Modern Military Sight Rails for .30-40 Krag Rifles
Before now, to mount precise sights or modern optics on U.S. Krag rifles one needed to sacrifice the magazine cut-off, drill the receiver, or both. This reduces the functionality and the value of ones’ rifle.
Kraghaus™ now makes two lengths of modern sight rail, precisely machined to fit the Krag barrel, which use the existing sight screw holes for attachment. Made of lightweight anodized aluminum, these rails allow the installation of modern red-dot sights (such as the Aimpoint or EOTech series) or long eye relief “scout” scopes, without damage to the receiver.
Features:
Military standard 1913 (“Picatinny”) fitment accepts many different scope rings and sight bases
Lightweight
Pre-drilled to match the locations of the screw holes in Krag barrels
Black Anodized aluminum (will accept Alumahyde™ colors)
Short Rails:
The short rails are 3.25 inches long, and are designed to replace the existing rear sights on U.S. Krag rifles. The short rails are recommended for red-dot type optics, such as the Aimpoint Comp or H-1 series sights, Zeiss Z-Point or the J-Point reflex sights.
Installation of the short rails requires the removal of the factory rear sight and replacement of the factory sight with the rail. The screw holes will match exactly.
Long Rails:
The “long rails” are 6 inches long. They extend from the location of the factory rear sight rearward to the shoulder of the receiver. These rails cannot, therefore, be used on rifles where the upper hand guards remain in place.
Installation of the 6” rails requires the use of the two existing rear sight screw holes, and drilling and tapping an additional screw hole in the barrel approximately 1/2 inch from the shoulder of the receiver. The procedure is to attach the rail to the barrel “finger tight” using the factory screw holes, and then use the rail itself as a template to locate the new holes.
In addition to using the long rail just as it is received from the factory, the long rail may be cut to fit the area between a factory installed rear sight on a particular rifle and shoulder of the receiver, and then attached by drilling new screw holes in the barrel. This will allow the use of a red-dot type sight without removing the factory rear sight. (See photos.)
Note: No screws are supplied with these rails.
The factory screws are threaded for an obsolete size (4mm w/ .10 mm. pitch), and are increasingly hard to find. In addition, a great many of the Krag rifles still out there have been “sporterized,” and many different thread sizes have been used. We have no way of knowing what threading is found on your particular rifle.
Note that thread damage in the rear sight screw holes on Krag rifles is not unusual. This is because amateur gunsmithing has sometimes resulted in people forcing the original threads causing thread damage, which was then covered over with Red Lock-Tite® or similar thread-locking products.
In the event the threads in your rifle turn out to be stripped or damaged, a competent gunsmith can “bore out” the existing holes and re-thread them for modern screws. Thereafter the screws will be easy to replace if needs be.
Our rails are drilled and countersunk for modern screws, but the countersinks can be bored to accept any other screws you may elect to use, including the various original Krag screws.
We strongly recommend that any drilling and tapping be performed by a competent gunsmith who has the proper tools.
DRILLING TOO DEEPLY CAN AFFECT THE SAFETY AND FUNCTIONALITY OF THE RIFLE, EVEN TO THE POINT OF RUINING THE BARREL OR CAUSING A CATASTROPHIC MALFUNCTION OF THE FIREARM, RESULTING IN SERIOUS PERSONAL INJURY OR EVEN DEATH TO THE RIFLEMAN OR OTHERS IN PROXIMITY TO THE RIFLEMAN.
Drilling a crooked hole or improper tapping procedure, even when it does not affect the safety or functionality of the rifle, can create a mess that is difficult to repair. Drilling barrels is something best left to a professional.
Ordering and Pricing:
The short (3.5”) rails are $44.50, plus $4.50 S&H ($49.00 total).
The long(6”) rails are $49.00, plus $4.50 S&H ($53.50 total).
If you have any questions, contact us at contact@kraghaus.com
even percent sales tax must be added to any sales into Pennsylvania.
To order, download and complete the order form from this site and send it to PFDC, 2130 Fox Way, Pittsburgh, PA 15203.
Include a check or money order in the correct amount, payable to “Pennsylvania Firearms Development Corp.”
We do not do “e-commerce” (on-line credit card orders). We found that all the “middle men” taking a fee plus a percentage of each sale drove up the price of the products, and the volume of business we do did not justify paying the “vigorish.”
This is old fashioned, but it is secure.
