somewhat less breech pressure. This action was made for the 6.5x55 cartridge, which it will handle better than any other.
The Danish Krag
As mentioned earlier in this chapter, the Krag-Jorgensen rifle originated in Denmark and was first adopted as a military weapon by that country in 1889. The various models were made by Gevaerfabriken Kjobenhavn (Copenhagen Arms Manufactory) and Haerens Tojhus (Army Arsenal), and were so marked on the left side of the receiver. The model designation, as well as the date (year) of manufacture, is stamped on the left side of the receiver also.
Several models were made, but the most common one seen in the U.S. is the Model 89 rifle with a 32.75” barrel. Like the German M88 Commission rifle, the Danish M89 rifle has a thin metal tube over the barrel to serve as a handguard. The rifle weighs about 9.5 pounds and is 52.3” overall.
Less common Danish Krags are the M89 infantry carbine with 23.63” barrel, which has the letter F in front of the serial number; the M89 artillery carbine with 24.02” barrel and the letter A proceeding the serial number; the M89 engineer carbine with 23.53” barrel (with wood handguard) and the letter I before the serial number; the M89 cavalry carbine is like the engineer’s carbine, but has the letter R before the serial number; the M1928 sniper’s rifle with 26.50” barrel of heavy weight, with globe front and rear sights, and marked with the letters FSK, which means “sniper’s rifle;” and the Danish single shot target rifle. This last is similar to the sniper’s rifle, but is a single shot without magazine cuts in the receiver.
All of these Krags, both rifles and carbines, are chambered for the Danish 8mm (8x58R) rimmed cartridge. The single shot target rifle was chambered for the 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser cartridge.
The Danish Krag repeating action is very similar to the U.S. Krag action except for the following: 1) The magazine cover, hinged near the front, opens by swinging out and forward. It has a checkered knob-type catch on its top rear surface to hold the cover closed and acts as a handle to open it. When open, cartridges are merely rolled into the magazine. 2) The safety is a round, checkered button positioned on the right side of the tang behind the bolt handle. Pressed to the left and swung back, the rifle is ready to fire and the bolt can be operated. Swung forward, the safety locks the bolt and sear. It can’t be swung forward unless the striker is cocked. 3) The cocking piece has a stubby “hook” with its front curved surface checkered. By grasping this hook with the thumb, the striker can be manually cocked or the cocked striker lowered, either to the full down position or to a half-cock position. When in the half-cocked position, the safety can be engaged. 4) The ejector is a thin leaf spring mounted in a groove in the bottom of the bolt raceway. 5) The receiver magazine cover or plate is shaped and attached to the receiver differently than other Krags.
Like other Krags, the Danish actions are well made and finished, and are very smooth in operation. The bolt head is recessed, and the bolt is disassembled and removed from the receiver just like the U.S. Krag. Unlike the U.S. Krag, but like the Norwegian Krag, the forward locking lug and the guide rib contact the receiver to take up the rearward thrust of firing a cartridge in the chamber. For this reason, the Danish action is considered to be a bit stronger and better than the U.S. action.
Here are some dimensional specifications for the Danish Krag repeating action: Receiver diameter, 1.365”; bolt diameter, .700”; bolt travel, 3.710”; striker travel, .500 ”; bolt face recess diameter, .590”; bolt face recess depth, .060”; magazine length, handles certain rimmed cartridges no longer than about 3.20” overall.
The Danish Krag single shot target action was made with a bolt face recess to accommodate the 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser cartridge, which has a .480” case head diameter. In the early 1960s, several firms offered these actions for sale, and they were an excellent choice on which to build a long-range target rifle in the 6.5x55 caliber.
Like the other Krags, the Danish action should not be used with cartridges which develop much over 45,000 psi breech pressure. It has the best safety of all the Krags. There is no commercial trigger mechanism made for the Danish Krag.
*The unending search for U.S. Krags marked Model 1892 has failed, so far, to turn up even one.
*Sometimes in the mid-1930’s, I learned that a “special” Krag was available from the Rock Island (Illinois) Arsenal. These were brand-new rifles, the barrel 24" long (not 22", as had been the standard DCM carbine) fitted with a carbine stock, also new, and an 03 front sight. The price was $6.50, plus the usual package and shipping charges, compared to the $1.50 the 22" barreled carbines had cost some years earlier. I obtained two of these, kept them a while and traded them off. I wonder where are they now?
Lee-Enfield Rifles FdH
British SMLE Mark III rifle, which later became the No. 1 Mark III.
THE BRITISH LEE-Enfield rifle has a long and colorful history; one which includes two World Wars, many smaller wars and conflicts covering wide areas and many countries over the face of the earth. The “Lee” of Lee-Enfield is James Paris Lee, a Scottish-born American firearms designer who invented the Lee turnbolt magazine firearm in 1879. A book could be written about the life and work of this inventor; it would be an interesting challenge for some biographer. “Enfield” derives from the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield Lock in England, a great arms manufacturing plant where, for many years, most military development work was done on arms later adopted by Great Britain.
Many articles have been written about Lee and his turnbolt rifle that was the forerunner of the British Lee-Enfield. The reader need only check the bibliography at the back of this book to find a few of the articles published in American Rifleman. In addition, there is an excellent book on Lee-Enfields—The Lee-Enfield Rifle, by Major E.G.B. Reynolds— must reading for anyone interested in these arms. Because of this wealth of background material, I won’t go deeply into the history and development of this famous military rifle. I will limit my main discussion to the two Lee-Enfield actions used during two World Wars: The No. 1 Mark III of WWI and the No. 4 Mark I of WWII.
A very brief historical outline of the Lee-Enfield, however, is in order. After Lee patented his vertical magazine turnbolt action in 1879, he was not immediately successful in getting the rifles made and sold. He tried to interest the U.S. Navy in the design, but it was not until the Remington Arms Co. of Ilion, New York, bought the manufacturing rights that the Lee rifle had any worthwhile backing. Known as the Remington-Lee rifle, a few were sold to the Navy for experimental purposes in 1881. Remington tried in vain to interest the U.S. Army in the same rifle. Meanwhile, Remington also tried to interest foreign countries in the new rifle (some samples were made for China and Japan, among others) and did sell some to Cuba and Spain. At about this time (1883), England became interested in adopting a magazine rifle, and the Lee rifles submitted came out Lee-Enfield best in their 1887 trials. This brought Lee his first real taste of fame. The Remington firm then began making Remington-Lee sporting rifles for a variety of cartridges, eventually including the 6mm Lee, 30-30, 30-40, 303 British, 35 Remington, 45-70 and others. Remington made these rifles until about 1906.
After England’s initial acceptance, the Lee system was somewhat modified with development and manufacturing done at Enfield. The first British Lee rifle was the Lee-Metford Magazine Rifle Mark I, the design sealed in December, 1888. Various improvements and modifications followed with the first true Lee-Enfield being introduced late in 1895.*
This was followed by other changes, modifications and mark designations every
