M1899 Krag carbine with sling swivels?

[Rick the Librarian]

I had an acquaintance of mine mention he had seen a M1899 carbine for sale with sling swivels. He also said he had read in Joe Poyer's book that about 400 M1899 carbines were made (or modified) with these swivels.

Truth, or another "Poyerism"?

[JOHN42768]

True, according to Franklin Mallorys " The Krag Rifle Story". One of my '99's has the rear sling swivel and lower band with spring swivel. "Engineers Carbine" 372 with a special sling. I think the number is much larger over time. Look carefully at the inlet for the rear swivel, as a special tool was used to make the cut correctly. You can see mine over on KCA forum about 5-6 pages of post in. Listed as Carbine Eye Candy & Carbine Eye Candy 2. John

[jon_norstog]

My first Krag was a 95/96, SN 37XXX, with a 1901 sight and sling swivels. For the longest time I thopught it was a bubba job, then the week I sold it found out otherwise. It's a good setup!

jn

[Rick the Librarian]

Thanks for the information - you learn something new every day!

[Dick Hosmer]

IMHO, from a pure collector standpoint, the fact that a few (the 372 so-called Engineer carbines) are "rare", and that some additional specimens were government-done is rather unfortunate, because now, any long-stocked carbine with sling swivels is automatically - no matter who may have done it - given some sort of cachet as being a "special" piece, even though some are bubbas.

This in no way takes away from the fact that such an arm would be very handy for sporting/hunting purposes. Jon, do you know the actual serial number and marking of your carbine? I ask because the change in stamping from "1896" to "Model 1896" occurred around then.

[jon_norstog]

Dick,

The address book with the S/N of every gun I owned? I lost it in Portland year before last. But the topic came up on this list WRT Krag Carbines where I posted the Carbine was ideal because it had sling swivels, got shot down on that, I replied well, my carbine had them and provided the S/N. I may have posted the S/N twice on that 'bine. IIRC mine had the less common of the date stamps. HTH.

jn

[Dick Hosmer]

That would have been "1896" then - thanks, Jon.

[Rick the Librarian]

I believe the one I brought up was in the 345,000 range.

[thorin6]

If I remember correctly, 5Madfarmers had a copy of a letter or directive from a Chief of Ordnance directing that M1899 Carbines be fitted with sling swivels. I believe he opined that if the Carbine had a M1899 cabine stock with a correctly fitted Krag rear sling swivel, it most likelly was done while the Carbine was in service.
I'll let 5Madfarmers do the talking from here, and hope that I haven't misquoted him.

[Dick Hosmer]

5MF is our premier researcher, and, I too recall that he came across such a directive, though IIRC it was a "may" thing as opposed to a "shall" thing.

In any event, I'll take my carbines straight up please, as per the "Rules" and as originally made (no whipped cream, no cherry, no nuts, and no swivels). Probably not surprisingly, I like my TD Cadet Rifles the same way!!

But, in the immortal words of the said 5MF, "YMMV". :-)