Krag-Jorgensen Model 1896 Cadet Rifle
- Category
- Rifle
- Barrel
- 762 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.22 kg
- Introduced
- 1896
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Krag-Jorgensen Model 1896 Cadet Rifle is a bolt-action rifle chambered in .30-40 Krag, a scarce short-run variant of the U.S. Model 1896 service rifle produced at Springfield Armory for training cadets at the military academies. It kept the full 30-inch barrel and 49-inch length of the standard rifle but reverted to the Model 1892 pattern of storing a cleaning rod beneath the barrel rather than in a butt trap, and it omitted the sling swivels while fitting spring-retained barrel bands. Only about 400 were made before the configuration was dropped, making surviving examples among the rarest Krags.
The Cadet Rifle was a purpose-built training arm for the corps of cadets, chosen to keep young soldiers drilling on the same .30-40 Krag action that armed the regular Army during the Spanish-American War. Its return to an under-barrel cleaning rod and springy barrel bands proved a short-lived experiment, and its tiny production run has made it a prized rarity among Krag collectors.
Distinguished from the standard Model 1896 rifle by its under-barrel cleaning rod, spring-retained barrel bands, and absence of sling swivels. Roughly 400 produced before discontinuation, and quickly overtaken by the Model 1898.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Springfield Armory, Inc.
- Category
- Rifle
- Country
- United States
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1896 to 1898
- Variant of
- Cadet
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 762 mm
- Overall length
- 1247 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.22 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Bolt action
- Firing mechanism
- Striker fired
- Trigger
- Single action
- Capacity
- 5
- Magazine
- Fixed box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Walnut
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 610 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 2650 J
- Effective range
- 550 m
- Maximum range
- 2700 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Side mounted magazine
Magazine cutoff down position
Under barrel cleaning rod
Spring retained barrel bands
No sling swivels
Smooth bolt action
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 1,612 rifles | 4.22 kg | 3.50 kg | Heavier than about 80% |
| Overall lengthAmong 1,557 rifles | 1247 mm | 1080 mm | Longer than about 80% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 1,659 rifles | 762 mm | 584 mm | Longer than about 80% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 1,611 rifles | 5 | 5 | Holds more rounds than about 60% |
Answers
Questions about the Krag-Jorgensen Model 1896 Cadet Rifle
How much does the Krag-Jorgensen Model 1896 Cadet Rifle weigh?
The Krag-Jorgensen Model 1896 Cadet Rifle weighs 4.22 kg (9.30 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Krag-Jorgensen Model 1896 Cadet Rifle?
The Krag-Jorgensen Model 1896 Cadet Rifle is chambered in .30-40 Krag.
How many rounds does the Krag-Jorgensen Model 1896 Cadet Rifle hold?
The Krag-Jorgensen Model 1896 Cadet Rifle holds 5 rounds, fed from a fixed box magazine.
How long is the Krag-Jorgensen Model 1896 Cadet Rifle?
The Krag-Jorgensen Model 1896 Cadet Rifle is 1247 mm (49.1 in) long overall, with a 762 mm (30.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the Krag-Jorgensen Model 1896 Cadet Rifle?
The Krag-Jorgensen Model 1896 Cadet Rifle is made by Springfield Armory, Inc. (United States). It was designed by Ole Herman Johannes Krag / Erik Jorgensen (base action); adapted at Springfield Armory.
When was the Krag-Jorgensen Model 1896 Cadet Rifle introduced?
The Krag-Jorgensen Model 1896 Cadet Rifle was introduced in 1896 and discontinued in 1898.
How does the Krag-Jorgensen Model 1896 Cadet Rifle operate?
The Krag-Jorgensen Model 1896 Cadet Rifle uses a bolt action, and its firing mechanism is striker fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- United States Military Academy
- 1896
- United States Army
- 1896
Provenance
Confidence in this record
72%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/krag-jorgensen-model-1896-cadet-rifle' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "krag-jorgensen-model-1896-cadet-rifle", "name": "Krag-Jorgensen Model 1896 Cadet Rifle", "manufacturer": { "id": "springfield-armory", "name": "Springfield Armory, Inc.", "countryCode": "US", "foundedYear": 1974, "website": "https://www.springfield-armory.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:38", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:45", "version": "25f76dc992edbd0bbf9fcae464532e0cdea93a1bb7636f2858e213931d45a359" }, "category": { "id": "rifle", "name": "Rifle", "description": "Long-barreled firearms designed for accurate shooting" }, "country_of_origin": "US", "year_introduced": 1896, "barrel_length_mm": 762, "weight_empty_g": 4218, "action_type": "bolt_action"}