My Hermit's Pass Krag

[Cold Spring]

So, I was about age 13 and hiking with friend Jim to a place in our mountains called the Hermit’s Pass. We were checking fox traps and ran into a deer hunter in his early 20’s. I kind of knew him; his family lived across the crick that ran through our section of town. I was a budding gun nut back then and recognized his rifle as a sporterized Krag. He let me handle it and of all things it was the red recoil pad with straight slots I remembered most because it was so different than the pads with round or zigzag holes I’d seen.

Fast forward many decades to last Saturday when I was with two nephews at the Firemen’s annual dinner and gun raffle in my old home town. I struck up a conversation with a gent at our table and recognized his surname as one of the families that had lived across that crick. I asked about his family and learned his Uncle was the same young hunter I’d met up with along with Jimmy on the trapline so long ago. The gun raffle went on and the gent casually mentioned he had some old guns for sale. I asked what he had ….. nothing of much interest to me except for a cut-down Krag. I met up with him yesterday and she came home with me. Nice reunion!

I know this will give some of our custom rifle aficionados the shivers. I’ve always liked Krags - grand rifles back then and even now. Even with the “lunchbox” on the side. A very nice job on the sporterizing and the bore is excellent, kind of unusual for an old Krag. The bolt peep is a Leroy Rice made in Ohio circa 1930's and sold for a few bucks. I checked her sighting at the range today. 50 yards and with the 4 cartridges that came with the rifle. That red square is the back of a Fiocchi 100 count shotshell primer cardboard sleeve. 3-inch group, not bad for these old eyes. That lower hole with a cross over it in the red is from another rifle I checked. I’ll get her moved a little right and down next week when I can get a box of 30-40 shells.

The old Krag will be back in my hands this year when our deer season comes in.

[todd allen]

I've always thought the old 30/40 Krags to be cool old guns. Never had the pleasure of shooting one. Maybe one day.

[Brett Hoop]

Nothing runs as slick as a Krag bolt!
My dad's deer rifle was a sporterized Krag.

[Double Lab]

Thanks for the neat story Frank. Back in the late 70's my Dad had a hunting cabin in Hollidaysburg on the little Juniata river. Most of the guys who hunted this area were WW2 vets and the rifle of choice was either the Krag or a Savage 99 with a handful of sporterized Mausers thrown in. Hard hunting but good memories.

[edgarspencer]

Frank, I am also a fan of the Krag, and have a sporter, and an original carbine.
This is a sight that Lyman made just for the Krag

[Bill Murphy]

My Krag is a Stoeger Peerless restock, a $20.00 item in an early Shooter's Bible, including beautiful steel grip cap and buttplate. Checkering, which mine doesn't have, is $3.50 for stock and about the same for the forend. The sight on mine is a nice Redfield with no visible model designation. The shaping is about as good as a Griffin and Howe. $20.00 included all the labor and metal work on the original Krag. The fully inletted stock by itself was $6.50. Frank's Krag is a beautiful example of what can be done with the original wood. By the way, mine also came from a Pennsylvania auction.

[George Lang]

On our honeymoon in Pennsylvania, many many moons ago, my new bride bought me an original Krag carbine at a local gas station. Price was $27.50 including the sling and a box of new Remington ammo. Owner of station wouldn't let her buy it until I fired 5 rounds (on him) to insure it functioned correctly. I still have it and its known as the "honeymoon gun". PS I also purchased a WIN 1894 early SRC 38-55 for $25 next day, still have that also. Boy were those the days. My first parker was a VG+ VHE 12ga for $70. You can't go back.

[edgarspencer]

George, have you ever researched your Krag carbine? Springfield Research, in Cabin John, MD has war department records on nearly all the Krag rifles and Carbines bought under US contracts. You just never know where it may have been. Perhaps to the Philippines, Perhaps to Cuba.................

[George Lang]

Thanks, I'll have to give it a try.

[edgarspencer]

As I’m sure you know, it was the First Volunteer Regiment, under Leonard Wood and Theodore Roosevelt who fought in Cuba, and are famously known as The Rough Riders. Most of the men in the twelve regiments carried a Colt Single Action Army revolver and either an 1896 or 1898 Krag carbine.