30-40 rebarrel to 45-70 ??

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bkb

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I want to rebarrel my Kreig to 45-70. any advice would be helpful . I can get a bbl from GPC for $41 . as for as pressure the 30-40 is 40,000 and the highest 45-70 is 35,000. It should be safe enough :D
 
BKB, I've never done that conversion but with the big difference is size between the two cartridges you are going to have to alter a few things to make it work. I don't even know if the 45-70 will fit in the mag box but with it's larger rim size and body diameter you'll likely have to make alterations to the extractor and feed rails. Again I haven't done one so I don't know what you might run into. George
 
What shape is your Krag in? Those things are getting pricey in good shape, and a conversion like you are talking about would probably destroy the receiver whether it worked or not.

Jim
 
the only reason I considered rebarreling was krags came in two barrel lengths, 30" & 22" . this one is 23 1/2", has two dovetail grooves , two screws screwed in and cut off at the rear sight location, and the muzzle is not crowned, the stock was "sporterized" , and cut down forend , cut off at the hand grip spliced back together with something to make it lefthanded , and inletted with other wood . I bought it through a friend who didn't know how krags should look and thought it looked fine .(hopefully i won't make that mistake again) but the actionis in good shape and it has a sidemount scope base. gpc has a new mil stock for $140(but i would need a new 30/40 bbl). midway has a fajen do-it-yourself stock for $24. gpc has a 26" 45-70 barrel for $42. what would you do with it ??
 
The Krag has the most complicated magazine I have ever seen. Do you think it will take .45-70? Frank deHaas didn't.

I can't find a .45-70 Krag barrel at the Numrich www site. Is the $42 job a finished barrel or a blank? Are you set up to turn, thread, and chamber a barrel from the blank, then open up the boltface and adjust or modify the extractor?

If you can do the work and if you can't get a .45-70 though the magazine, they also sell cheap .30 barrel blanks and you could get back to .30-40 at carbine length.

How is the bore on the cutdown you have?
 
I haven't shot it yet , but it has rifleing . no iron sights and I haven't put on a scope yet . kind of hard to check group size hahahahaha . the barrel i was refering to was blank, chambered for 45/70, 1 1/4"od, in the "white", no i don't have a lathe so i would have to have that work done . even if gpc had a barrel in 30/40 krag , i would still have to have it fitted and head spaced and it would cost more. Ihave not made up my mind yet . I already load for both so not a factor. my boss was a gun smith in san antonio and converted a bunch (hundreds)into 45/70's , said it works great but didn't go into detail. my friend was at the range when the old lady(90 years old) brought it in and said that the family wouldn't let her hunt any more so she said she would just fix them and sell her rifle . i got it for $125. no telling how much the gun shop gave her for it!:confused:
 
Looking at my book of cartridge dimensions...

The .30-40 Krag has a rim diameter of 0.545"

The .45-70 Government has a rim diameter of 0.608"

I just pulled the bolt out of my 1898 Krag to mike it. Mine measures 0.622" in bolt diameter. In other words, you'll have to mill off the entire face of the Krag's bolt flush in order to accomodate the .45-70.

And, as mentioned above, the gun would have to be a single shot affair - because there's no way on Gawd's green earth that the Krag's side box magazine and feedways are going to let the big .45-70 slip through, without some SERIOUS grinding and contouring. Took me more than just a couple minutes to get a loaded .45-70 round out of this Krag's box magazine, it got wedged pretty tight. :(

The Krag action deserves to run another .30-40, find a .308 barrel blank and have it fitted. If you don't like the .30-40, I've shot a couple Krags rebarreled to .30-30 Winchester, too.

For a bolt action .45-70, use a Siamese Mauser action (one of my current projects). Otherwise, Gibbs Rifle Company was selling rebarreled No4Mk1 Lee-Enfields in .45-70, too.
 
SORRY ABOUT THE WEDGIE!!! Thank You ! like i said I hadn't really made up my mind but now after reading what you said , i'll probably leave it as is if it shoots good enough & restock it ,or rebarrel it back to 30/40 with a new barrel and restock it . probably keep it .....:D learned never ever sell always buy,buy,buy them all !!!

sorry , but after today in court , that judge said the second admendment didn't mean anything, i'll keep'em:mad:
 
If you know anybody looking for one...

I've got a new Krag Monte Carlo stock, in black walnut, made by Bishop. Needs final contouring, sanding, staining, and finishing. Here's what it looks like:

kragstockleft.jpg
 
nice stock:cool: I got my M1 garand stock from them. maybe i need to check and see if they have one somewhat like yours. did you finish it or are you waiting for a rainy day ? I wish ramline would make a stock for the krag . my brother got one for his mauser for $60and it had a pachm decelerator pad on it . fit first time . shoots 5 shots touching at a 100yds , not bad for a 20in bullbarrel 7mag, 140gr nosler bt, 60gr aa4350, chrony 3000fps. :D
 
I haven't, and probably won't, finish it.

The gun that was in that stock was an original, 30" uncut 1898 Krag, with military sights. Perfect for a restoration back to full military condition. So the above stock is surplus to me, I've already acquired a full military stock and handguard. ;)
 
Hi, bkb,

Never argue with your boss of course, but I wonder if anyone ever converted hundreds of Krags to .45-70. I never saw one, or heard of one, but then I am not near San Antonio.

Hundreds of Siamese Mausers were rebarrelled to .45-70 back a ways, but that is a whole different ball game and a reasonably easy conversion.

Jim
 
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