are rare. Most have black bores. Many were used for generations as National Guard or VFW signal guns. The guys shooting them were using old corrosive ammo and didn't bother to clean them. It's been more than a hundred years since Krags were issue weapons. In the interim they've been badly misused.

 

[bang_bang]

I shot an older gentlemen's Krag a couple of months ago.

He redone the stock and re-blued it around 50-60 years ago, when he was a teenager.

Not sporterized, but all original wood, minus the somewhat newer 1950-ish finish on the furniture. Beautiful rifle. Shot like dream too. Could easily hit steel targets as wide as a man at a little over 200 yards.

Gun was as tall as I was!!

 

[logjam]

I can't recall exactly what Krag's used to cost, but they were very inexpensive. People liked them as elk rifles.

As I recall, carbines and muskets were under $10. Bannerman cut many down and screwed in old Springfield barrels. These looked like carbines. I have one that sports a 1902 rear sight.

So owning and shooting Krags was very common before and just after WWII.

Rolling Blocks were almost free too. Those Danish Rolling Blocks came in, in the early 1960's and cost $14.50 each. I have an old American Riflemen that has the add. In the 50's, American Remington Rolling block rifles cost $5, and many were mint.

In the 1960's original Hawkin type rifles were plentiful and if you wanted to shoot BP you shot an old rifle. DuPont Powder cost under $2 a pound.

All of this changed after Lee Harvy Oswald shot President Kennedy.