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30-40 Krag Rebuild? Anyone?

Sniper338

So heres the skinny... My grandfather brought home is 30-40 krag from when he was in the military years and years ago.

The stock is broke in several places, the barrel go damaged and he sawed it off.. Theres a pipe clamp on the stock and barrel... its been drilled and tapped for a scope mount I beleive has he had a scope on it. He hunted with it the rest of his life...

I dont have it in hands yet, but will finally be getting it from family to rebuild.

Wheres a good place to source new stocks, barrels, and parts Ill need?

Who is it that does rebluing on here thats really good and reasonable?
 
S&S Firearms, Numrich (gunparts.com), CMP,

You may be able to find some stocks on Fleabay (ebay).

Last time I checked with Boyds, they weren't doing Krag stocks. :(
 
I will say this, they were very well made rifles and when you compare the numbers {it was only in the U.S. arsenal for what 8 years??} they really didn't make a whole lot of them, so to me it is definitely worth restoring to original condition. Couple the already low numbers with how many of them were chopped up to hunt with and that leaves even fewer. Think about the last time you ever saw a nice one at a gunshow or shop for sale somewhere???
Not knocking grandpop's gun but, I don't even like the looks of them. The 30-40 Krag round is ballistically anemic, but in all fairness it is 120 years old. In spite of all that, it was a very popular and well liked hunting round well into at least the 80's. I lived in Pa. in the early 80's and many of the locals used them for deer. The rifle as well as the round was talked about as if it were some ideal combo to hunt with. The old American way...if a 30-30 is good then a 30-40 must be a lot better.
I have really no practical use for one, other than just to have it in my collection, but if I could find one that is all there I would grab up on it today. Wish it was mine!!!
 
I agree, its nothing greater than a 30-30 to me, there isnt much difference. I think its a neat gun though by the way it functions. I dont knock it... Its old, its not superior to anything. I get what your saying. For this project though, it has a half sentimental effect. I say half, because it is currently chopped and screwed, but if I can get it rebuilt to original it will be nice to have in my collection. Ita be another one down and onto wanting a Garand to add in. Good garands are just so damn pricy, havent got to it yet.
 
I have two of them in the works right now, both M1898s. One is an Infantry rifle, the other a Cavalry carbine. Both were purchased as stripped actions from CMP up at Perry a few years back and have been a restoration project since then. Satern is doing the barrels for them, both got Boyd's stocks, and the rest of the parts have been catch as catch can. Looking forward to getting them completed, as they are fascinating rifles with an interesting history. Now, if brass just wasn't such a bitch to find!
 
I was in David Christman's (Delhi, LA) shop a couple years ago and I saw a Krag on which he was working. He had stocked it in beautiful English walnut and had case hardened the loading door (with the great colors). It was quite striking, but my question to him was, "Why would anyone spend so much money on a Krag?" David just smiled and said that it was what the customer wanted and he could afford it. I wish that I had a picture of it....but I don't. Good shooting....James
 
If it was my decision to make I wouldn't mess with it unless it's just for the connection to you grand father. Krags weren't that good of a rifle when they were new, they got adopted in a hurry because the U.S. was still using Trapdoor rifles, when the rest of the world was using modern bolt actions. Krags only have one lug on the bolt, and these were prone to cracking rendering the gun unsafe to fire. With all that and the Rube Goldberg magazine they have there was a good reason to take them out of service so quickly, but that's just my opinion.
 
I've got the one my grandfather gave my dad when he was 12 years old, cost $8.00. Smoothest action made till recently. Fast loading in it's era. Magazine cut-off saved ammo in the Spanish American war. 220 round nose nocked down more than just a few deer. The machine work that went into them was incredible. Worth restoring by all means.
 
To be fair, it wasn't until the Ordnance Corps tried to boost the performance of the 30/40 loading that they ran into cracks in the locking lug. When they dropped back to the original levels, the problems ceased. As far as their adoption went, the Trapdoor was obsolete the day it went into service. Many European nations were already equipping their armies with bolt action repeaters in the early 1870s. The Ordnance Corps may have missed the boat a bit with the Krag, but it's still a fascinating design. It was a stop gap measure, but as the first general issue smokeless powder cartridge the US ever fielded, it has its place in history.
 
No they sure are not the latest greatest for sure. But until you have one and shoot one, I think only then one can draw a conclusion. I have one and had three. I kept the original military issued rifle. The other two I won't say were fantastic sporters, but both were very well done jobs I would guess from the 50's or 60's.
The best of the two has an excellent piece of walnut on it and was a full length stock. It had some really nice iron sights on it as well. A buddy wanted it more than I did to a point. It had become a favorite of mine, so I told home I would swap him for his favorite wheel gun. Danged if he didn't take me up on it.
We both agreed that if we were to ever sell them, we would give the other first and best chance at them.

I enjoy the history of the milsurps as much as anything.
Jeff
 
In December 1942 before heading home on leave, my Dad stopped at a pawn shop in Waco, TX and bought several rifles. One was a M1898 Krag that had been sporterized by a talented and local GS. He took it home to Bend OR and took a deer with it just before Christmas. I have pic of him standing there in his Army uniform, next to a nice buck with his Krag, and many years later when he passed, it became mine.

Last year, after retiring I took my first deer with that same rifle. It took 75 years to close that loop, but it was at the top of my bucket list. That gun, equipped with Lyman peep sights, will still put 3 in the ten ring at 100 yds.
 
One of my uncles had one and we always wanted to shoot it. When we would head to deer camp there was always 1-2 extra boxes of ammo for it because we all knew that the last day at camp there were rocks that were gonna get busted up! My uncle passed away many years ago and this post got me to wondering what ever happened to that rifle. Think I'll make some calls.
 
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