I just picked up my father's (now deceased) Krag from my brother. My dad used this rifle the first time he took me deer hunting in 1967. The rifle has a lot of sentimental value, and my son wants to use it when he starts deer hunting when he reaches 16 years of age. (damn silly law if you ask me)Any way, the bore has always had some pitting, (I suspect from corrosive military primers) but it has really gotten bad from years of neglect. I don't want to change the outward appearance of the rifle, but I would like to make a shooter out of it. I realize it would probably be easier to rebarrel it, but I want it to appear the same as it did when my dad used it. It has had a brownish cast to the blueing for as long as I can remember, and I do not want to reblue it. Is this practical, and if so, can anyone recommend someone to do it?

[This message has been edited by wildcat junkie (edited 01-01-2002).]

It can be done but it is not practical. Most barrels that are lined are in lower pressure rounds and liners are readily available and drills are sold to ream out the barrel.

With your rifle, a barrel will have to be turned down to create the liner and the barrel reamed and then the liner is soldered or even glassed in. The strength has to be in the liner. It doesnt not transfer well enough thru the solder or glass. I had this same discussion with Bob West, an Oregon gunsmith who has done a lot of them. You have to want to save the old barrel quite a bit to do this.

As an alternative you might look for a take off barrel for the rifle from another Krag Jorgensen and it may then need a new thread cut to rechamber and get the proper headspace.

Have you checked out the accuracy of the rifle as it stands? If it shoots well enough go with it.

Chic Worthing

Here's a thought!!! Is your 95 a 30-40?? if so could it be cut to 303B? they have the same ballistics & are common in Canada. Also a friend of mine has a shot out Kraig that shoots .311 bullets good enough to hunt with.

sxr6: It is not an 1895, but an 1898 Sringfield/Krag Jorgensen as in Spanish American war government issue. It has been"sporterized" circa 1950s. The barrel is 22" and the straight grip walnut stock has been cut down with a "shnabel" forend. It's a very handy little "woods rifle", and it's quite handsome to boot albeit with a rugged thoroughly used/antique look.

[This message has been edited by wildcat junkie (edited 01-01-2002).]

I had a 1891 argentine DWM Mauser in 7.62x53mm that would not shoot with 174gr fmj but it will shoot a 200gr rn cast bullet. and it shot 1 moa untill the headspace went and i pulled the barrel now it's a .257 roberts. give cast bullets a try they will work good for deer hunting and with the velocity you can get out of a krag you'll have no problem.
kerry

Same rifle has been in my family for years,
the original bore was pitted but still grouped around two inches at 100 yds. with
peep sights. After judicous cleaning with
strong bore solvents the performance went downhill. Had a smith rebarrel and contour to
original with a douglas blank. 150 bucks and it shoots very well. Sentimental value settled down the Gunsmith. And it really is
a fine hunting rifle.

Pa jim: As a matter of fact, this rifle came from Pa! My dad bought it in the mid 50s in the Butler area (Fennelton to be exact) He paid $12 for it. (a lot in those days, about 1 1/2 days pay) I am in the process of the strong solvent routine right now. I hope the results are different than what you experienced. It looks a lot better, the pitting isn't as deep as I thought. Did your rifle have a 22" barrel? I've been told it was a carbine, it still has the military sights, the front one is mounted with a "sweated" on band.

WJ, Small world, My Great uncle was from
Evans city. I believe he bought his in the
late forties for 6.50. 22 inch barrel Carbine
Pistol grip was refitted with a dark walnut
section, didn't use the original sweated band
sight, opted for a similar sweated on band but with a narrower exchange type blade for
more prescision sight picture. After cleaning
I developed bulging cases, the chamber was oversized and the throat was torched for a good three inches. I'll try to post a pic in the near future. After four generations this rifle has dropped hundreds of deer and 5 bears. This rifle is known as the "lucky" loaner, beginner's and beggar's seem to always score when they use it!

Pa jim: My dad also called his rifle "Lucky" as on the first two occasions he carried it, he shot bucks with it. After a thorough scrubbing, the bore looks fairly good. The throat does not appear to be severely eroded, and the chamber appears in good shape. It will need a stock though as I "refinished" it about 1970 or so and removed too much wood in places. I would like to find a military stock to cut down as this is what was done originally. I like the straight grip. There is a Krag aftermarket stock in the back room of one of the local gun shops, I came across it several months ago when I was looking for something else. No mistaking that inletting. I'm going over there tomorrow to dig it up. I don't remember if it was a straight grip or not. I want to use the original butt plate with the little hidey hole gizzy. If I have to, I guess I could start from scratch, as the inletting doesn't look all that difficult.

Well, after cleaning all of the "barnacles" out of the bore, it doesn't look as bad as I thought. I picked up that stock that was gathering dust in the back of the local gun shop. It's a Bishop. It has some minor checking in the butt, but I know how to remedy that. There is more than enough wood to make a straight grip stock. I picked it up for $25! That's over $100 cheaper than a carbine stock from Numrich. The throat is good. I also picked up a set of Herters dies fo $20 (with an RCBS #7 shell holder) and a box of WW 180gr silvertips. The silver tips are long gone and I have been playing with IMR 4350 and 4064 with Nozler 165gr Ballistic tips. I'm getting 2590fps average with 8.8fps SD. Groups are running about 2" @ 50yds with most in 1 hole about 3/4" C-C. That's about as good as I can do with the issue sights and the HORRENDOUS trigger.(I think I'll check it for barnacles too) I smoked a round that was 2.350 COL and the rifling in the throat looked good. a COL of 3.150 weas the longest that would cycle so that's what I left the die set at. I also tried the smoked bullet on the muzzle, and the rifling lands are worn unevenly (I suspect from some teenager cleaning from the muzzle ) I think a recessed crown job is in order as I don't want to change the appearance. I plan to stain the stock with chromic acid to turn it black, and I'll buff it back to highlight the grain. That's the way I remember it back in the 50s, allmost black. Any finish I remove from the metal will be treated with "antique browning" It should look "old" when I'm done. I used my trigger pull scale to weigh the gun and it came out to 7# on the nose. It should make a dandy "brush gun"

[This message has been edited by wildcat junkie (edited 01-05-2002).]

[This message has been edited by wildcat junkie (edited 01-05-2002).]

[This message has been edited by wildcat junkie (edited 01-05-2002).]

I always enjoy reading about the important guns, ie those with sentamental value. I didn't grow up in a hunting family, but did get my dads Rem #4 rolling block 22rf, and it will always be my most treasured rifle, even if all we did was the occasioanal backyard plinking. It has a well pitted bore, crack in the stock, and some buggered screw heads, but asside from cleaning up the screws one of these days, I don't plan to mess with it. I suppose I should fix the crack. The accuracy is suprisingly good, so pitting be darned!

As to your krag, I wouldn't worry about the uneven crown, your accuracy is fine, and I know the rifle will make for a very special hunt with your son.

Wildcat Junkie,
Thanks for the thread.
I have an old,old Springfield 1892 rifle that I sporterized back in 1950 something.
It is probably the best Whitetail rifle that I will ever own,and we shared a lot of quality time together in the woods.
I finally shot out the barrel,and have a new hunting partner,but I still have thoughts about getting the Krag to shoot again.
I tried fire lapping,but it did no good.I'm going to try oversized bullets,next.
Good luck with your project,the gun certainly deserves the best that you can do for it.
Frank

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Frank

franke: Numrich has barrels (new I think) for around $180. this includes the front sight, they are 22" carbine barrels. They are not listed in my catalogue, but are listed on their website under US Military. Web address is www.e-gunparts.com That's the way I would go if I were replacing the barrel on mine. I ran some 150gr Nozler Ballistic tips across the chrono. today. It seemed to be reading a little slow as it was overcast,(sleeting actually)my 165gr loads were reading about 60fps slower today than yesterday. 150 grainers were clocking 2690fps average under todays nasty conditions. I need to get some good iron sight(LARGE black bullseye)targets to really check out the accuracy of these loads. If the 150s are shooting anywhere as good as the 165s, I'll probably use the 150s.

Just a note of caution, when reloading for my 30-40 I found that Barnes bullets would shoot well but something about the design of the nose of their X bullets would not allow the rounds to feed at all irregardless of the bullet weight.

Super 88: DITTO FOR BALISTIC TIPS. I had trouble with the last round making "the bend" I just shortened up the COL a little at a time untill I got reliable feeding (3.150 COL)

Well, I inadvertantly got an answer to my question yesterday. I was talking to a "smith" about rebarreling my 8mm-06 A.I. when the subject of my dad's Krag came up. I was considering a new barrel from Numrich (About $180) when HE suggested relining it! $250 complete, and he assured me it would out perform the Military barrel. I will be able to have the throat cut to my sample.

Since the weapon needed some headspace checking and muzzle counterboring anyway, I decided to send it to him along with my 8mm-06 A.I., and let him make the call(on the Krag). I will not reveal his name (sorry) because he is very reasonable and has short lead times. He comes highly reccommended by a freind, and has some pretty impresive services availible.

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Life is more exitin' when yer stickin' suppositories inta a wildcats behind!

[This message has been edited by wildcat junkie (edited 02-15-2002).]