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Title:RIFLE, MILITARY -  U.S. RIFLE MODEL 1892 KRAG-JORGENSEN .30-40 SN# 4278
Maker/Manufacturer:KRAG-JORGENSEN
Date of Manufacture:10/01/1894
Eminent Figure:
Catalog Number:SPAR 935
Measurements:OL:125CM 49 1/4" BL: 76.2CM 30"

Object Description:

U.S. RIFLE MODEL 1892 KRAG-JORGENSEN .30-40 SN# 4278
Manufactured at Springfield Armory, Springfield, Ma. in 1894 - Standard Model 1892 Krag-Jorgensen bolt-action rifle. First U.S. smokeless powder weapon. Two bands with double-strapped upper band. Iron blade inset into iron block front, folding ladder rear sight. Muzzle velocity 2000 fps. Effective range of 500 yards, and maximum range of 3000 yards. Weighs approximately 9.3 lbs. Adopted for service on 15 September 1892. Type II differs from Type I in design of upper band. Type II has a double strap. The serial range is 1500-24562, and the dates 1894 or 1895 are stamped on the receiver and the stock.

Markings:
Receiver: 1894 SPRINGFIELD ARMORY 4278.
Magazine housing: 4278.

Springfield Republican - 10/1/1895 - "OPPOSITION TO THE NEW RIFLE. THE TEST AT FT. SHERIDAN. Were Also Unfavorable. A Review of What the Opponents of the Krag-Jorgensen Rifle Say. The Chicago Times-Herald begins an article condemning 'UNITED STATES MAGAZINE RIFLE, CAL. .30 MODEL 1892,' which is being turned out at the national armory in this city as follows: 'The Krag-Jorgensen rifle, that cost the war department over $300,000 for its adoption, is daily proving itself to be an expensive experiment, and the chances for its condemnation as a military weapon are steadily on the increase as its qualities are called into military use.'
After sharply, and no doubt unfairly, condemning the way in which this rifle came to be adopted, the Times-Herald continues: - 'Early in the spring, when the new weapon was issued to the infantry regiments, it was discovered that even in the hands of the most expert and accurate sharpshooters its inaccuracy of fire was such that it could not be depended upon under the most favorable conditions, even when secured in the grasp of a vise. This fact was reported to the war department by the officers, but the officials at Washington attributed the result of poor scores to the men handling the gun and not to the itself, because the men were not familiar with the rifle. This opinion was changed somewhat when the returns of target practice began to come into army headquarters, and there were officers frank enough to admit that the failure of well-known sharpshooters to make qualifying scores was due to some other cause.
A searching investigation was then ordered, which resulted in a company of the engineer battalion at Willits Point, N.Y., being ordered to West Point, N.Y., where it was required to make a most thorough test of the new rifle, using the most modern and improved devices in obtaining its results.
This test was conducted for a period covering 30 days, under the supervision of rifle experts. The result was the confirmation of the assertion that the new gun was inaccurate in fire and could not be depended upon for accuracy under any circumstances at a distance greater than 300 yards, and not then if the elements were in any way contrary. It was further demonstrated that the drift of the bullet was to the left, whereas in the Springfield the drift was to the right. At a distance of 1000 yards the drift of the bullet was found to be over 30 feet, sufficient to take it so far from the object fired at that the riflemen were unable to locate the results of their shots, a most disastrous defect to a soldier fighting an enemy in ambush. This most serious defect was demonstrated beyond dispute, and the war department set its most expert rifle-makers at the Springfield arsenal at work to devise some means of counteracting these defects by the perfecting of some device by which the soldier might be able to better control his shots.
Of the 30 regiments of infantry participating in the target practice, which ended June 30, 1895, about 18 were armed with the new rifle. The total number of infantry officers and enlisted men that qualified as sharpshooters during that period was 28, whereas the number qualifying in the cavalry regiments during the same period with the Springfield carbine, was 84. Covering the same period for the year 1893 the number of sharpshooters iAs the first test was being conducted at West Point by the engineers, it was found that the new rifle was an exceedingly hot weapon, and that if used to any great extent the solider had to submerge his rifle in water in order to handle it. In other words the new gun when in use became useless and the men were forced to ground their weapons in order to let them cool after they had first fired a few shots from them.
From official reports it appears that the troops have made the trials of the new rifle have found the weapon so hot after 20 shots have been fired in rapid succession that they could not rest their hands upon the exposed parts or execute any of the movements in the manual of arms. The same defects were found to exist in the magazine rifles that were placed on trial in the army in 1885, for which they were condemned as impracticable for military use.
In using the Krag-Jorgensen rifle for skirmishing at the army posts reports were made to that effect that the men could not fire with any degree of rapidity, and that the magazine mechanism was so constructed as to retard them in loading, as single-fire weapon, when deployed as skirmishers lying down. Here also was on of the same defects that marked all previous magazine guns that had been submitted to the army for trial. Again the officials of the war department were called upon to explain why the army had been encumbered with a weapon that was so defective. As on previous occasions, they promptly blamed the soldiers, announcing that 'the soldiers had not become familiar with the actual qualities of the rifle, and were consequently unable to make it do the work that it was capable of performing.'
This shifted the blame from where it justly belonged to the shoulders of those who were the only capable judges. So many of the defects that were constantly coming to light that Gen John McComb, a marksman of distinction and a retired officers of the national guard of California, together with other distinguished marksmen of the Pacific coast, subjected the rifle to a fair test at the Shell Mound target range at Oakland, Cal. They found that the soldiers were right; that they could do more accurate shooting with the oldest pattern of the Springfield rifle than they could with the Krag-Jorgensen rifle, and that they could fire a greater number of shots from the Springfield in a given time that they could from the Krag-Jorgensen, even by having the advantage of the five shots in the magazine.
With this confirmation from the West, that the reports sent in by the troops were correct, the war department framed a second series of orders that directed the commanding officer at Fort Sheridan to cause a thorough test to be made of the rapidity with which the new rifle could be used as a skirmishing arm, keeping a correct record of the time required to fire 10 shots and the value of the shots as fired at the targets. These tests were commenced on Monday last and were concluded Saturday under order from Col Crofton on the rifle range at Fort Sheridan. Ten of the most expert riflemen from each of the eight companies were selected to test the rifle. They made all possible dispatch in the firings, but urged on to their very best, they could not break the record that they had obtained, which was from 38 to 96 seconds for each 10 shots fired, whether the magazine was used or not. Less than 70 per cent of the shots fired found the target, while the others went wild, to the left, showing that the new gun was a poor weapon to depend upon in an engagement, as the waste of ammunition was greater than the execution done.
When the magazine was used, loaded with five cartridges before the command to fire was given, it was found that a man using the Springfield rifle could 16 shots where onlyThis and all other trials that the new arm has had have shown that the old rifle was superior in all respects to the one adopted in its stead, and the war department officials who are responsible for the change are now endeavoring to find some way out of the dilemma that there haste has placed them in. From the number of recommendations that have been made to the war department - that are being seriously considered, it is safe to predict that the days of the 'U.S. magazine rifle' are numbered, unless its inventors can overcome the defects that use has disclosed.'"

Springfield Republican, October 2, 1895 - "IN DEFENSE OF THE NEW RIFLE. COL. MORDECAI'S STATEMENT. He Brands the Attacks on the Krag-Jorgensen as Due to Ignorance or Prejudice - Answers some of the Published Criticism. Col. Mordecai is a firm believer in the Krag-Jorgensen rifle, despite the severity and frequency of the published criticisms of that arm. When spoken to yesterday afternoon about the attack recently made upon the rifle by a Chicago paper, the colonel said that that criticism, like most of those which had preceded it, indicated both ignorance of the subject and unfair prejudice. One of the statements made in this article was to the effect that the 'drift' of the ball for the new arm was so great that it made impossible anything like accuracy. Col. Mordecai remarked that it was a difficult matter to explain the laws which govern the flight of a rifle ball to persons who are unfamiliar with the subject. All rifle balls have more or less 'drift,' as it is called, this drift being the tendency to depart more or less from the direct line of sight.
In the old Springfield rifle this drift is to the right, but the Krag-Jorgensen bullet drifts to the left. Col Mordecai says that the sights of the new rifle are set exactly to correct this drift at a range of 500 yards, the rifle at that range being absolutely accurate. For all distance under 500 yards the necessary correction must be made by the person using the rifle. The men who have handled the old Springfield have learned by experience just how to arrange their sights in order to get accuracy at all reasonable ranges. The new rifle is a very different arm from the old Springfield, and Col Mordecai says that the failure of the soldiers who have used the gun to get entire accuracy, had been due wholly to their lack of familiarity with the new arm. This is the case, at least, with the rifles which were known to be sighted accurately. Some of the difficulty it is now known, has come from the faulty sighting of these rifles. These faults were due in part to errors in mechanical construction, and to the fact in the haste with which the arms were made, not enough allowance was made for the effects which climatic changes would have upon the sights. For instance, a front sight which gave entirely accurate results in cold weather would expand sufficiently in hot weather to make the rifle inaccurate.
The changes which will correct all of these defects and make the arms entirely satisfactory, Col. Mordecai says, are now being made at the armory. He also says the complaint that the weapon become so hot after it had been fired a few times that it is impossible to handle the barrel or metal work about the lock suggests a critic who is either ignorant or untruthful. It is true that the new rifle becomes hot when it is discharged rapidly, but it is unfair to intimate that the arm is peculiar in this respect. All rifles and all firearms, for that matter, become uncomfortably warm under such conditions. The Springfield rifle can be made so hot by rapid firing that the band cannot be placed on the barrel. The Krag-Jorgensen gun becomes hot a trifle sooner than do ordinary rifles because the metal bullet of course generates heat more quickly that does the old style lead bullet; but Col. Mordecai says that the difference is not sufficient to constitute a legitimate objection to the new rifle.
Col. Mordeom the new weapon by a man who has not entirely mastered the theory of it, but were both men equally experienced and dexterous, the one with the new arm would beat the other hands down.
Col Mordecai does not hesitate to say that many of the criticisms of the Krag-Jorgensen rifle are inspired by inventors of weapons which were rejected by the small arms board who selected the arm which is now being made. And he says that the feeling of resentment is reinforced by the prejudice against the Krag-Jorgensen rifle because it is the production of foreigners, many people still maintaining that a weapon of American make should have been selected, even though it were a little inferior to the foreign made arm."

Notes: "From the short time it has been in use I judge it to be, in its mechanical features, a serviceable and durable gun, and likely to stand the rough usage of field work with reasonable care. During the target shooting I observed that some of the cam surfaces were tempered too soft to stand wear and some of the cut-offs were broken, being too brittle. When I remember how crude the Springfield rifle was when first issued to the army, the new gun seems perfect in comparison, and there is nothing that cannot be easily corrected, and doubtless will be as soon as the various points are covered by the ordnance authorities.
Some slight defects were observed in the ammunition; a few cases cracked along the side and in a few the gas perforated the primers. Some failed to explode by reason of the primer being not too deep in the head, and some from unknown causes." - Captain Charles A. Worden, 7th Infantry, December 3, 1895

"The most reliable shots of the company did not do as well as with the Springfield rifle, caliber .45. The magazine rifle, calibre .30, shoots quite uniformly, though high, up to 300 yards; and from 300 yards to 600 yards shoots high and to the left, so much so that men were frequently compelled to aim at some point on the ground to the right of the target in order to plant shots within the 4th ring. At the close of the target season the individual members of my company have not the same feeling of confidence in the magazine rifle that they had in the Springfield, cal..45. Expert shots could also fire more rapidly for a given number of rounds (in excess of six) with the Springfield calibre .45, than they can with the magazine rifle.
In reference to defects, there were about 30 cartridges which did not explode, and a number of primers perforated in firing, which allowed some and powder to escape through the breech and sometimes affected the eyes of the who was shooting. There was one bolt broken at gallery practice caused by the explosion of a gallery shell; two ejector springs and two hinge pins plugs were broken during target practice. Two stacking swivels were lost during field exercises by the working loose of the swivel screw. If care is not taken the bolt is liable to be raised slightly when the finger is placed upon the trigger, thereby preventing the discharge of the piece. Complaints have been made that the head of the ramro
"Target practice at this post was limited by a small supply of ammunition for the new rifle. No accidents or breaks of any kind came under by observation. The new rifle is not as accurate for shooting as the Springfield. It shoots too high and to the left and not where it is aimed. It is not as well sighted as the Springfield and I regard the latter as far superior as a military weapon. It is simpler in its construction than the new. It is easily loaded and requires extra care to cock it or prepare for firing instead of being full cocked soon as loaded. The new rifle with a long polished bolt requires even now great care to keep in working order, and sometimes clogs and works hard. The magazine is not only of questionable benefit, but in my opinion a positive objection, and I do not regard it as at all necessary, and it will undoubtedly prove a dust, rust and dirt holder. The metal of the bolt and of the breech also is very soft." - Captain E.C. Gilbreath, 11th Infantry, December 3, 1895

"Cold, snow, frost and rain do not seem to affect the new rifle any more than they affected the Springfield, Company F, 11th Infantry, returned November 7th, from a practice march of over 200 miles to Blaine's Lake, N.M. During the march and while at an altitude of over 9,000 feet, it was exposed to a very severe snow storm of nearly twenty-four hours duration. The cold was severe. For the purpose of experiment some rifles were exposed to the cold and storm for hours and others examined which had been reported unserviceable after having been exposed. While the snow and water which had collected around the chamber, bolt and magazine had been frozen hard and prevented the bolt being readily withdrawn, the difficulty could always be overcome by turning the bolt for a few moments. No irregularities or defects have been noticed in the operation of the mechanism of the new rifle and no casualties have occurred during the season of target practice or during the practice march. The hook attachment to bayonet scabbard is inferior, in design and material. It is readily broken off. The thimbles on cartridge belt, after use in the field, stretch to such an extent as to left the cartridges fall through. The method of fastening the belt around the waist is faulty; the belt, where fastened, soon becomes worn, slips from the fastening and falls off. In my opinion no device answers this purpose better than a buckle." - Lieutenant Charles Miller, 11th Infantry, December 3, 1895

"I have noticed the following defects in the new rifle, viz: 1st. - The head of the ramrod is so nearly the size of the bore of the rifle that it is almost impossible to clean the rifle properly with it, and a swab had to be made of a rag and string, like the one used for the old carbine, to clean the dirt out, when a thin cloth could be used on the ramrod to dry the piece with. 2d. I have noticed that the locking shoulder and the extracting shoulder of the receiver, and the cocking nose and the cocking cam of the cocking piece are wearing very rapidly, and unless they are kept thoroughly oiled, at times you cannot draw the bolt, unless you cock the piece first. When they are kept well oiled the dust and dirt gathers on the parts that are exposed and makes it hard to work the bolt. 3d. The magazine spring which serves to retain the gate when open or shut is becoming so weak in many of the pieces, that it will hardly keep the gate closed and in a short time will have to be replaced. 4th. The hook of the extractor was broken off on one piece, and had to be replaced from the armory, and one of the magazine cut-offs was pulled out of its place while drilling in the manual a short time ago. I was drilling the company and my attention was called to it immediately, but I could not find out how it happened, unless it caught against the clothing of the man. This should not occur or it may render the gun useless except for single fire. As the bayonets are merchantable articles I thin oil to keep his rifle well oiled." - Lieutenant C.R. Tyler, 16th Infantry, December 3, 1895

"The Magazine Rifle: The small of the stock is weak and fracture is liable to occur at this point. It is proposed to strengthen the small of the stock by extending the trigger-guard plate downward so as to include the butt-swivel plate. This would add strength to the stock where it is now the weakest, and the increased weight of metal would be about three ounces or less.
The bayonet is clumsy. Half of its metal guard is superfluous. As an intrenching tool its distinguishing feature lies in its insufficiency. It is heavy, weighing, in its scabbard, 1 1/2 lbs., and when thus worn is usually in the way so as to annoy the wearer. Suppose it should be discarded and in its place should be adopted a rod-bayonet concealed in the underside of the stock until wanted, when by pushing it forward it could be fixed? It would thus be secure and not be liable to loss while moving over rough ground as is the case with the bayonet now used. The stock in front of the magazine might easily be made thick enough to include a blade which should project, when fixed, nine or ten inches beyond the muzzle and be big enough to kill anyone who should decide to remain in evidence long enough to feel its proddings. Rapid fire is to be opened when a position from which make the assault has been gained, and it must be that very many rounds will have been discharged before advancing so far, and that in consequence the barrel will have become unpleasantly hot. It is at this stage of the offensive that the bayonet is to be fixed. Now, if a soldier has blistered the palm and inner surfaces of the fingers of his hand whilst holding the hot barrel in endeavors to fit the cold and unexpanded hole in the bayonet-guard over the hot and expanded muzzle of his rifle (a task which is not too easy when the entire weapon is cold and the man's nerves are almost as cool) it may strike one who has had experience of battle, that the said soldier with a painfully blistered hand will be far from formidable. A rod-bayonet is so easily fixed that nothing of this kind would be likely to occur. An extension of the hand-guard, quite eight inches in the direction of the muzzle, would be an advantage to the soldier.
If the working parts of the rifle are not kept oiled, their action will not be free. Shaw (page 75, 'Minor Tactics) says 'as the British soldier is continually losing his jag and oil bottle, a hole in the butt is arranged to receiver these articles.' If the Lee-Metford (or any other) rifle stock can stand a hollow in the butt, our own gunstock ought to be strong enough for the same purpose. At present, our solder has neither authorized oil bottle nor designated place in which to keep it. A metal oil-bottle, made of an empty cartridge-shell, has been suggested as large enough to hold sufficient oil for the lubrication of the bolt-action and adjacent parts." - Captain J.G. Leefe, 19th Infantry, June 3, 1896

"Attention is respectfully invited to Captain Leefe's suggestion of a metal oil bottle. The magazine rifle is a small machine demanding more intelligent care from the soldier than the Springfield rifle. Certain working parts must be kept lightly oiled. The old idea that the soldier's piece must not show, at inspection, any signs of oil must give away to the necessity for keeping these parts lubricated." - Lt. John T. Thompson

"Complaint is made of lack of windgauge on rear sight of magazine rifle, and that the sling on same is not properly attached. It is also asserted that
"In Sinclair Lewis's novel Main Street there is a scene where Dr. Will Kennicott and his wife, Carol, are on a hunting expedition near their Minnesota home. Dr. Kennicott, who prides himself on being up-to-date, lectures his less than fascinated bride on the merits of his new rifle, which uses the latest thing in propellants - smokeless powder. The date is 1908, and at that time smokeless powder had indeed just begun to replace black powder in American firearms. In Europe, however, black powder had been obsolete for at least two decades.
Go back ten years. The most memorable images from the Spanish-American War are of American triumphs: Commodore Dewey in Manila, Commodore Schley in Santiago, Teddy Roosevelt leading the Rough Riders at the Battle of San Juan Hill. Yet all these famous victories took place against a poorly motivated foe with little backing from its government. The ease with which America's military rolled over Spain's token opposition obscures the major lesson its leaders learned from the 'splendid little war;" Their weaponry was hopelessly behind the times.
The assault on the village of El Caney, part of the only real land battle of the war, illustrates the point. General William R. Shafter led 6,653 men against a force of 520 Spaniards holed up in a stone church and a fort called El Viso. Given the imbalance in forces, Shafter expected to take the fort will little trouble. He did not reckon on his opponents' vast superiority in equipment.
The Americans, carrying a motley variety of antique arms that varied from regiment to regiment, were conspicuous targets for the enemy's fire. As Herbert Billman described the action in the Chicago Record, 'The Second Massachusetts suffered severely, apparently because the Springfield rifle with which the state troops are equipped uses black powder that invariably betrays its position and exposes the soldier to well-directed shots from the enemy.' Charles Johnson, whose classic THE LITTLE WAR OF PRIVATE POST recounts his experiences in Cuba, describes the puff of smoke that emerged from the barrel with each shot as 'somewhat the size of a cow.'
Black powder had several other disadvantages. Besides advertising a soldier's position, the smoke made it hard for him to see what he was shooting at, and infantry and artillery alike often had to pause after firing a few rounds to wait for the smoke to clear. Black powder left a residue that fouled guns and sometimes jammed them. On top of all that, black powder had significantly less powder than smokeless, resulting in droopy trajectories that seriously impaired accuracy. This meant that cartridges had to carry more powder and be built heavier to do sufficient damage at low velocities. Carrying a few dozen black-powder cartridges weighing several ounces apiece could really slow a solider down.
Eventually the United States took El Caney. The Spanish garrison ran out of ammunition and surrendered. A few weeks later the war was over, but the carnage had been dreadful, considering the halfhearted opposition. America's lightning victory had been achieved with Civil War-era weapons, and the nation's military leaders knew it. If America was going to be a world power - and with the new territories that came with the victory, it had no choice - it would have to update its ordnance." - Daniel Sweeney, INVENTION & TECHNOLOGY, 1995

Despite the fact the Spanish-American War had proven to everyone the superiority of the Mauser over the Krag, the spin-doctors at the Springfield Armory were hard at work attempting to illustrate the exact opposite. The "Springfield Republican" was always willing to echo whatever the party line of the Ordnance Department was at the time. Here is an example from the September 25, 1898 edition of the Republican: "With the close of the war there has naturally barmy would have had a decided advantage, on account of their guns.
A board of sixty army officers was appointed by the war department in 1890 to recommend a suitable magazine arm for use by our troops. There were submitted to this board, and tested by them, 53 different guns, some of which were the standard weapons of European powers. After many meetings and elaborate tests, the Krag-Jorgensen No. 5 was adopted. This has become the United States magazine rifle. Many improvements in detail have been made, but the gun is still constructed on the same general principles as previously, as no change affecting those principles can be made without sanction of law....
The testimony of the officers who have been through the Santiago campaign bears out this theory. They say that the men were very cool in their firing. They used the cut-off, converting the gun into a single-loader. They took plenty of time, and they advanced 100 yards they adjusted their sights, if the enemy fell back they adjusted them again. The result can be seen in the reports of the casualties. The proportion of dead to total losses is much greater in the Spanish army than in ours. This indicates that our soldiers took good aim as the result of the enforced deliberation, and that the Spaniards fired wildly. The ability of the men to stop in the heat of battle and adjust their sights is something unusual, and has excited much comment from foreign officers.
The Mauser of today has been little improved from that of 1892. The Krag-Jorgensen, with its changes in detail, remains the same in principle, and has become the United States magazine rifle. Thus it is shown that the possession of a highly developed and superior weapon was an important factor in the speedy victory of our land forces. Not only the men behind the guns are entitled to the glory, but the men in the workshops, particularly those who have thought out the changes that have made the weapon a perfect mechanical device."

LOAN HISTORY OF THIS WEAPON:
Army #1484 - Loaned to Capt. L.R. Ryan, U.S. Marine Corps, from 12 March 1952 to 24 March 1952.
Army #1484 - Weapon loaned to Mr. Charles Ferrick, Forbes & Wallace, Inc., Springfield, Mass. Loan returned on 15 October 1956.

References:
Poyer, Joe. THE AMERICAN KRAG RIFLE AND CARBINE. North Cape Publications, Inc. Tustin, Ca. 2002.
Shockley, Col. Philip M. THE KRAG-JORGENSEN RIFLE IN THE SERVICE. World-Wide Gun Report, Inc. Aledo, Il. 1960.
Wolf, Richard Irving. ARMS AND INNOVATION: THE UNITED STATES ARMY AND THE REPEATING RIFLE 1865-1900. University Microfilms International. Ann Arbor, Mi. 1981.

See, "RAPIDITY WITH ACCURACY: MODERNIZING THE U.S. ARMY SERVICE RIFLE IN THE GILDED AGE, by Stephen C. Small, Ph.D. The Gun Report, April, 2002.

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