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US Springfield Armory Model 1899 Carbine with Parkhurst Device 30-40 Krag Value?

10K views 18 replies 9 participants last post by  deadin 
#1 ·
I inherited my grandfathers Model 1899 30-40 Krag and I am trying to find a little more information about it. I recently discovered that my rifle has the Parkhurst Device, and that they supposidly can be extremely rare. I read somewhere that the parkhurst devices were usually found in the serial number range of 280,000 to 290,000 or something like that, but my serial number is 228812. I am not good enough yet to judge the condition, but if I had to guess I would put it at around 70-80% or better. I have fired this weapon and everything shoots, loads, and works perfectly. As far as I know every single part on this gun is original, no sight mounts, no sling mounts, and no custom woodworking of any kind. The only negative thing I realize is my grandpa was very paranoid and engraved his drivers liscense number on all of his guns so i am not sure how bad it will hurt the value, but may just add to the story. Can anyone help me determine what I might have and how much it could be worth? I have a bunch of pictures attached and will upload more in a response.
 

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#3 ·
That's a nice looking carbine! The sideplate with the scratched SSN can be replaced with an unblemished one. I don't believe that they were serialized to a specific gun.
However, I don't see the Parkhurst device in your pictures. What makes you think it has one?
 
#5 ·
The Parkhurst device was a dingus that would let the magazine be loaded using stripper clips, like the Mauser.

Extremely rare experimental thing - done on 100 rifles and 100 carbines.

Yes, I believe that scribing the drivers license number on that gun will lower the value.

I also believe that replacing the part, if available, and not telling any prospective buyer that the part was replaced, would be fraud.
 
#8 ·
are you saying mine does not have the parkhurst device? I guess I am not too sure what it truely is, I just thought my carbine looked fairly identical to the parkhurst device photos of a simular carbine? What exactly is the device, is it something added to the side clip?
 
#7 ·
Alpo,
I agree that one should tell a prospective buyer about the replacement.
However IYHO, which would be the lesser of two evils, a scratched-up unsightly sideplate or a replaced sideplate?

(In my case I would replace it and keep the original and let the buyer decide which one they want.)

BTW, here is the device:
Bumper
 
#11 ·
Deadin, I read, in the not-too-far-distant-past, an article about someone buying an M1 Carbine and then haunting gun shows until he had enough parts to "put it back" the way it was supposed to be. Replace wood and springs and this and that, until it was "original Winchester again".

If he did that, because he wanted his gun to be all Winchester, that's fine.

If he did that to sell it, (and you'll get a butt-load more money for an "all original Winchester" than for a normal USGI "arsenal rebuild" parts gun) that's fraud.
 
#13 ·
If the owner of the license number has a documented war history, I' buy a new one, and leave it off. Leave the written history with the gun, and offer the new one if the collector wants it instead. Personally, I'd take a history myself. I think a lot of collectors would too.
 
#14 ·
ALL of the advice here is spot-on, 100%. Got me to thinking (and that is dangerous for me) about the absolutely true statement about swapping out that sideplate with another original-but-not-to-that-rifle sideplate:

European made rifles have just about - if not all - parts stamped with a serial number or letter to identify parts belonging on an individual weapon. The majority of U.S. service arms do not.

Considering the above statement, and the fact that the vast majority of U.S. arms have gone thru a rebuild process, what percentage of U.S. surplused arms are truly 100% original? An example of this is say, an arms dealer buys a CMP M1 Garand and every part is correct for a '43 Springfield Armory. Is it possible for that Dealer to ask a premium price for that rifle, even though he or she wasn't actually with that rifle from the date if left the factory? Can anyone say "This rifle is absolutely 100% original and authentic"? I'm certainly not saying that you shouldn't advise any future owner about that sideplate if you ever sell it - you should - I'm just questioning the true decrease in value of a rifle that has been repaired in any fashion.

Just wondering..... By the way, that is one very nice Krag Carbine! And thanks to the TFF guys for that Parkhurst information. I'd never heard of it before. Learn something new every day here.
 
#15 ·
Thanks a TON guys!!! Loads of info. I have quite a few antique rifles and muskets I own so I will be posting more pictures and asking more questions. I only have my cell phone at the moment to take pictures so I will make sure I get better ones sooner than later. First I probably never will sell any of my guns, I inherited them and the family history means too much to me, second even if I did sell it, I would never fraud anyone with putting a non original part on my weapon.
 
#16 ·
Replacing that side is no big deal. The gun may or may not be all original to start with, most US rifles with very few exceptions have been through the arsenal at least once. A replaced part is not an attempt at fraud it is a simple repair of replacing a damaged part. What would you say if one of the screws had been replaced at some point in time?
 
#17 ·
It is not too likely this gun has any military history associated with it from anyone holding a drivers license. since they were pulled from service very early last century.

If the owner of the license number has a documented war history, I' buy a new one, and leave it off. Leave the written history with the gun, and offer the new one if the collector wants it instead. Personally, I'd take a history myself. I think a lot of collectors would too.
lled from service early last century.
 
#18 ·
I think that is a fine looking Krag carbine.

I'm kind of a "half-arsed" collector...or maybe I should be called an accumulator. Truth be told I can't afford the true collector firearms....and I'm mostly a shooter anyway. So I'll accept, and gladly sometimes, small things that detract from originality. That makes some firearms affordable to me that I would never be able to own, play with and study otherwise. So that engraved sideplate would be part of the story of the rifle to me.

I really like the advice you've been given about replacing it if you wish and retaining the one now on the rifle. Can't beat that.
 
#19 ·
I thought the question was "Would replacing the sideplate result in a lower value of the rifle?"
I've been in touch with several heavy-duty Krag collectors and their opinion is yes, the scratched up plate will lower the value about the amount it would cost to replace it with another from the same period and with a similar amount of wear. But, other than giving a prospective buyer something to try to knock down the price, a proper replacement wouldn't have any affect the on value.

In other words, there is no way to know if the replacement isn't just replacing an earlier replacement.
 
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