Krag Sporter

[Throwback]

Does this look like a Stoeger stock? It has been twice refinished, most recently by me. The checkerer was not great (though I have seen much worse). I was able to fix it up quite a bit.

[6.5 mike]

Sure looks like a stoeger, except for the barrel band. Had one looked just like that, but had fixed sling rings. Let it get away like a fool.

[JeffinNZ]

Lovely.

Is the barrel band necessary?

[Bret4207]

Nice hunka wood. No idea on the maker, but it rings of the mid-30's to my eye. Maybe even the 40's.

[Throwback]

It came with the band as you see it and yes it is necessary. I have seen some with a much more elegant Ross style band but the magazine makes the extra attachment crutial.

Rough treatment has resulted in a cracked stock as it is, and I am sure I will need to repair it somehow in the not too distant future.

I have to agree, the wood is really super. Sadly, while the original craftsmanship was quite good, whoever attacked it next was a butcher. It is fortunate that most of the damage was fixable.

[6.5 mike]

Throwback, just checked my reprint of the 1939 New York worlds fair Stoeger book. It shows a stock that looks just like yours except it has a small cheekpiece & detachable sling rings.
Drop at the comb is 1& 3/4, drop at heel is 2& 1/2 in. Length of pull is 13& 3/4. Steel butplate. They also show one with out the sling rings.
Cost, stock $12.50, checkeriing, pistol grip & forearm $6.00. Doesn't that just make you want to cry. O ya it's $2.50 more for selected french walnut.
My Mom gave me this about 1973 as a gag gift at xmas that year. Best referance book I have for this time period. It's out lasted 4 wives & I've still got the 4th.
Hope this helps a little, very nice KRAG.

[Michael Petrov]

I can easily recognize a 1903 Stoeger stock but not a Krag one. The Stoeger buttplates were smooth steel. Mark Benenson the Krag sporter expert hangs out at doublegunshop.com so if you are looking for more info you post the pictures there.

[Throwback]

Done - Thanks again Michael!

[PatMarlin]

THat is a sweet looking Krag. I want one.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

I copied and pasted this from the parallelexbill forums and it was written by a fellow on their cleaning forum nicknamed cabinetman. Here's his information:

All About CA: Cyanoacrylate Adhesives…AKA…instant glue”

This adhesive couldn’t be more aptly named. It cures instantly, is very hard, and extremely strong… stronger than the materials that it bonds together. By far, it is one of the best adhesives to be invented in my very humble opinion. It works differently than other adhesives and cures rather than dries. The curing is effected by the adhesive absorbing moisture from the air and from the material it’s being applied to. Too much moisture is bad, however, so don’t wet your pieces. Today, CA is used widely in industry and the medical field. Yes, in some cases doctors actually glue open wounds together instead of using stitches or staples. CA also works right through oils making it a great adhesive for contaminated gun furniture.

CA comes is three viscosities or thicknesses. The best way to describe them would be water thin, syrup, molasses. The later two are usually labeled “gap filling”. The last two are the most popular with Home Center stores and is found in tiny vials, usually designed for one or two applications. This is not an efficient way to purchase CA, however. You are much better off purchasing at least the 2oz bottles which can be found at virtually any hobby store across America. There are a number of brands available but two brands you’ll see are “Hot Stuff” and “Zap A Gap”. It doesn’t make any difference which brand you use, however, as they all pretty much work identically. The larger bottles will usually also offer replacement tips so you can always have a nice, clean tip to apply the adhesive right where you need it. In addition, there are always bottles of “kicker” found with these adhesives. While the water thin material rarely need help, the thicker viscosities allow the pieces you’re gluing to be adjusted before the glue cures. Once you’re ready, you can sprits a little kicker on it and it’ll cure instantly. The kicker does not affect the material it’s being sprayed onto, by the way. Once cured, just wipe it away. Shelf life is plenty long as long as the tip is closed but moisture will cure it in the bottle within weeks if left open.

CA has two interesting attributes to be aware of. As mentioned above, it will work on oily pieces. So, if you’ve got some contamination from cosmo on that wood, just wipe away the excess but DON’T clean the piece before you glue it up. That’s because the split area usually fits perfectly together and getting cleaning materials on the two surfaces to be cleaned may affect the way they fit back together. So, do your gluing FIRST, then clean.

The second attribute it has is that sometime it “gasses off”. You’ll actually see a white vapor and maybe even hear a “hiss” as it instantly cures. Don’t breath that gas as it is pretty irritating. So little is let loose, however, that you don’t have to wear a respirator, however.

In the interest if brevity, here are the basics of when to use which viscosity of CA on your projects. We’re going to be repairing cracks in our stocks and handguards with this material. Let’s take them one at a time.

Buttstock Cracks and Splits

In the buttstocks, there are two kinds of cracks: damage splits and stress cracks. Here’s how to address them both.

Damage Splits

Damage splits are caused by dropping the rifle, or some other traumatic event. In this case, the stock literally splits along a fine line of grain. When you rejoin the two pieces, the spit line disappears and the stock looks whole again. In this case, you can use the middle viscosity of CA. Simply apply it to one of the two pieces, especially on the interior of the surface. Try to keep it away from the outer ¼” of the surface of the stock to prevent oozing out when you join the pieces. Immediately after you put your CA on one half, mate them immediately and hold them together with rubber bands overnight. This adhesive will cure before then but since there is little air penetration, the curing process will slow. There is no need for dowels, pins, screws, or any other type of mechanical devises. The adhesive is stronger than all of them together.

Stress Cracks

The second kind of crack is a stress crack. These are the worst as they are caused by the wood finally deciding to move away from itself. When you try to put them back together, you find that you can’t. These are usually caused by some environmental issue that’s going on within the stock. Maybe a lot of moisture got into the wood, swelling it and splitting it. Maybe too much cosmo was removed too quickly, altering the cell structure. What ever the cause, you’ll end up with a split that is noticeable, even after you glue it up.

In this case, you’ll want to build a jig that will allow you to place the buttstock into a vise or big clamp so you can help push the pieces back together without damaging the stock. Once you’ve built that jig, separate the pieces slightly, apply the medium or thick grade CA as far into the center as you can, and then immediately place the stock into the clamp or vise and close the gap as far as you dare. You will NOT be able to make it perfect. When it’s dry (overnight), you’ll have to determine what course to follow to fill the gap as best you can.

Handguard Cracks

Finally, the third fix that CA will help you with will be broken handguards. These items are usually notoriously thin in spots and will split from time to time. They can, however, usually be place together perfectly and the crack disappears. In this case, take the handguard and place it upside down on your table, and join the two pieces together tightly. The split should disappear. Here you’ll be using water-thin CA. While the pieces are joined, simply wick a stream of CA right on top of the split. You may want someone to help you hold the piece while you glue. As soon as the glue goes on, you’ll see it wick right into the extremely thin crack. To move things along, you can sprits it with the kicker and cure it instantly. Once you’ve got that initial cure, apply a second stream along the underside. Usually, this is enough to glue the pieces together and you don’t need to apply CA to the outside, thus saving you from having to refinish. Be careful, however. The water thin CA is extremely weepy and will weep everywhere. If you do get it on the outside, don’t wipe. Just let it cure and then remove it with a razor blade using it as a scraper. There is a CA remover on the market and that would work to get the stuff off the surface without sanding or scraping.

With some experience using this modern adhesive, you’ll know what, when, and where with your projects. Caution is important. This stuff will glue to you to yourself or to a buttstock or handguard instantly! This is no laughing matter as I can attest to. I’ve glued my fingers together more than a few times and it requires soaking in a solvent to get them apart without tearing your skin. The moisture in your finger tips is all that’s needed for CA to cure instantly. One final word of caution regarding this wonderful adhesive. I know of a guy who squeezed a bottle who’s tip was slightly clogged. When he squeezed, the pressure finally released the adhesive in a strong stream and right into his eye! It was painful but it is not the end of the world. Due to the amount of moisture in the eyeball, the glue basically formed a “cap” like a hard cataract. He did go to the doctor but this “cap” was easily removed but his eye was sore for a few days. Please wear safety glasses when using the thin adhesive to avoid this happening to you.

I’ll close this part of this essay by repeating the idea that experimentation and experience will go a long way in learning to use CA. Please try using this adhesive on scrap before attempting the final repair on your expensive rifle. Once you do learn to use it, however, you’ll have added an important tool in your restoration and repair arsenal.