Most of the
time I have a real knack for finding desirable/oddball rifles at bargain
prices (sometimes with flaws, granted.) and this was no exception. I had
never seen one of these in anything other than butchered condition. I was
working part-time at a gun store in Plain City, Ohio talking to a customer
on the merits of the 6.5x55 round. He mentioned he had a friend who owned
a Krag that shot those. I mentioned that they were on my list wish of
rifles to buy.
A few days after that rather
pedestrian conversation his buddy shows up at the store wanting to eagerly
sell this rifle to me. I was game, but I should have been suspicious.
He pointed out some odds & ends
(The barrel bands were correct and matching but had no screws or retaining
springs) and that the stacking swivel under the front band was missing. I
offered a ridiculously low price ($190) expecting him to leave. I figured
he wanted a lot more that I could afford.
To my surprise he accepted and I
paid him right there.
When I took it to the range to
shoot it I found out why he was so eager to rid himself of it. The chamber
had a partial brass case still lodged in it. The chamber walls were
heavily scored from attempts to pry out the case with a screw driver.
I sent it to my gunsmith. He
attempted to smooth out the chamber walls, fashioned new band retainer
spring (see pics on right) and screws for the bands.
Unfortunately, the chamber smoothing
didn't do the trick. Full power loads still leave the case grasping the
chamber walls. 6gr Swedish gallery rounds work fine though.
I'm going to have a gunsmith set
back the rifle barrel a thread and then rechamber it. that should return
it to shooting status.
One fellow collector was kind enough
to send me the front stacking swivel (See right).
