Springfield 1898 Krag Gallery Rifle .22 LR Bolt Action Trainer 1905-06 C&R

Sold For: $3,426.99

LSB#: 200903JH10

Make: Springfield Armory

Model: .22 Caliber 1898 Krag Gallery Rifle

Serial Number: 477371

Year of Manufacture: 1905 -1906  (see page 230 of The American Krag Rifle and Carbine by Joe Poyer)

Caliber: .22 LR (.22 Long Rifle)

Action Type: Bolt Action, Single Shot. The original side mounted magazine is still in place.

Markings: The left side of the receiver is marked “U.S. / MODEL 1898. SPRINGFIELD ARMORY. 477371”. It is also marked “CAL. / .22” which is correct for a Krag Gallery Rifle (page 274 of The American Krag Rifle and Carbine by Joe Poyer). The bottom of the bolt handle is marked with a faded stamping. The barrel band is marked “U”. The bottom of the grip is marked “44” and with a “circled P” proof. The left side of the stock, above the trigger, is marked with an undated “boxed” inspector’s cartouche “JFC” (J.F. Coyle, page 63). The undated “JFC” cartouche was used on nonstandard rifles and carbines including the Model 1898 Gallery Rifle (page 59).

Barrel Length: Approximately 30 Inches

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a pinned blade set atop a raised base. The rear sight is a “V” notched blade attached to an escalator assembly. The left side of the rear sight base is marked “4B 3 2 1” for use with the escalator. When flipped up it becomes a sight ladder that uses a sliding “U” notched blade and aperture. The ladder is marked from “1-20”.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The stock has a straight grip, cutout for the bolt handle, finger grooves, barrel band, nosecap, stacking loop, 2 sling loops, and a metal buttplate with hinged door for storage. The buttplate shows scratches, discoloration, and light surface erosion. The refinished nosecap & barrel band shows scrapes, small scratches and discoloration. The wood shows several scrapes, scratches, and compression marks. Some have damaged small portions of the surface wood. Most of these marks have been oiled over. The left side of the butt shows several spots of discoloration. The LOP measures 13 ½ inches from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttstock. This stock rates in about Very Good Plus overall condition.

Type of Finish: Blue

Finish Originality: Refinished

Bore Condition: The rear of the bore is semi bright. The front 3rd of the bore is grey. The rifling is deep. There is erosion in the front 3rd of the bore.

Overall Condition: This rifle retains approximately 95% of its metal finish as refinished. Small scratches and oxidation show through the new finish. The metal shows small scrapes & scratches as well as areas of discoloration. The screw heads show use. The receiver markings are deep. Overall, this rifle rates in about Very Good Plus condition as refinished.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this rifle. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None

Our Assessment: This Springfield Armory Model 1898 Krag Gallery Rifle was made sometime between 1905 and 1906. Gallery Rifles were produced for training purposes as they could be used at indoor firing ranges that were set up for handgun practice. Initially 124 .22 caliber barreled Model 1898 Krag receivers were produced for training purposes. They were meant to be swapped out with a service rifle’s action. Most of these ended up in spare Krag stocks to be used as dedicated trainers. Eventually 841 complete .22 Caliber Model 1898 Gallery Rifles were produced. The Gallery Rifles appear to have been issued to the National Guard. They were later sold to the public though the Director of Civilian Marksmanship.
This one looks has been refinished so it looks great. It still has deep markings on the receiver and stock which are correct for a .22 Caliber Krag. The small receiver hole between “SPRINGFIELD” and “ARMORY” is another Krag Gallery Rifle identifier. The hole was drilled to install the extractor trip.

CA Legal or CA Private Party Transferable? (THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO OUT-OF-STATE RESIDENTS): This C&R rifle can be transferred in California. All C&R firearms must be transferred through your local dealer OR at our Simi Valley location; we cannot ship directly to a C&R holder in California. Out of state residents can disregard this section – your local laws apply.