30-40 krag load data

[Thescandinavian]

Don't know what the rest here thinks, but I think it's a cute and sexy little thing.
Probably a low recoil with good penetration at modest ranges without making half the deer look like a mess.
Probably still prefere the 450marlin for good broad wonding at this ranges, but more fun to shoot a few rounds with.
Wont be as long range capable or as flatt shooting as my 7mm practical, but wont mess up at close range. For small game the 223 will always be my favorite, but it would be real shame not to let the old american out at least once a year hunting. Now just missing bullets and dies for the Danish lady.
Ordered brass from kongsberg arms historical fundation where I got them for 3-4USD a pice. Was the cheapest place so I admitt I only bought 10. Other places was twice the price. Need learn to take real good care of brass.

 

[Thescandinavian]

So I run into my first actual problem.
It wont feed.
Made one cartrige just to check how it chambers so it might feed if there is more than one round in the magazine.
The bolt wont catch the belt without some assistance and even if it do the bullet i jammed because its not angeled upwards so it can slie into the chamber.

 

[Thescandinavian]

Fired the 30-40 for the first time. Nervous so did not even try to hit anything.
37grains of N160 that gave a lot of smoke.
30grains of N540 that felt good.

4 problems.
The last cartrige in the magazine wont feed. The first ones cycle just fine.
I cant find the lands so I gues it is really worn out.
If I put a bullet trough the muzzle it drops half way in so again I think it is worn out.
I cant use the bolt handle to reload and have to manually pull the fieringpin backwards and operate the safety go be able to lift the bolt handle again.

I think something is worn or lost tention in the magazine mechanism that prevent the cartriges to be pushed hard enough into the action.

I know there used to me a gunsmith here that would drill out old krag barrels to either increase bullet diameter or drill out enough to insert a new thin barrel with new rifling.

No idea whats up with the bolt. If it is something I do wrong of if worn out mechanism.

Any ideas?

 

[Thescandinavian]

No idea why I'm asking when I dont take my time to wait for an answer.
Picked the magazine apart and found the feeding problem.
The tolerances of spring, the door, some cams and maybe spring pressure has done it's job.
If i push the folower in by my fingers or add pressure to the spring manually the cartrige pops in like it's suposed to. Please see picture of spring and folower.
When the door is closed it adds pressure to the spring that again put tension on the cam for the follower.
I could weld some ektra metal on the spring and grind it down to make up for this.
Or solder some metal in the well where its sitting to add tension.
The most easy thing would be to heat it and bend it to get more pressure, but I dont feel secure regarding heat treat it again.
Maybe some epoxy since it can be removed more easily?

 

[Dean2]

No idea why I'm asking when I dont take my time to wait for an answer.
Picked the magazine apart and found the feeding problem.
The tolerances of spring, the door, some cams and maybe spring pressure has done it's job.
If i push the folower in by my fingers or add pressure to the spring manually the cartrige pops in like it's suposed to. Please see picture of spring and folower.
When the door is closed it adds pressure to the spring that again put tension on the cam for the follower.
I could weld some ektra metal on the spring and grind it down to make up for this.
Or solder some metal in the well where its sitting to add tension.
The most easy thing would be to heat it and bend it to get more pressure, but I dont feel secure regarding heat treat it again.
Maybe some epoxy since it can be removed more easily?

I wuld take it to a good gunsmith. If you can't get the gun to shoot accurately by using oversize cast bullets or reline the barrel the rest of the issues don't matter. It will become a display piece unless you can fix that primary problem.

 

[Clark]

I have two Krags, 30-40 and 25 Krag Ackley.


both rifles at 43,555 psi.

30-40 Krag with 20" barrel 43,555 psi, 150 gr Nos Bal Tip moly, 3.340", 47.3 gr CFE223, 2610 fps

 

[Thescandinavian]

I wuld take it to a good gunsmith. If you can't get the gun to shoot accurately by using oversize cast bullets or reline the barrel the rest of the issues don't matter. It will become a display piece unless you can fix that primary problem.

When looking for reline sleves I cant find any in 30 cal.
Would relining lower the value?
The problem with bolt handle was an easy no cost one. guess the safety got stuck and someone forced it and the safety was off, but locking of bolthandle was turned 120degree. Tapped out the pin, turned it and tapped it back in.
So small feeding issue and a badly worn barrel.
Guess I find some time tomorrow to fire more than 4 shoots and try to see if can actually hit annything.
Then will know if it shoots at all.
Take some time for some load development.
Any pressure signs I should pay particular attemtion to with a krag?

 

[Thescandinavian]

I wuld take it to a good gunsmith. If you can't get the gun to shoot accurately by using oversize cast bullets or reline the barrel the rest of the issues don't matter. It will become a display piece unless you can fix that primary problem.

Just did talk to one.
A relining here would set me back 1600-1900USD.
Guess its out of the question.

 

[Dean2]

Just did talk to one.
A relining here would set me back 1600-1900USD.
Guess its out of the question.

That is completely ridiculous. I would get a new barrel spun onto it and keep the old barrel incase you ever want to sell it as a collector.. A far cheaper option, if you get cast lead bulltes, you can get them over size to make up for the worn bore, or depending on what the bore slugs out at you could try loading .311 RN that are used in the 303 British to take up the slack in the barrel. If it slugs even larger than that, you could go to 8MM bullets as they range in size, some being .315 and others .323 depending on manufacturer. Going up in bullet size is likely going to be the cheapest fix and still give you good accuracy, I have gone to 8MM in some pretty worn 303 British for the same reason.