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Title:	CARBINE -  U.S. CARBINE MODEL 1899 KRAG-JORGENSEN "PHILIPPINE CONSTABULARLY" .30-40 SN# 231913
Maker/Manufacturer:	KRAG-JORGENSEN
Date of Manufacture:	11/01/1899
Eminent Figure:
Catalog Number:	SPAR 6281
Measurements:	OL:104.7CM 41 1/4" BL: 55.8CM 22" 8.03 lbs.

Object Description:

U.S. CARBINE MODEL 1899 KRAG-JORGENSEN "PHILIPPINE CONSTABULARLY" .30-40 SN# 231913
Manufactured by Springfield Armory, Springfield, Ma. - Standard Model 1899 carbine assembled with cut-down Model 1898 rifle stock so that carbine will take knife bayonet. The carbine front sight blade, band, and stock were removed. The outside of the barrel forward of the front sight stud was turned down to .62" diameter, and then rebrowned. A M1898 rifle stock was reduced in length by 8", the lightening groove in the forend was opened slightly, and a square section wooded filler block was inserted. The forend was then inletted for the barrel, turned for the rifle upper band, and drilled for a band screw. The rifle upper band was mandreled to fit the larger diameter of the carbine barrel. The modified rifle stock and bands along with the carbine sights and handguard were then assembled to the carbine barreled action. Tangent leaf M1898 carbine sight graduated to 2,000 yards. Muzzle velocity 1,750 fps. Weapon has an overall length of 44 1/4" and a barrel length of 22". Weapon weighs approximately 8.03 lbs. Official designation: "U.S. Magazine Carbine, caliber .30, model 1899, altered for knife bayonet and gun sling." Known to collectors as "Philippine Constabulary Rifle."

Markings:
Receiver: U.S./MODEL 1899 SPRINGFIELD ARMORY/231913.
Band: U.

1909 Catalog #3041 - "Carbine. U.S. Magazine Carbine. No. 231913. Cal..30. Adapted for knife bayonet, Mod. 1899 assembled with cut-down Mod. of 1898 rifle stock so that carbine will take knife bayonet. Retained as model, June 5, 1906."

Springfield Research Service:
231913 - 99K - 06/05/06 - KNIFE BAY MODEL ARM (SA MUSEUM) - Compliments of Frank Mallory, Silver Spring, Md.

Exhibit label: "MODEL 1899 PHILIPPINE CONSTABULARY KRAG CARBINE .30 caliber, 1906-1914, 8,000 made. Known as the "M1899 carbine altered for knife bayonet" this carbine was intended specifically for the police force of the Philippines, a territory of the United States captured during the Spanish-American War."

Web site photos showing detachment of Moro Constabulary in 1904, and Sulu Province Constabulary being reviewed by civilian and military leaders. Also, Bentec Igeret Constabulary troops shown in this National Geographic Magazine picture taken in 1913.

Notes: The original source for these arms was a request made by Girard College, Philadelphia, Pa. in 1900. A light, or short, rifle was requested for the cadets there. The first 350 "Philippine Constabulary Rifles" were shipped to Girard College in November, 1906.

"Under the leadership of the United States Army officers, the Constabulary performed numerous heroic and brave deeds against outlaws and insurgents. their accomplishments were many. But they were at the great disadvantage of being poorly armed. Then the Philippine Commission, and in particular General Henry T. Allen, Chief Of the Philippine Constabulary, requested early in 1906 that a uniform rifle be issued to the Constabulary. The long 30-inch barrelled Krag Rifle was too long and too heavy for the short-statured Filipino, and the Krag Carbine was not capable of mounting a bayonet. Therefore, General Allen requested that the War Department purchase 5,000 modified Krag Carbines, which would be assembled with cutdown rifle stocks and were capable of accommodating the Krag bayonet.
The Model 1903 Rifle had become the new United States service rifle, had therefore thousands of Krag carbines were surplus. The final result was the sale, at $6.00 each, of the type of arm that General Allen wanted. The new rifles started to arrive in mid-1906, and were immediately issued to the various Constabulary units.
These modified Krag Carbines were still in use as late as 1917. Some were purchased by American Constabularly officers, but they were required to sign a statement that they agreed to sell them back to the Constabularly, or sell them to another Constabularly officer, if they should leave the Constabularly....
The alteration by Springfield consisted of shortening rifle stock by the required amounWhen a rifle stock is cut off to be used as a short, full-length stock with a 22-inch carbine barrel, the reduction in length exposes a lightening cut in the wood which must be filled; also the forearm at this point is much larger than the upper band. Examples inspected of Springfield-produced Constabularly Krags show careful filling of the lightening cut, and expert shaping of the forearm to the upper band. To accommodate a rifle sling, the lower barrel band and butt stock swivel of the Krag rifle were used.
All Springfield-made Constabulary Krags were marked with the inspector's cartouche, J.F.C., on the left side of the stock below the magazine cutoff. It has been written that Benicia Arsenal, Benicia, California, modified carbines. I have found nothing to support this premise. The work was done at Springfield Armory or at Rock Island Arsenal, Rock Island, Illinois, but it is very possible that similar modifications were done for the Constabulary at the United States Manila Ordnance Depot, P.I.
It is interesting to note, however, that War Department Book No. 1879, titled "Price List of Small Arms and Hand Arms, Small Arms Ammunition, Personal Equipments of the Soldier, Horse Equipments, Officer Equipments, etc." dated Revised April 1914, lists the following:
'Parts for United States magazine carbine, model of 1899, adapted for knife bayonet and gun sling:
Stock - $2.45
Upper band - $0.57
All other parts for this arm correspond to the carbine parts listed above.'
These stocks would not have an inspector's cartouche because this cartouche is only placed on a complete arm after final inspection.
The Springfield Armory and Rock Island Arsenal annual and quarterly reports indicate that Model 1899 Carbines, Model 1898 Carbines, and Model 1898 Rifle stocks were modified for use with the knife bayonet.
Assuming that the modified stocks which were reported as being altered for use with the carbine and knife bayonet were in addition to those used on the modified carbines, it appears that a maximum of 8,685 Constabulary Krags could have been assembled. But, if in the reporting process modified stocks and modified carbines were duplicated, some few hundred less Constabularly Krags would have been produced.
Only a few of the modified carbines were reported as Model 1898 Carbines, but modified stocks, which were available through the Ordnance supply system, could have been used as easily on a Model 1898 Carbine as on a Model 1899 Carbine. Therefore, an accurate breakdown of the exact number of each type is not available.
...Although the Report of the Chief of Ordnance indicates that the Model 1899 Carbine was modified for use with the Model 1905 bayonet, all photographs of Constabularly troops that I have inspected show the Krag bayonet in use, instead of the Model 1905 bayonet. This seems logical, because the intent was to furnish a shorter and lighter arm to the Constabularly, and the short Krag bayonet is better proportioned to the length of the carbine than was the 16-inch blade of the Model 1905 bayonet." - William S. Brophy

CARBINES ALTERED TO TAKE KNIFE BAYONET AND SLING
YEAR SPRINGFIELD MANILA ROCK ISLAND
1906 350
1907
1908 61
1909 325
1910 1,752
1911 4 35
1912 43 36
1913 1,003 21
1914 506 521
1915 30
TOTALS: 4,074 5,100 613
Figures complied by Frank P. Mallory, Silver Spring, Md.

References:
Ball, Robert W.D. SPRINGFIELD ARMORY: SHOULDER WEAPONS 1795-1968. Antique Trader Book. Norfolk, Va. 1Brophy, William S. THE KRAG RIFLES. Beinfeld Publishing, Inc. North Hollywood, Ca. 1980.
Mallory, Franklin B. & Ludwig Olson. THE KRAG RIFLE STORY. Springfield Research Service. Silver Spring, Md. 1979.
Mallory, Franklin B. & Ludwig Olson. THE KRAG RIFLE STORY. 2nd Ed. Springfield Research Service. Silver Spring, Md. 2001.
Poyner, Joe. THE AMERICAN KRAG RIFLE AND CARBINE. North Cape Publications, Inc. Tustin, Ca. 2002.