Model 1899 Springfield US Army Krag Carbine……….(f570) SOLD
Created on September 15th 2016
Model 1899 US Springfield Krag Carbine
A good, original, Krag Carbine in .30-40 govt’ serial number 228215. Immediately noticeable is the unusual cocking piece that was only produced that year until 1901 but was also fitted to rifles. Feeding from the five shot side opening magazine so easily recognisable as belonging to this design. Taken and adapted by the US military this type of action originated in Norway and served the American military well untill the Model 1903 rifle was adopted. It is an unusual choice as the main opposition the US was likely to run up against was the Mauser which was notoriously accurate and had the advantage over the Krag of being stripper clip fed.
The Model 1899 Krag carbine is 14″ in overall length. The barrel is 21.3/4″ from muzzle to breech face. The trigger pull being 13.1/2″ exactly. The carbine is stocked in American Black Walnut with a handguard around the rear sights. The stock has 6.3/4″ finger grooves on either side and a single barrel band securing the barrel. The barrel band is held in position by a stepped sprung clip which is located in the last 2.3/4″ of fore-end ahead of the band. The band is marked with the usual open “U” stamping on its side. There is one round patch of pitting on the barrel band the size of a fingerprint.
The walnut stock is marked with the final proof, encircled “P” mark behind the trigger guard. On the LHS of the wrist is the boxed inspectors cartouche of J. Sumner Adams. “JSA / 1899″ On the obverse there appears to be a crude “H” carved into the wrist. It is just possible that this is actually only damage but unlikely. Those marks aside there are no other intentional inscriptions on the stock, just very minimal signs of life in the cavalry.
The butt stock has a standard shaped flat butt-plate with trap for cleaning rods and oiler ( a/f ). The finish on all the stock fittings is highly similar, in that there is high edge wear and the undisturbed areas have turned from their original blued finish to various grades along the plum-brown scale. Smooth trigger within the trigger guard still retaining some blue to grey colour. No bubbered screw heads.
The action and the barrel: nothing looks to have been interfered with or refinished. The bolt body is in the white and the balance once blued, now turning blue-grey. The extractor spring still sports hints of the nitra-blue with which it was finished. As noted earlier the cocking piece has the easily recognisable headless form which was only produced from April 1899 to October 1900. The side of the action is marked with the following ” U.S. / MODEL 1899. SPRINGFIELD ARMOURY. 228215 ” The action sidewall and side-plate have slipped back to a mottled silver-blue in place of the once handsome case colour hardening. The sprung side loading trap looks much the same but the effect all over is even.
The bolt arm is straight and carries some factory inspectors symbols on the rear of the bolt stem. On careful inspection a clear five-pointed star can be seen with another letter or number stamped over it, along with an “S 2”, multiple other letters and numbers can be seen on the front face of the magazine cover and the block in front of it. These all signified inspections and stages of manufacture the carbine had been through. The safety is a Mauser-type flag safety and is unmarked. The magazine cut-off is mounted on the LHS rear of the action and was altered in view of use with the cavalry scabbard which could sometimes knock it to the wrong position.
The front sight is a simple blade in block type but the rear sight is a far more complicated item. The main ramp is marked on the side with a clear “C” for carbine. The sight itself has both elevation and windage adjustment plus one other interesting feature – a peep sight which can be flipped into position when required. It was given the name “Sergent Peep”. The sight is graduated from 200 yards to 2000. The windage adjustment knob is knurlled and mounted to the LHS of the sight. The lock-off for the elevation also has a knurlled locking wheel. The bolt face is slightly pitted. Rifling good, action mechanically fine. London Nitro-proofed 2016.
A rare and highly collectible carbine in good original condition and ready to be put through its paces once again.
Stock No’ f 570
£ 1600. (SOLD)
Comments Off on Model 1899 Springfield US Army Krag Carbine……….(f570) SOLD