Need help from a Krag owner

[Pistolero]

I have a nice old Krag, but it has had the barrel cut off to carbine length and put into a genuine carbine
stock, and but has had no new front sight added. I have put on a temp front sight and it shoots very
accurately. I want to make a proper duplicate of the Krag sight, the steel block soldered on, slotted
and a sheet steel blade pinned in. If I do it well, it will be a fairly decent faux carbine. Barrel contours
will never fool anyone who knows what they are looking at, but a reasonable approximation would
be a good thing, I think.

I have some photos grabbed online of the sight base, but I have no dimensions. If someone could
measure the sight base and give me the height from the bbl, thickess right and left and length
front to back, that would be helpful. I'd like to know the blade thickness, too, although with my
decreasing vision, I might cheat and make a somewhat thicker front blade if needed.

Thanks.

Bill

 

[Bret4207]

Bill, FWIW I have seen original front sights off Krags on Ebay in the past. They appeared to have been unsoldered from a barrel. Just a thought...

 

[Pistolero]

Hey, that's a great idea. Never thought of that.
Will check.

Thanks.

None currently listed. A friend once observed that "eBay is a river. Stuff just floats by, all you
have to do is watch long enough and pretty much anything will be there."

Bill

 

[RicinYakima]

I don't know about the fixed sight base, but the blades were 0.060" and hardened. On my faux carbine, I put a 0.100" and that works better for me.

 

[Pistolero]

That is kinda where my thinking was going, Ric.... I used to see those fine sights really well,
but that all went to hell about 5 or 6 years back. Wider is better nowdays.

I get hardened, sights get banged on stuff, inevitably. I use 4130 for making front sights
and harden it. Heat red hot and drop in motor oil. Hardens nicely and give a really nice
black finish.

Bill

 

[Rootmanslim]

Plenty for sale on Ebay.

 

[fiver]

are the rear sights the same?
I can't remember it's been so long since I seen one in real life.
matter of fact the last one I seen SGT.Schultz was carrying it around Germany.

 

[Rootmanslim]

There were several variations. Best was the 1901 style.

 

[smokeywolf]

Bill, the blade is .052 thick x .455 long. Base is .255 wide x same length as blade. Base at barrel is .820 long.

 

[smokeywolf]

Bill, height of base off top of barrel is .350. Height of blade off top of base is .250. Blade appears to be sunk into base approx. .25 deep.

 

[Pistolero]

Thanks, smokeywolf.
That should let me make up a close facsilmile.

Bill

 

[Bret4207]

We used to have replacement blades made by Refield IIRC for Krags in the gunshop. The packaging was ancient in the 70's, probably from the 50's or earlier.

 

[fiver]

they probably got them in a big box from Bannerman's and repackaged them for the first couple K.