
That way the ammo in the magazine was there as a reserve, in case of close-range combat. The magazine cut-off was intended to be engaged during long-range fights, when soldiers were to use the rifle as a single shot and load one round at a time. That’s the same as Bilbo Baggins when he celebrates his eleventy-first birthday in The Lord of the Rings. It’s a model 1898 Krag-Jorgensen chambered in. During the first week of January, I bought my first official new gun of the year. Many officers still believed in volley fire, also. Gun Review: Model 1898 Krag-Jorgensen Rifle. The Army was just getting used to the idea of repeating rifles and was afraid a bolt action would encourage soldiers to waste ammunition, causing supply problems. Interestingly enough, the Springfield Krags had a magazine cutoff lever on the left side of the receiver. A rotary lever inside cycled the ammunition. You opened the lid, dropped in five cartridges, and shut it. The Krag-Jørgensen loaded by means of a box, almost a hopper, on the right side of the receiver. It served in the Spanish American War, Philippine Insurrection and the Boxer Rebellion. Produced by the Springfield Armory as the 1892 Springfield, the Krag-Jørgensen was made in several rifle and carbine variants over the next decade. The Army wanted a bolt action to replace the trapdoor Springfield, and the winner out more than 40 entrants was the Krag-Jørgensen from Norway. Army held trials to find a new service rifle.
