The first US model is the 1892. Most of these were converted to the 1894 configuration and a true 92 is a rare and valuable rifle. the 94 is not common.
Arsenal converted "carbines" for civilian sales exist and are less expensive.
Jerry Liles
I respectfully submit there is a small error there. There was no such thing as a Model 1894. The 1892, after adoption and multiple field trials to iron out some bugs, didn't get into regular production until 1894, with that year of production stamped on the receiver. Most 1892's were upgraded to M1896 specs when that model came out, which is why completely original 1892s are scarcer than hen's teeth (and fetch huge premiums from collectors).
Arsenal converted rifles in carbine form (often referred to as NRA Sales Rifles, but they were never officially called that) do indeed exist, and many were made for low priced civilian sales as a means for the gov't to divest itself of piles of unwanted surplus Krags. The trouble is, the modifications were simple: shortened barrels and stocks to emulate the cavalry carbine. Said modifications could also be performed by every Tom Dick and Harry with a hacksaw and a rasp. The result being it is impossible to tell a genuine Arsenal conversion from a civilian one (as long as said civilian was a skilled craftsman and not a wild-eyed Bubba) without the original sales receipt that came with the rifle from the Arsenal. Guess how many of those pieces of paper exist anymore? A documented "NRA Sales" gun is highly sought after by collectors, with corroborating paperwork, and fetch sums equal to original military rifles in equal condition, if not more. This is one instance where "If it talks like a duck and walks like a duck, it's a duck" isn't necessarily true. That piece of paper is why undocumented sales rifles are worth only what any other cut down Krags are worth- a couple to a few hundred bucks.
Two good books on the Krag are the ones by Mallory and Brophy, but sadly both are out of print and are subject to the vagaries of the used book market. That said, anyone seriously looking to break into the world of Krags is highly encouraged to take a deep breath and buy one of them. Knowledge is priceless when considering the purchase of a gun.
There is a Krag book in print, by Joe Poyer. I don't own it but a lot of comrades on the Krag forums decry the mistakes he made in it. So, my take on it is based on hearsay. I suppose it would be a place to start though.
$10 to join the Krag forum? My memory may be suspect, but I think I would remember paying to join up, and I don't (unless we're talking of different forums- and there aren't but a couple that I'm aware of, and believe me I looked). Even so, $10 would be a paltry sum for the chance to pick the brains of some real experts. Again, knowledge is power, even if one has to pay for that knowledge.
