Any Krag-Jorgensen shooters out there? Looks like kind of an interesting rifle,although I've read they are not as strong as they could be. This can be very subjective, I realize it depends what it's going to be used for. I'm thinking about small game and plinking. How about accuracy? Thanks Melvin
Krag-Jorgensen
- Thread starter Melvin
- Start date
I love the Krag rifle. It is the slickest operating rifle that I have.
Mine is a sporter and is plenty accurate as a short range brush gun, which is how I conceive it to be. It still has the over 100 year old barrel on it, which truely is not the most accurate that I own.
Krags are definetly not for everyone nor are they good for every purpose.
First of all, the action is not very strong and you cannot chamber it to high pressure modern cartridges of any kind.
Second, U.S Krags have a rimmed cartridge and have a very amazing and rather complicated feeding system. Even amongst cardridges that are within the pressure limits of the Krag rifle, this very much complicates rechambering the rifle for anything other than the original 30-40 Krag cartridge. I have read about them being rechambered to 30/30 Win, 303 British and 444 Marlin. It can be done if you are very determined and have a truely gifted gun smith, but its better that you really like the 30-40 Krag if you want one of these.
Thirdly, the Krag rifle ejects the spent cases straight up. This complicates greatly putting any type of telescopic sight on the rifle. It's much better if you actually want iron sights on your Krag. The old Lyman 48K was the best sight ever made for Krag sporters in my opinion.
So that's why I think of my pretty old Krag sporter as a brush rifle: iron sighted with a low pressure old cartridge loaded up with 220 gr round nosed bullets: if you are not going for long range, why not load it up with big heavy bullets? This also makes it far more hard hitting than any 30/30 can ever be.
The action is slick and with the nice stock I have on mine, it comes up to the cheek and eye quick and natural. I also have a decellorator pad on mine and between this, a decent weight (its not a light action or barrel) and the unambitious cartridge, it is definitly a pleasant rifle to shoot.
You note small game as potential use. They used to neck down the 30-40 Krag to make a 25 caliber Krag that was flatter shooting and more suited to lighter bullets, but this gets you into all the problems of wild cat cartridge. I have never actually seen one of these rifles, so perhaps it was more talked about than actually done. It is hard for me to see any advantage to the Krag as a small game rifle, but perhaps someone else has ideas in this direction.
Of course, all original, very nice condition military configuration Krag rifles have become very pricy and all original arms should be kept that way in the view of most collectors these days, and I would agree. I don't have one of these yet, but keep hoping a deal too good to pass up will someday come my way, both long infantry rifle and short cavalry carbine. No problem here if your are willing to plunk down the cash though.
[Edited by Herodotus on 01-21-2001 at 09:47 PM]
Mine is a sporter and is plenty accurate as a short range brush gun, which is how I conceive it to be. It still has the over 100 year old barrel on it, which truely is not the most accurate that I own.
Krags are definetly not for everyone nor are they good for every purpose.
First of all, the action is not very strong and you cannot chamber it to high pressure modern cartridges of any kind.
Second, U.S Krags have a rimmed cartridge and have a very amazing and rather complicated feeding system. Even amongst cardridges that are within the pressure limits of the Krag rifle, this very much complicates rechambering the rifle for anything other than the original 30-40 Krag cartridge. I have read about them being rechambered to 30/30 Win, 303 British and 444 Marlin. It can be done if you are very determined and have a truely gifted gun smith, but its better that you really like the 30-40 Krag if you want one of these.
Thirdly, the Krag rifle ejects the spent cases straight up. This complicates greatly putting any type of telescopic sight on the rifle. It's much better if you actually want iron sights on your Krag. The old Lyman 48K was the best sight ever made for Krag sporters in my opinion.
So that's why I think of my pretty old Krag sporter as a brush rifle: iron sighted with a low pressure old cartridge loaded up with 220 gr round nosed bullets: if you are not going for long range, why not load it up with big heavy bullets? This also makes it far more hard hitting than any 30/30 can ever be.
The action is slick and with the nice stock I have on mine, it comes up to the cheek and eye quick and natural. I also have a decellorator pad on mine and between this, a decent weight (its not a light action or barrel) and the unambitious cartridge, it is definitly a pleasant rifle to shoot.
You note small game as potential use. They used to neck down the 30-40 Krag to make a 25 caliber Krag that was flatter shooting and more suited to lighter bullets, but this gets you into all the problems of wild cat cartridge. I have never actually seen one of these rifles, so perhaps it was more talked about than actually done. It is hard for me to see any advantage to the Krag as a small game rifle, but perhaps someone else has ideas in this direction.
Of course, all original, very nice condition military configuration Krag rifles have become very pricy and all original arms should be kept that way in the view of most collectors these days, and I would agree. I don't have one of these yet, but keep hoping a deal too good to pass up will someday come my way, both long infantry rifle and short cavalry carbine. No problem here if your are willing to plunk down the cash though.
[Edited by Herodotus on 01-21-2001 at 09:47 PM]
Well I like em.....and Im no expert and dont play one on the net.....but for what its worth....they have the smoothest action I have ever used.......the fitting and precision work that went into the magazine is remakable....they can be quite accurate.....truck loads of game have fallen to the 30-40 krag......They were replaced with the 19-03 rifle which I believe became the springfield in 30-06,,,,,they are not as strong an action as the springfields and should not be hotrodded....but they perform well within there specs......something that almost tore me up at the lakeland gun show was a pristine original krag carbine, I mean the best Ive ever seen, and someone had drilled and tapped it for a side mount scope.....Now the guy only wanted $500 for this carbine and if I had already not bought the 1903 I had purchased, I would have brought that puppy home.....without the holes its probably a $1500 rifle, it would have made a fine addition to my hunting rifles......Im hoping to run into the guy up in jacksonville at the end of the month...but we will see....there fine rifles......If you just want a shooter try and find one that someone has "customized", they generally do not gain in value and should be less expensive to purchase......fubsy.
They're a fine old gun, and a pleasure to shoot, but I don't believe that I'd rechamber one. It's fine within its limitations, but why risk your life, or more importantly, a fine old gun! If you want more bang, get an '03, or a modern gun. Or, better yet, get an .03, a #1 MkIII, an Enfield 1917, a Garand, a #4 Mk II, a #5, an M14 (Oh well, you get the idea.) as I have! Anyway, enjoy a fine old gun for what it is, and, if you want more, get another.
Yr. Obt. Svnt.
Yr. Obt. Svnt.
Art Eatman
Staff in Memoriam
Yeah, slick old gun. I wish today's rifles were as polished and smooth!
The single locking-lug limits the Krag to 40,000 psi loadings. They're easy to load for either plinking, with some 20 grains of 2400 and bullets of 165 grains or under; or hunting with 150- to 220-grain bullets.
Their military use led to the sarcastic couplet, mostly referring to the Moro wars in the southern Philippines:
"Underneath a starry flag,
Civilize 'em with a Krag."
, Art
The single locking-lug limits the Krag to 40,000 psi loadings. They're easy to load for either plinking, with some 20 grains of 2400 and bullets of 165 grains or under; or hunting with 150- to 220-grain bullets.
Their military use led to the sarcastic couplet, mostly referring to the Moro wars in the southern Philippines:
"Underneath a starry flag,
Civilize 'em with a Krag."
, ArtI thought Id add a little something.,.....a good friend of mine has taken a carbine he has that was a converted rifle and has put a red dot on it in "scout" configuration....now calm down....lol.....what you do is take of the rear sight, there are two screw underneath, take a base and match up one hole and drill a hole in the base to match the other hole in the krag........the rifle can be put back original, but with aging eyes that keeps him in the game......fubsy.
Wow, Herodotus did a nice job.
The only thing I'd add is this -- take it or leave it for what it is. The Krag, especially in military trim, is a sweet and gentle rifle to shoot. Rifles chambered for the .30-40 are very capable medium-range, medium game rifles. There are lots of Winchester 1895s out there still, originals and "repros" from Browning/USRAC. If you find a Krag nicely sporterized, that's fine, too.
My own accuracy experience with a stock 1892/96 is OK, but the issue sights are a handicap. I imagine that an 1895 or a Krag sporter with better sights would do just fine.
The main point is that it is a medium-pressure cartridge and rifle. As such, it is a great rifle, but don't ask it to be something it isn't!
The only thing I'd add is this -- take it or leave it for what it is. The Krag, especially in military trim, is a sweet and gentle rifle to shoot. Rifles chambered for the .30-40 are very capable medium-range, medium game rifles. There are lots of Winchester 1895s out there still, originals and "repros" from Browning/USRAC. If you find a Krag nicely sporterized, that's fine, too.
My own accuracy experience with a stock 1892/96 is OK, but the issue sights are a handicap. I imagine that an 1895 or a Krag sporter with better sights would do just fine.
The main point is that it is a medium-pressure cartridge and rifle. As such, it is a great rifle, but don't ask it to be something it isn't!
Tom Matiska
New member
If it is an old shooter inspect the chamber. The round rotates in the chamber when the bolt is closed, and eventually this can lead to rings of wear on the chamber wall. The one we once had in our family eventually developed extraction problem, with a ring pattern being visible in the fired brass.
I would have thought the 220 gr loading to be too heavy for bambi, but it did one heck of a number on deer.
Tom
I would have thought the 220 gr loading to be too heavy for bambi, but it did one heck of a number on deer.
Tom
I have a friend who owns a Krag, and I've shot it on several occassions. Nice rifle.
Krags only have one bolt lug. However, as Col. Hatcher (Hatcher's Notebook)pointed out, Krags have never had a problem with blowing up like the 1903s did. Also, that old .30-40 round outranged the .30 M1906 cartridge. The M1906 cartridge had a maximum range of about 3,500 yards, the .30-40 had a maximum range of a little over 4,000 yards.
Krags only have one bolt lug. However, as Col. Hatcher (Hatcher's Notebook)pointed out, Krags have never had a problem with blowing up like the 1903s did. Also, that old .30-40 round outranged the .30 M1906 cartridge. The M1906 cartridge had a maximum range of about 3,500 yards, the .30-40 had a maximum range of a little over 4,000 yards.