God ettermiddag.

New hereabouts, but not to Krags. Have had 2 US Krags and after almost 30 years of looking finally found an 1894 Norwegian long rifle, a 1915 with a superb bore. Very hard to find on this side of the water. Google Translate will be a close companion on this board unless there is a no problem with posting in English. Looking forward to learning more about the single finest European and American military rifle of all time, the Krag.

Og med Google Translate ...

Nye hereabouts, men ikke til Krags. Har hatt to amerikanske Krags og etter nesten 30 år med jakt endelig funnet en 1894 norske lang rifle, en 1915 med en flott bar. Veldig vanskelig å finne på denne siden av vannet. Google Trans vil være en nær følgesvenn på dette forumet, med mindre det er et ikke noe problem med å legge ut på engelsk. Ser frem til å lære mer om enkelt fineste europeiske og amerikanske militære rifle av all tid, Krag.

Congratulations, and welcome to the forums.

I bought an M/1894 not too long ago myself, a great condition 1906. How much did it run you? From what I've heard from other US collectors, the Norwegian models usually get up in the four digit range. I paid 3000kr or $360 for mine. All matching.

Ja, kan en amerikansk Krag være veldig dyrt; ikke vanskelig å bryte $ 1000US for en "riktig" rifle, men det er egentlig ikke noe slikt. Karabiner er så ofte forfalsket at en karabin uten papirer er verdsatt som en konvertering til jakt, men en karabin med "Rough Rider" historie vil gi den høyeste verdien. Hvis din rifle var en amerikansk Krag, det kan godt bryte $ 2000 eller mer USD. Hvis det var en umodifisert 1892 eller et Styre av Forordningen og Forsterkning rifle i den tilstanden, $ 3000 er kanskje ikke urimelig.

Er det et forum viet spesielt til Krags her?

And the original, with clarification...

American Krags are very expensive; it's not hard to break $ 1000US for a "correct" rifle, but there is really no such thing. The American Krag was almost continuously modified throughout its service career. Carbines are so often faked that an undocumented one will be passed on by many collectors, but a carbine with "Rough Rider" history (Teddy Roosevelt and the Spanish-American War) or other documented history will bring a justified premium. If your rifle was an American Krag in similar condition, it might well break $ 2,000 or more USD. If it was an unmodified 1892 (most "1892" Krags are really what collectors call 1892/96 Rifles, updated to 1896 specification) or a Board of Regulation and Reinforcing rifle in that condition, $ 3000 or more is not unreasonable.

I'm sorry, but I think Google Translate might have confused me a tad there. The first couple sentences in your post are somewhat incoherent.

I did get the carbine part. From what I've seen, Americans are terrible with "bubbaing" every milsurp rifle they get over, just like Krags and Mausers are "sporterized" here by chopping the barrel halfways and putting on a cheap Tasco as a moose gun.

A suggestion would try posting both the original English post as well as the translated Norwegian one.

As for the forum, I see you already found the "antikke våpen" subforum. Historical/technical details about Krags are usually posted there, while you see threads about use in the "Rifle" and "Rifleskyting" sections.

Sorry about Google Translate. Will try this way, on phone now and will translate later.

The above Norwegian Krag as a US Krag in comparable condition is easily a $1000+ rifle, and if it were a carbine with Spanish American War documentation, especially service with Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders, or an original unmodified 1892 or a Board of Ordinance and Fortifications rifle that figure could be easily doubled. I have heard of an unmodified 1892 US Krag going for over $4000USD.

Probably the biggest problem with US Krags is counterfeit carbines. US Krags have spotty at best serial number documentation, and "carfles" (long rifles converted into cavalry carbines, which the Ordinance Corps NEVER did) are common. Springfield Research Service paperwork can make or break a carbine deal. There are collectors that won't buy an undocumented carbine.

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing the information.

By comparison, the rarer carbine variants here can go upwards to 10k NOK ($1200) in good conditions.

Seeing as Norwegian krag serials are very easily checked, it's not very easy to attempt fakes. I know there has been attemps at making fake occupation built Krags, though it's not very common.

I've seen one very rare Waffenamt marked hybrid Krag made per German requirements at Kongsberg during WW2, finished with what seemed to be the same black paint you can see on some German rifles and MGs from the same time. Won't even try to guess its value in money.

A $4000 Krag sounds like an investment in its own, but I would rather use those fourty bills for a Johnson M/1941, had I lived stateside.

Welcome to the forum PlainOldDave.

First, there are no specific Krag section on this forum. If you search for Krag, I believe you will get a rather high number of hits.

Second, please stick to English, Google translate is really bad! Most Norwegians can read and write English.

Regarding values of different Norwegian Krag models, the prices vary a lot! A re-built match rifle, which is very common is very hard to sell for more than 150 USD. If it is a matching serial number and fully original M1923 or M1925 the prices are a lot higher. These are quite hard to find. M1930 is not as expensive, but more expensive than a re-build model. Some of the carbines are rather expensive as well, as earlier mentioned. As you understand, the prices are very dependent of the model and the condition of the rifle.

I’m sure it’s not a surprise that the Krag has a lot of followers here in Norway……

Welcome to the forum PlainOldDave.

 

First, there are no specific Krag section on this forum. If you search for Krag, I believe you will get a rather high number of hits.

 

Second, please stick to English, Google translate is really bad! Most Norwegians can read and write English.

 

Regarding values of different Norwegian Krag models, the prices vary a lot! A re-built match rifle, which is very common is very hard to sell for more than 150 USD. If it is a matching serial number and fully original M1923 or M1925 the prices are a lot higher. These are quite hard to find. M1930 is not as expensive, but more expensive than a re-build model. Some of the carbines are rather expensive as well, as earlier mentioned. As you understand, the prices are very dependent of the model and the condition of the rifle.

 

I’m sure it’s not a surprise that the Krag has a lot of followers here in Norway……

I love my Krags. That said, the Krag hasn't been a serious match rifle here since shortly after the First World War. Rapid fire (10 shots in 50 seconds by NRA rules ) is just not possible, and the .30-40's rainbow trajectory makes wind doping difficult at best at 600 yards; 20 of the 50 shots in the short National Match Course are single fed at 600 yards, and you still have those 20 in the full length 80 shot course. The "one locking lug" and "cracked locking lug" problems are so accepted here that any Krag's value is almost exclusively as a collectable. Match rifle shooters and hunters alike see Krags as quaint, obsolete relics, and those of us that regularly shoot Krags are a tiny minority.

Have you seen this short film? Krag and other constructions demonstrated during the Norwegian championship in 2012. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pK8fSVuxVaU

I've seen it, and while it DOES address the saved rounds issue you still have the challenge of keeping a .308 (for US Krags) or .264 (for Norwegians) bullet supersonic or at least transonic at 600 yards with the chamber pressure limitations the Krag requires; the flatter shooting .30-06 supplanted the .30 Army in the very early 1920s in this country, as quickly as the teething pains with match-grade .30-06 ammunition were sorted out. In NRA Match Rifle, you win or lose matches at 6. The following link briefly goes over US military rifle shooting, both Service Rifle and Match Rifle. Between these rules and the significant collector value US Krags have, I am sure the Forum will see why, with the exception of CMP Vintage Military Rifle competition, restoring/preserving Krags here is MUCH more prevalent than making match rifles out of them.

http://www.egpworld.com/hp/matchrifle/m ... _rifle.htm