New Krag stocks?

[deadin]

I just picked up a fairly decent 1898 rifle (1903 cartouche) that has had the wood chopped just ahead of the middle band.
I see that Numrich offers what they are calling "forestock 17 3/4'" which I assume is meant to be spliced in under the band. Anybody have experience with this?
I would like to put this rifle back to "visually original". If the splice will work out I will also need a complete front band and a handguard, but will cross these bridges when I come to them.

Dean

[Dick Hosmer]

I've never done it personally (yet), but the process is tried and true. In fact, these days, no "middle-grade or below" Krag should be purchased without slipping the band forward to check for such a fix.

As with everything in life, the devil is in the details. Getting a believable-looking grain/color/gloss match will be far more difficult then the gluing and sanding.

[11mm]

I just picked up a fairly decent 1898 rifle (1903 cartouche) that has had the wood chopped just ahead of the middle band.
I see that Numrich offers what they are calling "forestock 17 3/4'" which I assume is meant to be spliced in under the band. Anybody have experience with this?
I would like to put this rifle back to "visually original". If the splice will work out I will also need a complete front band and a handguard, but will cross these bridges when I come to them.

Dean

I have done it three times on Krags. Once was to repair a broken stock, but the other two used add-ons. To make it strong, you need to inlet a ligature of hardwood in line with the lightening grooves. Modern glues are good, but there needs to be good linear strength if you are going to shoot it. To Dick's point, I found out all about a Krag that I bought from a Gunbroker seller, and the match of wood and stain were so good that I did not notice until it came apart while shooting it for the first time. Needless to say, I was miffed, but there was a "no-shooting" return policy. I repaired it, and it is OK now. Of course,it was the last time I dealt with that guy.
You need to look hard under that band. It is not too difficult to do this repair correctly, especially if you have access to good tools.

[Mark Daiute]

I'm on my fifth Krag. The front barrel bands are getting a little pricey. I get my wood (both forearm extensions and handguards)from: East Taylor LLC, the owner, Jack Schwartz is a member of the Krag Collector's Association.

My son does the woodworking end of it for me, he uses dowels and West System epoxy.

Getting the sheen and the color to match can be a real pisser. This has enabled me to get some Krags with excellent bores and very nice cartouches at a reasonable price or on a "payment plan" where in I buy parts over time.

I'm always trolling gunbroker for barrel bands and they are most always available.

Keep us posted

[Mark Daiute]

Actually you can pretty much separate Krags into two groups. Roughly:
1) "Collectable"
2) "Not collectable."

For the first group, a replacement stock would be a guaranteed method to move it to group 2. There is something of a "positive" Catch-22 involved though - if it needs a new stock it's pretty much already in group 2. The rule on group 1 is "do not do that which you cannot undo." Amusingly enough parking it in a new stock wouldn't violate that as you can always put it back in the other.

For the second group different rules apply. If the gun, via sporterizing or other reasons, has serious condition issues it's not really collectable. Two guidelines which would apply here are:
1) It's your gun - make yourself happy.
2) There is considerably more Krag metal out there than wood. Metal, obviously, lasts longer. This being the case there is a very real need for quality replacement stocks. For the guns which aren't collectable I'd think everyone, including purists, would rather see them appreciated and shot as they were meant to be. If a new stock answers that need so be it.

So, no, I'm not sure "purists" look down on replacement stocks. Again, any gun in a condition to need a stock is likely not collectable but it is in need of being appreciated and used.

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If you complete this project post pictures. If you're willing to go through the effort the end result should be interesting. No, I'm not being sarcastic. I have X number of guns which, at some point, I'm going to toy with in unusual fashion also. Two off the top of my head which I may, if I ever get around to it, do strange things with:

1) What's left of a Chaffee-Reece. I'm thinking of turning it into a saddle-ring carbine. Restoring it to a rifle is pretty much impossible so it's open season. There were no Chaffee-Reece carbines made that I'm aware of so it'll be strange and, to me, amusing.

2) An 1892/96 which was butchered in a very unusual fashion. Pity as the condition is really good. They basically lopped the end off of both the barrel and stock. Pity that stock as it's almost new. I have the parts and am seriously considering turning it into a "pseudo" Model 1892 carbine. Given that only two were made, and they're known, this isn't intended to fool anyone. It'll make for an interesting visual toy. So why do it? The original 1892 carbines were, IMHO, altered later with some 1896 parts installed. I can't "undo" those two as they're not mine. So make one.

Post pics if you complete the project and good luck.

As always I appreciate and enjoy what 5MF's has to say but I would add that there are degrees of collectors. For instance I would rate myself as a novice level collector of sporterized, repaired and restored Krags.... For me this is sort of a spiral affair kind of like the Hindu Caste system. I am ever hoping to spiral upward with the quality of arms I own.