30/40 Krag Dies

I recently acquired a pair of Krag "sporters" and now that I've fired both and feel they will hit the paper...I think it's time to locate some dies. I probably do not need new dies, but doubt these are readily available so I expect I'll have to buy a new set.

Any suggestions or recommendations?

Thanks.

Bob

Bob,

The dies are readily available. Lee, RCBS and Redding have them as standard items. Hornady does too, but in their "special" (meaning expensive) category.

I use Lee dies and am happy with them. I load for my military model, and for my friend's Sedgley.

Your challenge will be brass. As far as I know, only Winchester still makes it, and the availability is spotty.
LT

LT,
Thanks. I'm looking forward to shooting a whitetail with one of the guns! I'll look at Winchester for brass.

BTW...WELCOME to the Forum!!

Bob

Found a set of RCBS dies in like new condition on Ebay for $15 a year ago. Got 100rd bag of Winchester nickeled Krag brass on Gunbroker. The nickeled cases don't get funky if I keep them in my original Mills cartridge belt.

Ebay, good idea!!! Thanks.

Bob

I generally acquire RCBS dies but my .30-40 Krag dies are a older set of chrome plated C&H diesa and they've given excellent service for 35 years. C&H is still around and can provide dies for off-the-wall cartridges at reasonable cost. I got a set of .32 Long Colt dies from them a while back and was pleased with those dies as well.

I also use LEE dies in 30-40Krag. I load for an 1898 Model and reload alot of cast bullets with them.
No problems with the dies at all.
I use LEE dies in alot of calibers and haven't had any complaints. Nice price too.

I found 5 boxes of 20e once fired Remington cases,,the boxes taped together with a magic marker price written on the works for $3.

With my cast bullet loads and neck sizing only after the first loading, that should last a while.

Why did everyone drop Krag brass production all of a sudden?

I've been loading for the .30-40 for many years. I use RCBS dies (circa 1975 or so).

Some issues that you may have to deal with are:

1. Bore and groove diameters vary widely in US Krag rifles and carbines. Nominal .30 caliber barrels feature .300 bore and .308 groove diameters. On my Krags I have found that one has .303 bore and .312 groove, the other has .303 bore and .314 groove diameters.

2. Chamber dimensions can vary as well. Cases fired in my 1895 carbine will not chamber at all in my 1898, as the carbine chamber is significantly oversized.

3. Barrel throats also show considerable variation. The leade in my 1898 is quite long, permitting bullets to be seated well out to maximum cartridge OAL, while my 1895 has a very short throat, and many bullets (when seated to SAAMI 3.089" OAL standards) will be engaged by the rifling when chambered.

Rather than attempting to load specifically for both rifles, I have settled on a single load that performs rather well in both. I use a Lee C312-185 grain lead round nose gas check cast bullet (50% linotype metal, 50% wheelweights, as-cast diameter .313), Hornady crimp-on gas checks, Alox lube, CCI standard primers, and 24 grains IMR-4198. All cases full-length sized, necks expanded on a .311 expander button. Estimated 1800 FPS +/- 100 FPS, so a little on the puny side when compared to the .30-30 Winchester factory loads.

When seated to OAL of 3.10" these will function in both magazines. Bullet ogive just makes contact with the rifling in the 1898, and is firmly engraved in the 1895, but cartridges will extract without moving the bullet out of the crimp.

I have loaded one batch of cases 6 times before discarding them. Repeated full-length sizing after firing in oversized chambers makes me cautious about the potential for weakened brass. For use in a single rifle neck-sizing might be a better option for improved performance as well as extended case life.

The 1898 will group 5 shots in 3.5" to 4" at 100 yards. I use the 200-yard sight setting for 100-yard shooting, and the 400-yard sight setting for 200-250 yards.

The 1895 carbine will group 5 shots in 3" regularly at 100 yards, about 3" low with the 100-yard sight setting, and about 1" high using the 200-yard sight setting.

Fun guns, but pressures need to be kept down due to overall action strength issues inherent to the design. I won't hesitate to use these rifles anytime, but only with low-pressure reloads, and only with good shooting glasses.

Best regards.

Gil & 2152hq,
Thanks for the ideas on dies and manufactures.

Mr. Lobo,
Thanks for the information! Good stuff.

I may just keep the better of the two sporters I have...if I am using one gun, should I neck-size only to make the brass last? (like I do with my .303 Savage/Enfield).

Thanks for the comments.

Bob

VonFatman said:

Gil & 2152hq,
Thanks for the ideas on dies and manufactures.

Mr. Lobo,
Thanks for the information! Good stuff.

I may just keep the better of the two sporters I have...if I am using one gun, should I neck-size only to make the brass last? (like I do with my .303 Savage/Enfield).

Thanks for the comments.

Bob

Click to expand...

Bob:

Reloading for different rifles may require different techniques and performance can vary widely. The Krag action is not a particularly strong design, so caution and common sense are called for when reloading for these rifles.

If at all possible, having a chamber cast made will give you a lot of useful information about chamber dimensions and throating. Slugging the barrel will tell you what bullets are likely to perform best.

Brownell's used to offer chamber casting kits, which would be less expensive than having a gunsmith perform this work. Using a dial caliper, you can then measure all critical dimensions. If the chamber dimensions are fairly close to standard there will be little to be gained by neck-sizing only. Throat dimensions and length of leade (the point at which rifling starts, at the end of the chamber reaming) can help you decide how to seat bullets for best accuracy. Generally, jacketed bullets should be seated just short of contact with the rifling; cast bullets can benefit from light to moderate contact with the rifling.

Neck sizing leaves the case body intact, as expanded when fired in the rifle. Neck-sized cases should never be used in any rifle other than the one in which the case was fire-formed. By not working the brass of the case body we can usually expect considerably longer case life. If you find yourself neck sizing only, cases should be carefully inspected after each use for any signs of cracking in the neck area, and discarded when there is even a suspicion that a crack may be developing.

Slugging the barrel involves driving a soft lead slug through the barrel, from breach to muzzle. The slug can then be measured with the dial caliper to determine actual bore and groove diameters. Jacketed bullets that are under groove diameter cannot be expected to shoot very well. Jacketed bullets should never exceed groove diameter. Cast bullets at groove diameter (or up to .001" over) perform best. Cast bullets with long bearing surfaces will usually perform better than those with long unsupported nose portions. The nose portion (forward of the bearing bands and lube grooves) should be as close to bore diameter as possible.

When you have determined the bore and groove diameter and selected a bullet of a diameter to correspond, you will need an expander button so that the neck of the cartridge will permit a bullet to be seated without damage. Usually, an expander button of .001" to .002" below bullet diameter will give good results.

Cast bullets will vary from mold to mold, even with the same manufacturer. Bullet diameter can also be influenced by the bullet alloy being used, with the harder alloys usually shrinking less as they solidify.

Gas checks protect the cast bullet base from powder flame temperatures, and also provide a scraping action to prevent lead build-up in the bore.

A good bullet lube is essential in rifles, and Alox is the time-proven choice for cast bullets in rifles.

I suspect that you will find that your military Krag barrel will have a bore diameter of .300 to .304, and a groove diameter of .310 to .314. If that is the case, bullets intended for the 7.65 Mauser, 7.7 Jap, and .303 British can be expected to perform much better than .308 diameter .30-caliber bullets.

Be careful and have fun.