Krag–Jørgensen

Krag–Jørgensen
Krag–Jørgensen, Norway. Prototype m/1892.
Type	Bolt action repeating rifle
Place of origin	Norway
Service history
In service	1886–1945
Production history
Designer	OHJ Krag and E Jørgensen
Designed	1886
No. built	more than 700,000
Variants	Danish Krags: Rifle 1889 Carbine 1889 Sniper Rifle 1928 US Krags: M1892 Rifle M1892 Carbine M1896 Rifle M1896 Cadet Rifle M1896 Carbine M1898 Rifle M1898 Carbine M1899 Carbine M1899 Constable Carbine Norwegian Krags: M1894 Rifle M1895 Carbine M1897 Carbine M1904 Carbine M1907 carbine M1906 Boy's Carbine M1912 Short Rifle M1923 Sniper Rifle M1925 Sniper Rifle M1930 Sniper Rifle
Specifications
Weight	3.375 kg / 7.5 lb to 5.157 kg / 11.46 lb depending on model
Length	986 mm / 38.8 in to 1328 mm / 52.28 in depending on model
Barrel length	520 mm / 20.5 in to 832 mm / 32.78 in depending on model
Cartridge	8×58mmR Danish Krag .30-40 Krag (US Krags) 6.5×55 rimless (Norwegian Krags)
Action	Bolt action
Rate of fire	N/A
Muzzle velocity	580 m/s (1900 ft/s) to 870 m/s (2854 ft/s) depending on ammunition
Effective firing range	900 m (3,000 ft)
Feed system	5-round magazine
Sights	V-notch and front post

Danish Krags:

US Krags:

Norwegian Krags:

The Krag–Jørgensen is a repeating bolt action rifle designed by the Norwegians Ole Herman Johannes Krag and Erik Jørgensen in the late 19th century. It was adopted as a standard arm by Denmark, the United States of America and Norway. About 300 were delivered to Boer forces of the South African Republic.

A distinctive feature of the Krag–Jørgensen action was its magazine. While many other rifles of its era used an integral box magazine loaded by a charger or stripper clip, the magazine of the Krag–Jørgensen was integral with the receiver (the part of the rifle that houses the operating parts), featuring an opening on the right hand side with a hinged cover. Instead of a charger, single cartridges were inserted through the side opening, and were pushed up, around, and into the action by a spring follower.

The design presented both advantages and disadvantages compared with a top-loading "box" magazine. A similar claw type clip would be made for the Krag that allowed the magazine to be loaded all at once, also known as the Krag "speedloader magazine". Normal loading was one cartridge at a time, and this could be done more easily with a Krag than a rifle with a "box" magazine. In fact, several cartridges can be dumped into the opened magazine of a Krag at once with no need for careful placement, and when shutting the magazine-door the cartridges are forced to line up correctly inside the magazine. The design was also easy to "top off", and unlike most top-loading magazines, the Krag–Jørgensen's magazine could be topped up without opening the rifle's bolt. The Krag–Jørgensen is a popular rifle among collectors, and is valued by shooters for its smooth action.