Almost 500,000? in total when the U.S.Army was about 25,000. So who were they issued to? How many men were in the state militias; did they have mostly trapdoors?
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Almost 500,000? in total when the U.S.Army was about 25,000. So who were they issued to? How many men were in the state militias; did they have mostly trapdoors?
If I have it correct, the Ordnance Department was frantically producing Krags at Springfield Armory, (and refurbishing ones returned from hard service), to supply the Regulars, update the arms of the serving State Volunteer Regiments, and for the re-arming of the Marine Corps & Naval Forces, who were replacing the Winchester-Lee straight-pull rifle, around 1900.
American forces had been under-equipped with Krags during the Spanish War, and Philippine insurrection. State Volunteer Regiments had served largely with Trap-Door Springfield rifles.
The Insurrection continued warfare in the Philippines, the Boxer Rebellion happened, and then the Moro War erupted.
When Krag production caught up with the military demands, production went to building up the reserve arms, so that the desired arming of the State Militias could take place.
I know that, Michigan State Troops (National Guard) received their Krag rifles and gear around 1903 to 1904.
I imagine that was probably true for many of the other states.
The U.S. Army, Marines, Navy, and Service Academies were mainly equipped with Krags until 1907 or 1908.
There was a demand for a lot of Krag rifles to equip the Federal and State forces and to maintain a sizable war reserve.