3040 Krag carbine

[Shamrock]

I have the opportunity to buy a 30-40 Krag carbine Model 1896 serial # 67400. It is in nice shape. Has cartouche aft of the trigger guard. Another behind the saddle ring.  Stock is not cracked. Small chip on the forearm, Action is tight. Front sight looks like pictures of originals I have seen. 

Is there a way to tell is this is an original carbine and not a cut down rifle. And is there a way to find out when it was manufactured and which unit it was issued to?

Regards,

Pat "Shamrock" Gannon

[Drydock]

I can tell you it was manufactured in 1896.  No way to tell what unit or units it was issued to.  Does the front band have a spring retainer in the stock?  Does the front tip of the stock have a square wooden insert?  Does the sight have a small "C" stamped on it somewhere?   Does it still have a handguard?  Does the front barrel band butt up against the front of the rear sight?

[Shamrock]

Does the front band have a spring retainer in the stock?  Yes
Does the front tip of the stock have a square wooden insert? Don't know what you are referring to
Does the sight have a small "C" stamped on it somewhere?  No
Does it still have a handguard?  Yes
Does the front barrel band butt up against the front of the rear sight?Yes

[Drydock]

I'd say you probably have an orginal M1896 carbine.  Rarely does someone go to that much trouble with a cut down.  Far easier to make an 1899.  The sight not having a "C" is probable, the earlier ones did not have that.  The wooden plug refers to a filler piece of wood used to fill in the cleaning rod channel on a cut down stock.  On a cut down you can usualy see the faint outline of the plug in the tip of the forearm.  The Spring Retainer is a huge tell tale, no cut down has that unless its been placed in a real carbine stock.   Reproduction stocks are all of the M1899 pattern, with the barrel band a few inchs ahead of the rear sight.

I would say odds are that it is a real carbine, though I could not be 100% sure unless I could see it.

[Shamrock]

Thanks!!!
Come up for the Dept of Missouri muster the end of July. I'll have it there.

[Shamrock]

Can someone tell me a good number to load Trailboss to in 30-40 Krag?
Thanks.

[pony express]

I use about 11.5 gr with a 185 gr cast bullet.

[Drydock]

Update.  This carbine was produced in July of 1897.   That's pretty much the same Trailboss load I use.

[Pitspitr]

My load is 13 gr. with a 220 gr cast bullet for use on steel. My long range load is 42gr H4350 under a 220 Gr Hornady RN