30-40 Krag at the range!!

[Big Al1]

Finally made it to the range yesterday, and got to shoot the 30-40 Krag carbine, and I was not disappointed. Very pleasant to shoot, semilar recoil to a 7x57, which I also had along. I was shooting Remington factory 180 gr PSP's. Fairly accurate, typical two stage military trigger of the time, but it broke clean and consistant. The carbine is light and handles nice, only drawback is no windage adjustment on either sight. Mine was shooting about 3"-4" left. The origins of this carbine still have me confused. After some research, the serial number has the date of manufacture as June of 1899. But the serial number is not in the carbine sequnce of numbers. It also has an 1892 rifle handguard and barrel band with a sling loop, with not rear swivel. The rear sight is foran 1896 which is correct for a carbine, but because of the handguard, the location of the rear sight had to be move 1/2" forward, since there are extra screw holes. The stock hs a 1901 dated cartouch indicating an upgrade. I figure it's a FrankenKrag, refurbished with various parts available at a later date.
Also had along the Remington 552 .22 auto and the 572 pump. I loaded them both with a mixture us shorts, longs, and long rifles, and both functioned flawlessly, just as advertised.

Krag group at 50 yards.


The Krag:


Me on the range

[Ranch13]

One of those screws on that sight should be for windage adjustment.

[Wambli Ska]

One of those screws on that sight should be for windage adjustment.

I don't think the '96 Carbine sight had a windage adjustment. IIRC it's the second one from the left.

[Wambli Ska]

In any case, pretty nice shooting considering an over 100 year old gun with sights my eyes would not be able to pick up nowadays!

[Big Chief]

Hey, not bad the first time out. Neat old rifle.

[snake284-1]

In any case, pretty nice shooting considering an over 100 year old gun with sights my eyes would not be able to pick up nowadays!

That ain't no joke. All my mil surps shoot 3-4 inch groups at 100 yards with me behind the trigger on my best day. These eyes don't quite do it with iron anymore.

[Big Al1]

I don't think the '96 Carbine sight had a windage adjustment. IIRC it's the second one from the left.

That's the sight that's on mine, the thumb screw only holds the sight tight on the ladder, and the left screw holds the blade on. No lefty-righty!!
I flipped the sight up and used the 200yard zero and it still shot left, only 6" high. That's what makes shootin' the old blasters fun, learnin' Kentucky windage!!

[Ranch13]

Most of the Krags I was ever around had the newer version of the buffington on them, and while there wasn't alot of windage available something like 20 minutes left or right.
But at any rate it is alot of fun to shoot those old war horses.

[Big Al1]

Most of the Krags I was ever around had the newer version of the buffington on them, and while there wasn't alot of windage available something like 20 minutes left or right.
But at any rate it is alot of fun to shoot those old war horses.

I don't know why they messed around with so many sights, when they already had the Buffington, although it is a rather complicated sight and the troops prefered it more for target work than combat!!I shot my BIL's 1873 and my 1884 with the Buffington, and actually prefere the older style sight. '03 Springfield is also very close to the Buffington.

[Fat Billy]

Biggest problem with the site is the site radius. The rear site is too close to the front site blade. Same problem the good 'ol AK47 has. To keep the gun original I'd just aim a bit to the right now you know where it hits. That way no one can out shoot you with your own gun. Later,

[Wambli Ska]

That's the sight that's on mine, the thumb screw only holds the sight tight on the ladder, and the left screw holds the blade on. No lefty-righty!!
I flipped the sight up and used the 200yard zero and it still shot left, only 6" high. That's what makes shootin' the old blasters fun, learnin' Kentucky windage!!

Ok I only heard about this from someone and I have never tried it but a gunsmith once told me he used a pistol sight installation tool (the kind you use to push fixed sights into a slide slot) to LIGHTLY bend the front sight of old guns to regulate them to POI. Like I said I have never seen it done or attempted it myself but it seemed like an interesting idea. All you'd need to regulate the sight would be a miniscule "bend" for lack of a better word.

One of these type doohikeys...

[mkk41]

Remington and Wincherster both make a similar load using a 180gr bullet @ 2400fps. They got it to hit pretty close as the original GI load was a 220gr RN cupro-nickel full jacket at around 2200fps. Quoted vel. is of course for that long rifle barrel.