Original Item: Only One Available. This very interesting sporting carbine began life as a mid-production (1897) Krag M1896 Rifle, the standard U.S. Long arm of the time. It was then shortened by about 8 inches to have a 22" barrel, and had a ramp fore sight added to the front. The rear sight appears to still be for a rifle, but the front sight may have been accurized for use with that and not a carbine sight.

This was done very possibly as the request of a wealthy Officer who saw service in the Spanish American War of 1898 in Cuba. At that time in New York many wealthy individuals formed their own Units, including Teddy Roosevelt and William Tiffany which later became known as the "ROUGH RIDERS." Many of these Officers treated the war more as a Safari and used custom made rifles. Perhaps this very appealing example has its history within that group.

The The Springfield Model 1892–99 Krag–Jørgensen rifle is a Norwegian-designed bolt-action rifle that was adopted in 1892 as the standard United States Army military longarm, chambered in U.S. caliber .30-40 Krag. All versions and variants were manufactured under license by the Springfield Armory between 1892 and 1903 and famously served as the longarm during the Spanish–American War. Although Krags were popular, unique and efficient, the side loading gate mechanism was slow and cumbersome to reload in combat compared to the clip loaded Spanish Mausers the Krag was up against.

The M1896 rifle differs from the earlier M1892 version, in that the magazine cut-off operates in down position and a three-piece cleaning rod is stored in a butt trap. It also had an improved rear sight and tighter production tolerances to give better accuracy when compared to its predecessor.

Our example is stamped on the receiver:

Research reveals that serial number 71487 dates to year of manufacture of 1897, the second half of the year, which is part of U.S. Fiscal Year 1898. Springfield Armory produced 14122 M1896 carbines this year. All model 1896 rifles and carbines were produced 1898 and prior, and are federally considered Pre-1899 antiques.

The stock is fitted with a M1896 solid smooth buttplate with a curved toe and butt-trap, which is empty. The rear handguard is still present, along with the original Model 1906 rifle rear sight. During the conversion, the stock was cut down, and the filled in channel under the barrel can still be seen. It is possible it was done at arsenal, or was definitely done by a skilled gunsmith. The stock has the correct bevel around the cocking handle, so it definitely looks to be original. The stock is also still marked with a nice circled P proof behind the trigger guard, indicating the barrel has passed the overpressure testing. It also has a faint "boxed" stock inspection cartouche that reads JSA / 1897, for inspector J. S. Adams.

Condition is very good with a lightly worn gray patina to the receiver area, while the barrel still retains much of the original blued finish. The bolt is still bright steel, though the ejector on top looks to have been refinished, and it's very likely that during the conversion all of the metalwork was refinished. The stock is in very good condition, with a lovely dark red-brown walnut color, and dings and scratches from service, but no repairs we can see.

Both sling swivels are present and in good shape. Action works smoothly and all components have a nice finish, with slight oxidation on the bright areas. The bore is in very good condition, showing a bright finish with clear lands and grooves. However there definitely is wear as well as removed past oxidation, so this is definitely a rifle that saw a good amount of service.

A very nice example of the standard turn of the 20th century U.S. Service rifle, turned into a sporting carbine for further use. Ready to display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1897
Caliber:  .30-40 Krag
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 22 Inches
Overall Length: 41 ½ Inches
Action type: Bolt-Action
Feed System: 5 round side loaded magazine