Krag-Jorgensen M1923
Kongsberg Vaapenfabrikk · Sniper Rifle · Out Of Production · 1923
Also known as: Skarpskyttergevaer M/1923, Krag-Jorgensen Sharpshooter M1923
Overview
The Krag-Jorgensen M1923 is a Norwegian sharpshooter and precision rifle (skarpskyttergevær) built on the Krag-Jorgensen M1894 bolt action at Kongsberg Vaapenfabrikk. Introduced in 1923, it was Norway's first dedicated attempt at a sniper rifle, chambered in 6.5x55mm Swedish and fitted with target aperture sights and a shortened half-stock 610 mm barrel. It retained the Krag's signature side-loading magazine gate, which lets rounds be fed into the internal five-round magazine without opening the bolt. Around 630 were made between 1923 and 1926, roughly half sold to civilian sharpshooters, but the open-top receiver proved insufficiently rigid for field accuracy, leading to the improved M1925 and definitive M1930 designs.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4050 g (142.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1117 mm (43.98") |
| Barrel Length | 610 mm (24.02") |
| Action Type | Bolt Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 800 m/s (2625 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2880 J (2124 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 600 m (656 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 2000 m (2187 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 200 mm (7.87") |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 6.5x55mm Swedish · primary — also known as 6.5x55, 6.5x55 SE, 6.5 Swede, 6.5mm m/94
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Internal Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Bolt Safety
- Features: Target Sights, Aperture Rear Sight, Side Loading Gate, Half Stock, Match Barrel
Variants
- Krag-Jorgensen M1894 - Base Model
- Krag-Jorgensen M1925 - Later Sharpshooter
- Krag-Jorgensen M1930 Sniper - Later Sniper
Service history
Operators
- Norwegian Armed Forces · adopted 1923 · as Skarpskyttergevær M/1923
Production
Estimated total produced: 630 · Production years: 1923-1926
About 630 built at Kongsberg Vaapenfabrikk, roughly half sold to civilian sharpshooters; many later converted to M1930 rifles or hunting rifles.
Origin
Country of origin: Norway
Designer: Ole Herman Johannes Krag / Erik Jorgensen
Discontinued: 1926
Notes
The M1923 was the first of Norway's interwar sharpshooter Krags and was judged not solid enough for field use; many were later rebuilt into M1930 rifles or converted to hunting configurations. Gun-level muzzle velocity and energy reflect the standard 6.5x55mm m/94 loading these rifles were sighted for rather than a barrel-specific measurement.
Background
As Norway's first purpose-built sniper rifle, the M1923 exposed a fundamental weakness of the Krag-Jorgensen action: its open-top single-lug receiver flexed under recoil and would not hold a precise zero, sending Kongsberg's engineers back to the drawing board to create the sturdier M1925 and M1930.