First batch of 30-40

[Dusty Tagalon]

I loaded my first batch of 30-40. My dummy rounds with .309, expanded the case too much to chamber. .308 diameter seemed to work OK. I will need to wait for another weekend to try them out.

I have an 1895, (civilian) that I will be using in the Militia category. I will bee looking for the parts to convert to Milspec. Will also be looking to purchase a Milspec Krag.

Dusty

[Bull Schmitt]

Dusty,

I have shot .311 in mine with not problems. What bullet are you using?

Col Bull

[Dusty Tagalon]

Oregon Trail Trueshot 30 Cal 200gr RN GC, .309

After further review, the problem is poorly fitted gas checks, some I have measured as much as .318 diameter. I am finding about 1/2 over .312.

Dusty

[Drydock]

I size mine to .311.  Hornaday gas checks are usualy pretty consistant.  Also, the checks are oversized and are fitted/crimped to the bullet by going thru the sizer, and are sized to the same diameter.  At least thats how it works on my Lee Sizer.

[Niederlander]

Hello!
    I've been using the Lyman 311284 bullet for years, sized to .309 with either Hornady or Lyman gas checks, lubed with Lee Tumble Lube.  The gas checks need to be sized with the bullet.  The Lyman M Die works very well to expand the case mouth, and is well worth the money.  I like the Lee Factory Crimp die, too.  Have fun with that .30 Army!

[Dusty Tagalon]

I have ordered a Lee Luber-Sizer Kit, the 165gr 308s are shorter with a flat nose. The 200gr are longer & pointed, better suited for the 30-40.

The 2nd box of bullets was even worse, the majority of the gas checks were larger then .314. Only 13 were of a size that could be loaded without sizing.

Dusty

[Dusty Tagalon]

After close inspection of my Krag 98 Carbine, I realize it is a cut down Krag 98 Rifle. The sn was about 500 lower then the 98 Carbine, & there is a patch in the stock where the cleaning rod used to be. Overall, it looks pretty good. I am surprised with the smoothness of operation of the Krag.

Dusty

[Bull Schmitt]

All Krag actions are slicker than snot on a doorknob!!

Col Bull

[Drydock]

The Krag defines "slick" in a bolt action. Because it splits the cocking, using both the bolt opening and closing to load the firing pin spring, You'll find you can cycle it fairly easily simply by extending the fingers of your trigger hand and rotating your wrist up and down, the bolt working between your thumb and forefinger.  Takes some practice, but it can be very, very fast.

[Niederlander]

They are pretty amazing rifles.  Load up a few dummy rounds to practice with and you'll be pleasantly surprised how fast you can get with a bolt rifle.  Practice loading it with the dummy rounds, too.  That side mounted magazine takes some getting used to, but it's really pretty efficient with loose cartridges.

[Drydock]

Oh yeah, get the Double Belt, and you can literaly throw them into the magazine 2 at a time, with a little practice.  Much faster than you might think.  Most published articles on loading the Krag are wrong, you don't have to load one at a time, you don't have to worry about the rims.  They always use rounds with too short an oal.  Proper rounds self align as you slap the magazine shut.

[Dusty Tagalon]

I have been working on the loading with dummy rounds, including dumping 5 at a time in the loading port. Also playing a little with the single load feture.

Dusty

[Dusty Tagalon]

I got my sizer luber kit yesterday. I have mashed the bullets with over sized gas checks through it, & completed loading the batch.

Dusty

[Drydock]

Very good Krag Site:   http://www.jouster.com/cgi-bin/krag/krag.pl

[Bull Schmitt]

Dusty,

Let us know how she shoots with the correct size bullets.

Col Bull

[Charles Isaac]

Oh yeah, get the Double Belt, and you can literaly throw them into the magazine 2 at a time, with a little practice.  Much faster than you might think. 

Most would keep the critical info to themselves for fear of leveling the playing field with the percieved "competition". Does my heart good to see critical advice being so unselfishly distributed.

[Dusty Tagalon]

I do have the belt already, & a uniform on order to go with it. In practice, it seems a little faster to have 5 loose rounds in a pouch facing the same direction for the reload. However, I will likely stick to the belt, (more correct to the time period).

Dusty

[Charles Isaac]

Many tests were conducted in the 1890s and early 1900s on rapid fire techniques with the Krag, with some Krags even being modified for clip loading and being pitted against Mausers in timed rapid fire. A wrist bracelet ammunition belt was even invented and tried but never adopted as standard issue. Loading the Krag with loose rounds from a coat pocket was among the fastest methods, faster than from the belt and very close to a clip loader.

All the tests I have read about were conducted from static positions with no mention of loading while moving where the clip loader has the wider margin of superiority. In my own use of the Krag, the best way for myself that I have found is to grab the rounds by twos, drop the first in the top, close the bolt, drop the other in the magazine, then two and two into the magazine and slap the gate shut.

Whatever limitations there may be with the Krag, I know of no other rifle that is faster to load with loose rounds, so I would consider it to be perfect for GAF shooting.

I always reloaded 220gr jacketed bullets so that I could fire ammunition as close as possible to the original and I have no experience with cast bullets in the Krag, so I must ask, Do cast bullets feed well in the Krag? 

[Drydock]

The key to slick feeding in the Krag is not the type of bullet, but the OAL of the round.  I load Lee 200 grain cast lead at 2.975" OAL and have slick and smooth feeding.  If the round is too short it can hang up, some problems have been noted with 150 grain bullets.

[Niederlander]

I've been using the Lyman #311284 218 grain bullet for years, and they feed extremely well.  As mentioned before, the overall length seems to be the overriding issue.  As for speed, with practice you can undertake aimed fire almost as fast as with a lever action.  (Obviously, that statement does not apply at the usual CAS distances.)  They have a really slick bolt.