any krag experts?

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buckfever1991

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i just got my krag in the mail and things kinda dont match up to what i read... its stamped 1918 but no manufacture. also the serial number is in the 19 000's when i bought the the gun the owner said it was a 6.5x55, but there is no markings on the barrel or the action. i kinda dont want to fire it till i find out exactly what im dealing with. anyone able to help me out?

thanks


Buckfever


yeah the spelling is probably awful lol
 
It's probably a model 1912. Is the bolt knob flattened? if so, then that is what it may be. If there are no maks on the barrel then it is likely 6.5 x 55. Many were converted to 6.5 x 54 MS and were marked as such.
A couple of pictures would help. Otherwise it is all a guess. See how a 6.5 x 55 chambers.
 
There likely will be a K with a Crown just above the DATE.

Kongsberg Vaapenfabrik, Kongsberg, Norway.

Beautifully made and smooth as butter. Even ones which have been chopped and bobbed are a pure delight to handle.

Sounds like Santa came a touch early!
 
If it's a Norwegian Krag it will have a pistol grip stock. I have a sporter that has been rechambered for 6.5x54 MS. It is marked on the barrel. I also have an 1895 Norwegian carbine. The year it was made is stamped into it (1899)but not the model (unless it's under the top hand guard). It is 6.5x55 but is not marked on the barrel.
As Smellie said, they are great guns to handle and shoot. They should however be hand loaded with reduced loads. There are many threads on the net saying that modern, off the shelf ammo is too hot for the Krag action.
 
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And while we are on Krags, how is the bore on your rifles. I have a sported 1894 in 6.5x54ms and a1912. Both bores a dark and pitted. The 1894 was also so bad at the muzzel I had to cut it back an inch to get to any rifleing. Even at that, best group is 4" at 50 yards. My 1912 is dark and pitted but does a nice 4" at 100 yards (old eyes so I can't do much better).
A freind of mine who is a gunsmith just got a 1912 and his bore is dark a Hades. I have yet to see a nice shiny bore on any Norwegian Krag I have run across. I have seen a couple of 30 40 Krags in nice condition.
 
points said:
And while we are on Krags, how is the bore on your rifles. I have a sported 1894 in 6.5x54ms and a1912. Both bores a dark and pitted. The 1894 was also so bad at the muzzel I had to cut it back an inch to get to any rifleing. Even at that, best group is 4" at 50 yards. My 1912 is dark and pitted but does a nice 4" at 100 yards (old eyes so I can't do much better).
A freind of mine who is a gunsmith just got a 1912 and his bore is dark a Hades. I have yet to see a nice shiny bore on any Norwegian Krag I have run across. I have seen a couple of 30 40 Krags in nice condition.
Click to expand...

its darker but still has some shine in it from what i remember... it didnt look pitted. ill grab u some pic of the bore tomorrow... dog sitting atm.
 
gunsaholic said:
If it's a Norwegian Krag it will have a pistol grip stock. I have a sporter that has been rechambered for 6.5x54 MS. It is marked on the barrel. I also have an 1895 Norwegian carbine. The year it was made is stamped into it (1899)but not the model (unless it's under the top hand guard). It is 6.5x55 but is not marked on the barrel.
As Smellie said, they are great guns to handle and shoot. They should however be hand loaded with reduced loads. There are many threads on the net saying that modern, off the shelf ammo is too hot for the Krag action.
Click to expand...

i was looking at some date my krag sites and the serials r coming up from 1886? but it has 1918 stamped behind the bolt. thats what got me the most confused... everything to the to sight is number matching (except the the butt plat)
 
smellie said:
There likely will be a K with a Crown just above the DATE.

Kongsberg Vaapenfabrik, Kongsberg, Norway.

Beautifully made and smooth as butter. Even ones which have been chopped and bobbed are a pure delight to handle.

Sounds like Santa came a touch early!
Click to expand...

it didnt have a ton of oil in it and still smooth as butter... gunna oil it up before i shoot it but just amazed how smooth it is. we r taking it out tomorrow when the family is done christmas stuff... normally we go ice fishing christmas day but ice over here is a little shaddy :s
 
If it's dated 1918 and the serial nr. is in the 19000 range, then this is originally a M/1912 carbine. But what do you exactly mean by " 1918 is stamped behind the bolt"? On a M/1912 the date would be on top of the chamber. How about some pics? Is it sporterized or in original condition?

Check out various Krag modells on this site. Just scroll down to 1894:
http://www.kvf.no/guns-rifler.php

A lot of Krags had rusty bores after ww2. Norwegian ammo were loaded with corrosive primers until the mid '50s. During WW2 the germans obviously didn't store the majority of the captured Krags very good, or clean the bores... What the oldtimers in Norway used to do with shotout bores was to rebore the barrels to the 8x54 Krag Jørgensen round. In fact Norma loaded hunting ammo in this caliber well into the 60's. This was also a common hunting round in Sweden. Die sets are availeable. And yes, the Krag action is slick as ice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eC4_g6N3aLA
 
Not all Norwegian Krags had the serial number and year made stamped on top of the chamber. My sporter (which I believe is a model 1894), has the year stamped on top of the chamber. However, my 1895 carbine (not sporterized) has the year and serial number stamped on the right side of the receiver by the bolt. I have been informed that that is where the stamping was on certain models.
 
buckfever1991 said:
i was looking at some date my krag sites and the serials r coming up from 1886? but it has 1918 stamped behind the bolt. thats what got me the most confused... everything to the to sight is number matching (except the the butt plat)
Click to expand...

You have to watch some of those sites that give serial numbers as they can be not that accurate or specific to certain models. I was confused when I got my carbine as well because the serial number chart I found didn't jive. I went onto another forum where a fellow has a book that contains serial numbers. My carbine does indeed fall into the 1895 serial number range for that model.
 
All the carbines model 1895,97, 1907, 1904 and the Gutterkarabin M1906 were marked with year of manufacturing and serial number in the right side near the bolt. The rifles Model 1894, the M1912 variants and sniper rifles were marked on the top of the chamber with manufacturing year and maker ( Steyr or the K for Kongsberg) and the serial number at the left side.


best regards
 
Yes, the "short" carbines (cavalry, artillery, engineers) have the markings on the right side, just in front of the bolthandle, but a M/1912 carbine have the.markings on the top of the chamber.

Edit: I see "Russian Berdan" just beat me here :)
 
Luckily I have a couple Norwegian Krags and the original books.
The Model 1912 Carbine serials 1-21,628 had a flat bolt knob. After they were round, mine is round. Rear sling eyelet at buttstock.
1912's have the rear sight directly at the end of the breech.
Model1895 Carbines have rear sight about 4 inches from the breech. Rear sling eyelets can be at butt or at T guard, serials probably 1-6,000.
In addition to the other good info mentioned. These are very well made rifles.
 
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Great thread. I have learned a whole lot in the last few minutes. Thanks guys.
And did you know that the 1912 had a pin that fit into the hole in the barrel to hold the rear sight in the battle position? Lots to know about these great rifles.
It seems mismatched is the norm. Both of mine have mismatched parts.
 
Well in the Christmas spirit and some risk taking.... We took her to the range. And well... She shooting ejecting and cycling the 6.5x55 swede (lightest loads we could find) took 8 shots without a hick up.
Thanks y'all for the help over the past few days. I'll be posting some pics of it in about an hr. Mb even a video of us shooting it.
 
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