SRS--what does it mean?

[Charlie S]

Being new to Krag rifles, please excuse my ignorence, but can you tell me just what an SRS check tells a person. And what do the initials stand for? I thank the person who replied that my 1898 rifle SN164960 did not show a listing.

[Fishnerd]

Springfield Research Service. A formerly free service to document the military and post military use of Springfield firearms. A "hit" on SRS means there is documentation of where a specific firearm was used. The "creme de la creme" of SRS hits for Krags would be 1st US Volunteer Calvary- AKA The Rough Riders, which was Teddy Roosevelt's crew in Cuba during the Spanish American War.

[5MadFarmers]

Your rifle sold at Rock Island in the Spring of 2009. I noted it had the Model of 1896 rear sight.

[dave]

The service was not really free. Only the fact that they had found a document on that rifle was free. If you wanted further info and a copy of said document it cost a hundred bucks (price varied over the years). And it was only a 'snap shot in time', not a full history of that rifle. For instance my 96 carbine got a 'hit', it was with Co.H, 1st.Cav. in Oct 1899, used for "target shooting", from an annual inspection report of Ft.Meade, So. Dakota. Several other guns were listed including a couple Colt SA revolvers. I got a letter to this effect and about 3-4 pages of the report (150 pages) that mentioned the carbine.
I think you now have to be a member to get even the limited info, but I am not sure how it works anymore! I believe when they took that web site down they narrowed their base of customers. While I was a member for several years (3 of my books are signed by Frank Mallory) when I got the hit I was not.

[Charlie S]

Thanks to all for this info. 5Mad Farmers, yes it has an 1896 rear sight. When you say sold at Rock Island in spring of 2009, is this from the Rock Island Arsena? By the way, though the 1899 cartouche is faint, the rifle is in great condition with about a perfect bore.

[dave]

Probably means Rock Island Auction Co. of Rock Island, Ill., doubt if any rifles came out of the arsenal for decades.