30-40 Krag questions...

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Hemicuda

New member
I just got the chance to pick up a WW-II 30-40 Krag (Springfield built)

It ISsporterized, but well done... Stock cut down to just ahead of the barrel band, and reshaped with a NICE curve, stock finish (oil) in 95% condition. re-blued, but VERY nice shiny deep blue finish, 98+%, bore is PERFECT!

it has no scope, (I have an old steel-tubed blued Weaver scope somewhere...) but has a Williams STEEL one piece mount... and it wears a very nice military style 1-1/4" sling...

I've never thought about the old Krag-Jorgensen much, but what is this worth? the offer to me is $310.00 out the door... Is that too much for a sporterized version, even if it is well done?

talk to me, guys (and girls...)
 
F

FirstFreedom

Moderator
If the collector value (blue book) is out the window, as it is, then just think of it in term strictly of how it compares to a similar sporting rifle, and does it accomplish your needs/wants/goals in terms of:

-Price
-Stock
-Caliber
-Weight
-Accuracy (likely)
-Scopeability (if that's what you want), and the cost to get there.

Being very well-made, if it's otherwise quite nice, $300-ish is not terribly unreasonable. It seems just a tad high to me for most sporters, but that one ain't most sporters. Maybe $200-$250 is more like it as a starting point, but add as per its refinements to stock, finish, etc. With that kind of blueing and stock, I wouldn't say $310 is too much, if you like it.

P.S. Today at gun show, I saw an average condition un-messed-with Krag with an asking price of $1,150. :eek:
 
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bigbird34

New member
1892

The 30 Govt(30-40 Krag) was adopted into the military in 1892 ....a few years befor WW-2,(Maybe it saw WW-1 action,and other conflicts)It was chosen over the Mauser ,because the Mauser was German made per-se ,and Our govt wanted a U.S. Rifle(I believe the 8mm Mauser out performed the Krag )....In it's original condition ,they are collector items now,but a lot of them were commericaly sportrized and some sporteriezed by the owners .....making them not as desireable ,,,depending upon the changes that the rifle saw....A box of original ammo can go for around $100.00 bucks depending on the manufacture....if you have an extra $300.0 to spend it may not be a bad deal....a fellow down the road has one ,that I belive was commerically sporterized,I think he would take $300.00 for it .....Godd luck,Jim
 
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taylorce1

New member
How bad do you want it? Most of the time they go at auction from $250-350 so not a terrible deal at all. I want one myself but I want one without a d&t receiver.

IIRC the .30-40 replaced the .45-70 as the cartridge of choice by the U.S. Army. It was the first time they adopted a rifle that had a magazine for use Army wide. It saw service during the Spanish American War and was quickly replaced after that in favor of the 1903 Springfield and the .30-06 cartridge. It went up against the 7X57 Mauser and not the 8mm during that war. I imagine by WWI only National Guard units still had .30-40 rifles in their armory. I would think that when they went to combat in Europe they were either issued 1903 or 1917 rifles.

The Krag is a fairly good round if you handload but not too practical if you don't. The ammunition is kind of hard to come by these days and not cheap when it is found. Factory ammunition pushes a 180 grain bullet around 2400 fps which makes it about 300 fps slower than the 06 and about 100 fps faster than a .300 Savage. Unless you order some custom ammunition or handload all you will pretty much find is 180 grain loads from either Remington or Winchester.

The things I love about the Krag rifle is it's unique magazine and it's slick action. You'll be hard pressed to find an action as smooth operating as one of these rifles. They are pretty easy on the shoulder and just plain fun to shoot plus a pretty capable hunting rifle for large game inside of 300 yards, but I'm sure it will work outside there too.
 
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Spade Cooley

Moderator
If you really love it, I would say it might be worth $250. When you can buy a good quality name brand used deer hunting rifle in a modern caliber for $350 with a scope, the deal doesn't sound so hot. The rifle has lost all of its collector value.

The Kraig was used prior to WW I. I believe only reservists used it at that time and all regular ground troops doing the fighting used The Enfield and Springfield in 30-06.
 
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