How many Krags saw service in the Spanish American War?

[Rick the Librarian]

Where did you get that? The units I listed received the guns in November of 1898. I included the date. They surveyed the Militia arms in 1898. Black troops in Georgia still had muskets. The cavalry in one of the north western states was still entirely armed with Spencers. Which means they'd been better armed than the regular army for 30 years.

1st TX: 1896
4th IL: '98.
2nd SC: '96
1st NC: '98.
161st IN: '98.
49th IA: '96.
2nd LA: '98
3rd NE: '96.
9th IL: '98.
2nd IL: '98.
4th VA: '98.
6th MO: '98.

[5MadFarmers]

1st TX: 1896
4th IL: '98.
2nd SC: '96
1st NC: '98.
161st IN: '98.
49th IA: '96.
2nd LA: '98
3rd NE: '96.
9th IL: '98.
2nd IL: '98.
4th VA: '98.
6th MO: '98.

Aw, I get it. 2nd SC, Model 1896.

[Rick the Librarian]

That does make it a TAD clearer!

[jon_norstog]

That's one of the things that interest me about Krag rifles. They were adopted as part of the big change - America went from being one kind of country to being another kind altogether, and the shift took place really fast. Not all the changes were for the better IMHO.

Hitchcock used to talk about "the MacGuffin" - an object that doesn't do anything on its own but the real story revolves around it. The Maltese Falcon statue is an example. In some ways, the Krag is the macGuffin in a very big story that has not yet completely played out. Not to say they are not interesting, useful and accurate in and of themselves.

jn

jn