A very long-term project just completed. It began with extensive metalwork by Ed La Pour with a integral barrel I designed and was machined by Ralf Martini.

Ed welded up the magazine cut-off and added much welding to the bottom of the action to accomodate a new third(front) action screw, something the US Krag did not have. Ed also matted the barrel and thinned the magazine plate so I could stock over the top and make a stronger stock.

I stocked the rifle with English walnut, checkered and finished the rifle with trim engraving by Gordon Alcorn. There are not too many custom Krag's around and this client wanted the ultimate .30-40 Sporter. The barrel blank was from Krieger and preliminary test firing tells me it is going to shoot great!
Here are some images:

Super nice Krag.

Did you make the rear sight from scratch or is it a commercial sight that I don't recognize?

Beautifully done!

Beautiful work. It is amazing what some people want!

Now that is truly a work of art; functional too.

I can't believe you actually stocked another lowly bolt rifle.

Looks nice though.

Beautiful and your initials are a great, classic touch. Lucky customer.

Well done.

It's good to see such nice work on actions other then just the more common Mausers and Winchesters.

Very nice !! I have been wanting to this to my ol Krag for some time ...
Thanks for the inspiration !!

Thanks for all the kind words~~
This is the first bolt rifle I've done since the 1970s. The cocking piece sight is a copy of a Rigby sight by a fellow that went by Rusty Marlin and is very high quality.

I've long been a fan of Krag rifles and built a Krag sporter when at TSJC in the 1970s with an octagon barrel that I'd love to get back. I sold it when broke in the 1980s.

I'm also a big fan of the .30-40 cartridge as my Sidelever hunting rifle is a .30-40 and I've killed a bunch of game with 180 grain Nosler Partitions.

The client on this project was a great help with imagination, acquiring parts and taking my advice. There were several changes along the way.

Ed LaPour went to extremes to make it special, Ralf Martini machined the barrel to my design many years ago. Gordon Alcorn accomplished exceptional engraving that is mostly out of sight on the bottom. I'll be shooting some more detailed pics of the engraving later.

BTW: This is the first slab sawn blank I've used in decades. It is hard dense and I thought the grain stronger for the weak cutaway stock. It is stained Very red with spirit stain and finished with Dalys ProFin and Ben Matte. Filled pores even~
THANKS to all,
Steven

Another unique ,beautifully done, one of a kind gun from your shop.Great job

Very, very nice !

Gordon Alcorn's engraving. I had him engrave the sight adjust screw with a rosette like the guard screws and add a gold line for TDC. The action is not engraved because it was re-hardened after all the welding and the surfaces not really conducive to scrollwork.

Just the right amount of engraving. And beautiful it is.

I love that sight, and wish I had one for my Krag sporter (the only bolt rifle I own).

Nicely done. How long is the forend? Length of tip? Is tip ebony? Ron

Love the pistol grip angle(s) and lines. Many are too cramped. This one is more open.

Seems to be a few more custom Krags showing up on the forums of late. That's not a bad thing.
Have one to finish up myself though it's a rescue job of someone else's attempt. More time into it than it's worth but that's what happens when you try and be retired.

Very nice work as always.

25-1/4" of barrel in front of the receiver, 9-1/4" forend, 1-3/4" ebony tip. These are the Golden Mean proportions and were worked out for the octagon part of the barrel long before any work was begun. The octagon and the forend are the same length.

The front of the grip cap is about 4-1/4" from the center of the trigger, definately an open grip curve. The angle of flattened Fisher cap intersects the toe line so there is no radius behind the cap. This is 1930s American styling with the toe line just about intersecting the beginning of the grip curve.

On a more English style stock I have the grip cap at a steeper angle, the toe line extending up nearer the middle of the grip making a more angular butt with a lesser height from comb to rear of grip.

I teach all of this stuff in my Stockmaking Seminars as well as how to design and achieve it shaping your own stock. Varying lines, proportions and where lines meet by just a small fraction of an inch will change the appearance of the whole stock, for better or Worse~~

Another difficult decision is the size, shape and location of the cheekpiece on the buttstock. I most often use this double-hooked style but vary the size and shaping considerably depending on the profile of the stock.

Although the rifle looks slender and trim in profile it is somewhat more robust American style. It handles and balances well at 7lbs. 12oz. even with the long receiver, 26" barrel and 14-1/4" LOP. AOL is about 49".

very nice work!!!!!!

Unique rifle! I like it!

Wow!!!!!

Incredible.

In a world of "custom" rifles with plastic stocks and CNC machined metal parts it is so refreshing to see the art of true gunsmithing has not died completely.
Your rifle is absolutely stunning and would be a welcome addition to the finest collection.
Congratulations on your work of the highest order. I've always wanted a custom Krag, such as examples from Griffin and Howe. Your rifle tops any and all I have seen.
Cal

Outstanding, and its like a breath of fresh air to see a piece of wood that's laid out for use and not for color..The metal and wood show the ultimate in the gunmakers all...One of the nicest Ive seen in years and it shows the skill..So many today are marble cake and the workmanship is overlooked...congrats on this one, I near passed out at first glance..

Thanks guys~~~ Oliver and I took it to the range the other day and it is shooting about 1-1/2" 100 yard groups with factory ammo and his younger and sharper eyes.
I must confess, I had it laid out on the shooting bench on a fleece mat for sight adjustment and when it was time to leave, it look so good in natural light I didn't want to put it back in the case...
I'll post a range pic soon...

I'm sure a silly question, but assuming the receiver was annealed, then reheat treated/case hardened so the matting could be accomplished on the front ring?

Just beautiful metal work to accompany your stock work.

The action received quite a bit of TIG welding. The magazine cut-off was eliminated and the bottom of the receiver had a whole area of metal added to accommodate the third guard screw.

I'm not sure if Ed LaPour annealed the entire action but the TIG welding required quite a heating.

The matting on the receiver ring was accomplished and the action re-hardened.

Ed did several other things such as making the rear and middle guard screws perpendicular to the bore and making the rear a blind-hole. Also new, over length guard screws with large heads and he machined the trigger guard from bar stock as an oversize blank. I hand-filed it to shape with contouring similar to a Mauser trigger guard conversion.

The only thing we didn't do because of MY ignorance so many years ago, was clover-leaf shaping the rear tang as was done on many 1903 Springfield's.

Trigger guard blank machine from bar stock by Lapour, coated with Dykem
All the subsequent shaping was done with hand files in my bench vise.

Sides of guard tapered

rear of guard showing taper

Tapering top outside of bow. Also done on the inside,

That is EXACTLY what I did to my trigger guard also.

A couple of pics from test firing. Turned out we need a taller front sight. It is on its way.

The. rifle looked so nice in natural light I hesitated putting it in the case to take back to the shop.

Wow,
I thought my Sedgley Krag in 25-35 was really nice; however, this rifle takes it to the next level. Wonderful piece - there is almost nothing as slick as a Krag! Thanks for posting these images.

Steve,

Could you post a full length photo of your No 3 in .30-40?

I'd like to see the detail of the lever in particular. I have a No 3 with No 1 wood and the lever is too close to the grip.

Thanks

Allan

I've always thought the Krags where pretty cool. My Grandparents on my mom's side where both deer hunters for meat, they had to be, 8 kids to feed. Grandma shot a 30-40 Krag, and Grandpa shot a 30-06. Those two where a kill it and can it team. Kill it can it or pickle it. Their house smelled like dill pickles and smoked meat in the fall. The 30-40 Krag she shot well, small German lady maybe a buck thirty. High neck shots only and in close 20 to 30 yards. She knew how to hit em . Don't wanna waste that meat ya know.
Both lived into their 90's to the large extent on food they prepped them selves. The 30-40 Krag was a part of that, it was one of the meat getters.

Great trip down memory lane. My Grandparents (circa the late 1800s to demise in early 60s) was canning + preserving food. "If you don't do it .you don't eat."That was my grandma + still this day I can my food. Thanks for the memory.

Latest 100 target with factory Remington 180 Gr Core-loc.

I had an uncle that shot a cut down 30-30 Krag carbine, I killed a huge Mule deer buck with it as a youth in high school, 150 yards with a 220 Peters factory load, got a 3 inch exit hole and an instant kill..I love the Krag and never have owned one..the idea above from a fellow Texan grabbed me, a Krag in 25-35, I mean what else is there! Im loving that.