Krag markings

[jake2000_04]

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Buddy has a Krag he’s thinking about selling me. Serial number is 2312 and what I’ve read on serial numbers, it might be a first year of production rifle (which is pretty cool.)

I?ve attached a picture of the serial number and markings. Looks like some type of crest with a crown. Any more info available? I?ll try and get some better pictures ASAP.

[The Gleam]

Not just any old American Krag - that's a Norwegian Krag.

Likely an early 1912 - and if there is a date on it that says '1922' which appears to be the case, but would be on the top opposite side from what is showing in the photo, then it's a 1912/1922 Carbine.

That scallop edging into the photo to the right of the serial and receiver ring, placement of the serial numbers, position of the rear sight and its style, and the crown over letters, possibly a K as in a Kongsberg Arsenal mark - are all dead-ringer indicators of a Norwegian.

Need better photos though, and more of them.

If that's a Norwegian, and it's in as good a shape as that photo indicates, with matching numbers - it's quite a bit more valuable than a standard American Krag.

Nazi Germany destroyed a large number of Norwegian Krags during their occupation of Norway, so there are not as many left as you find with American Krags.

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[jake2000_04]

Sweet. I’ll get more pictures!

[jake2000_04]

I found another picture of the gun, should have more pictures early next week I will actually take.

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Have done a little research and it appears like a “sportirized” or possibly a sniper version. I’m leaning towards sportirized.

[highpower]

Definitely sporterized. Not worth very much money here in the US as it would be very hard to restore.

[The Gleam]

I found another picture of the gun, should have more pictures early next week I will actually take.

[ATTACH]1203732[/ATTACH]

Have done a little research and it appears like a ?sportirized? or possibly a sniper version. I?m leaning towards sportirized.

DOH! or 'WOMP, womp, wooommp.'

Sporterized: kills the value 10-fold compared to if it had merely been refinished.

And no amount of hoping would ever reveal it to be a sniper-version, but that used to be a great line of 'story' you often heard from unscrupulous sellers at gun shows aback in the 80s/90s pre-internet when people couldn't do research in real-time on their smart-phone.

Would be very hard to find a replacement stock, and stocks bore the serial number of the gun on their left side just under where the receiver was rolled with it - making it nearly impossible to ever have a correct stock for it again.

And yet, about a year ago, there was in fact an original Norwegian stock for sale on Ebay with hardware, at $500 .

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[jake2000_04]

Damn! I got really excited for about 12 hours there haha

[The Gleam]

My own Norwegian 1912/1922 for reference, and showing it among 4 other types of American Krags - a true 1899 Carbine (not sporterized) an 1892/1895, and an 1898/1902. I have a few other Krags not shown, but look little different from the 1898 that's shown, so did not include.

I also have matching bayonets for all of them (except the carbine of course) not shown in the photos.









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[fishnbeer]

I have an 1898 Krag. Not sporterized. My grandma bought it for my dad. He shot a few deer with it in the 60's. I have had it for 30 years and never shot it

[highpower]

Here's a rare one, an actual 1898 US Krag carbine. Of the 5002 1898 marked Carbines produced, only 19 are currently known to exist.

[newbutold]

Nice!

[TRAP55]

I watched the true story movie "Narvik" on Netflix. I don't know where they found all of them, but they had a bunch of mint condition Norwegian Krags.

[Tim padilla]

A real 1898 Krag carbine ?!?!? Was that thing documented in going up San Juan Hill with the rough riders...do you have a Colt potato digger in the original transit case that fought along side it to match ! Dang that’s a REAL grail gun in my books.Beautiful piece of history you have there sir. I’d be happy to find a nice unaltered common full size rifle.