What’s a good price on a Krag sporter (USA), and what details to look for?
TLDR: local shop has a Krag that looks to be unmodified metal but shaved down stock. Is $399 reasonable, and what should I look for to assess value, stuff to argue to haggle down, etc?
**UPDATE**: I just glanced before, went back in and asked to handle it. Barrel doesn’t look cut, but it’s for three holes from being tapped right around where the 1898 and Springfield Armory engravings are. So I assume that tanks any collector value, so $399 would be way high? Also when they cut the stock they put on a rubber butt-pad, so no metal plate. Thing is, for my purposes I’d almost rather it isn’t collectible because I want it as a cool shooter, and since it’s already tapped for a side-mount I’d just get another mount and put one of my many thrift-shop El Paso Weaver scopes on it. Btw bolt was very smooth and trigger excellent. What would be market value for modded stock and tapped on an 1898 in Colorado?
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An LGS has a sporterized Krag in stock, still in 30-40, for $399. I only looked briefly but I believe the metal is original, just the stock modified.
I’m actually fine with the modified stock since I’ve kinda been looking for a clean “bubba”, and if the modified stock doesn’t have particular value I might actually trim it to a shorter LOP since I’m 5’6” and my fiancée is 5’1”, unless a sporterized stock somehow still has more value unshortened than shortened. And I’m not at this time interested in an original or repro stock to make it period-correct.
I’ve heard for ages about the “butter smooth” bolt on the Krag, and the side magazine looks cool. I handload so 30-40 ammo won’t hurt my wallet quite as much.
I had been idly looking for a sporterized 6.5mm Swede, but this is pretty cool too. Is this a decent deal (maybe can haggle them down?), or just keep shopping for sporterized bargains? MAS, or Carcano would be other sporters I’d be keeping an eye out for.
So for this one, what are known issues with Krags to look for, things to observe to see if the metal has been modified and thus drops even more value than the modified stock? Open to any ideas.