Wednesday, December 17, 2008

I must be getting old.

I was looking at my pre-war 5" .38 M&P, a revolver that was a decade and a half old when my parents were born, and thinking "Y'know, with this and a Krag carbine, I could comfortably walk the earf."

I mean, sure, I loves me some 1911s and AR-15s, but a fixed-sight K-frame .38 and a fast-handling bolt action carbine will do just about anything I could see doing with a gun.

I gotta get my press set up and start pulling the lever on some .38 Special loads. And I need more .30-40 Krag brass...

23 comments:

New Jovian Thunderbolt said...

Well, YEAH, but... but...

I got nothing. Hard to fault a minimalist reliable set up. But this is a gun selection topic so I just thought I had to argue.

Anonymous said...

You can shoot the upland game birds with your .38 special; me, I'm still using my 12 gauge.

Quigley said...

My brother-in-law took a moose (yes, bigger than an elk) with a lever action Winchester Model 95 in 30-40 Krag a few years ago. Iron sights and all. Definitely a force to be reckoned with.

There is a lot to be said about reliability.

WV: nodoc (the doctor is not in today)

Robert Langham said...

Shot a doe with my sporterized Krag. I looked the CMP Krags over closely but they were very rough. Nice gun.
Couple of Krag Videos up at the Blackfork6 Channel. Probably going to carry the Krag while doe-tagging this year.
http://www.youtube.com/user/Blackfork6

I'll have to look at my reloading book for Krag loads. Never thought about reloading for it.

Anonymous said...

I had one of those NRA Krags years ago, unfortunately stolen from me.
It had the optional King's Patent rear peep sight and the Springfield 03 Front sight they all got when they were cut down to 22 inches.
When I had it, I noticed something that kind of blew me away.
Springfield saved some money on the '03 rifle by using the same profile on the 23.75 inch rifle barrel as the Krag carbine, with an extra two inch cylindrical section at the back over the chamber. Along with the Krag style striker knob, it gave a certain cool looking continuity, don't you think?
My mother's father and his brother came here a hundred years ago, straight out of the British army. When they found out all the good jobs went to American citizens, they asked what the fastest way was to get citizenship, and were told to join the army.
They served together in the Phillipines for two years, and evidently had some "Interesting times".
After that, they were split up, and Grandpa Russell was sent to Cuba to train the National Constabulary. It was mostly cavalry work, chasing bandits and holdout revolutionaries over the hilltops.
I still have his discharge. Instead of Marksman, Sharpshooter, and Expert, soldiers then were qualified as fair, good, and excellent. He scored good on rifle marksmanship, and excellent on pistol, saber, and horsemanship.
He reenlisted for World War One, and died of his wounds in 1919. I can't pick up a Krag without thinking of him.

Anonymous said...

I was googling for Krags yesterday. Stalker!
No luck, by the way.

Anonymous said...

Mark@Sea, I have a spare Krag reciever available, but finding a bolt is going to be a bear, and will probably run you $100-$120.
You might get lucky at a gun show, but even on a Sunday afternoon, a sound bolt would still be in the $45-$60 range.

Anonymous said...

Well, with a .38 and a Krag I wouldn't try charging San Juan Hill, if that was in your plans. Unless you had some Gatling backup.

Anonymous said...

Only things I might do different is go with an old big bore Triple Lock in .44 or .45 and add a Remington #4 .22. Good to go!

Word- Vignite. THe nite the interest comes due to Big Vinny.

NotClauswitz said...

I've got brass, how much you want? My grandpa's 1900 Krag is full length - almost as long as a Moisin-Nagant when you put the pigsticker on the end. You need a McKeever pouch to carry the quick rounds, the 100-round belt gets heavy.
I think I'd rather carry my 1909 Colt .45 revolver rather than a .38 but I wouldn't expect to run into any Moros either.

Anonymous said...

I understand the sentiment, even if I can't put it well into words. There's simply something different about wood and steel, rather than aluminum and polymer.

(There's also the factor that our great-grandchildren will most likely never handle an M4, carefully restored, and think, 'I wonder what this rifle has seen? Did a young Marine carry it in Fallujah? A National Guard MP on convoy defense? Or was it some carbine carried and never used by a rural SWAT team?' The tangible history of our deeds, written in steel and fire, has been stolen from our descendants.)

From a purely pragmatic position, though, I'll stick with the 1911 and the AR. Ammo and parts are easier to find/scavenge/acquire, if you're walking the earf. Pragmatism rules that, though, and not love.

Now, if you'll pardon me, I'm off to find wood furniture for my 1911 clone and Mossberg 500.

Robert Langham said...

Gunbroker and Auction Arms, GunsAmerica full of Krags, plus the CMP has beat-up and partial rifles. Easy to find and get a cheap sporterized or original rifles.

staghounds said...

Good choices, and a great sentiment.

Of course I would agree- my boots were made before I was born, and my forks predate the United States.

Anonymous said...

Saw the CMP krags - they're beat to hell and gone. Couple nice ones on Gunbroker I'm eyeballing...
OTOH, the Krags will still be there in 6 months, which I can't say for sure about the Garands and carbines at CMP.

staghounds said...

Any you can load that Krag right down to .32 S&W levels, if you need a bird load.

Or even shoot actual .32s in it, if you obtain one of the old adapters.

Anonymous said...

Wait! I thought rear-lockers were super-dangerous, and discharging one causes instantaneous disembowelment, blindness and kennel cough? Experts have been telling me for years that they all have a 100 percent chance of exploding on the first shot, with all cartridges--even blanks! It is also a well-known fact that a rear-locker's bolt can snap forward of the lug, but magically rotate 90 degrees, then shoot out rearward and decapitate the shooter. When I take my Searschester to the range, I consider it an honor and a privilege to hammer on the (incorrectly placed) bolt handle because a nodule of semi-burned stick powder is lodged behind one of the lugs.

Anonymous said...

I agree, but make mine an SMLE.

Anonymous said...

Uh oh. You MUST be getting old. Chairman Jeff used to laud the Krag in his twilight years...

Oops, said "old" rather than "developing the ability to recognize something that made sense". ;^)

Anonymous said...

Can't find fault with a fine old boltie. On the other hand, a nice Colt 1878 wheelie and a yellowboy both in 45 colt give you a single cartridge while you're a roamin the earf.

Unknown said...

Hmmm...S&W 65 in .357 and Rem 700 in .308 is almost the same, no? Anyhoo, it works for me.

Anonymous said...

Nah, you ain't old. In fact, you're still much too young. I'm content with flintlock and sabre. Long after you fools have run out of primers'n'brass for them fancy "self contained cartridges", I'll still be riddin' the world of zombies. Y'all? Sorry to say, you'll probably be among 'em. I'll try to save you fer last.

Anonymous said...

There's just something about those old bolt guns, made when there was a sense of artistry about even mass-produced firearms. Old walnut, blued steel, case-hardened... Truly beautiful.

AND enough "oomph" to get the job done whether the job is taking game for the table or defending the country. Would I choose a Krag and an old .38 to walk the earf? No. Would I feel unarmed? NO!

Anyway, you're not old: you're wise enough to appreciate some of the finer things in life.

James R. Rummel said...

Most of my students are interested in home and personal defense, so they generally give a pass on learning how to use a rifle. (More fool they.) But I do have a basic course for those who want to take the plunge.

Te rifle I use is a Krag carbine I picked up about 20 years ago in a country gun store. Never had a student yet who didn't offer to buy it from me. I keep about 300 rounds of handloads around. For some reason, i start to feel antsy if it dips below that number.

James