The Krag-Jørgensen Rifle - In the Movies

America's first repeating smokeless rifle! An overview of the Krag-Jørgensen rifle including recommended historical movies featuring this firearm.
More War Movie Content: / johnnyjohnsonesq
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Movies/Video Games Featured:
Heneral Luna 2015
The King’s Choice 2016
Rough Riders 1997
The Fighting Seabees 1944
Hogan's Heroes 1965
April 9th 2015
The Wind and the Lion 1975
Death Hunt 1981
Red Dead Redemption 2 (Video Game)
The Three Stooges 1943
Goyo The Boy General 2018
The Outlaw Josey Wales 1976
55 Days at Peking 1963
To Kill a Mockingbird 1962
#ww2 #guns #gun #firearms

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Re-post! Sorry folks. I guess there was an oboe playing for 2 seconds in the background somewhere that copyright AI picked up on? Rude. The good news is it gave me an opportunity to add Schultz to the video!

[@thekhoifish0146]

It’s ok, trombones are better anyway

[@felixbui9818]

bro an oboe??

[@User_Un_Friendly]

I know nothing! Nothing! 🤣

[@andyzehner3347]

@@User_Un_Friendly You beat me to it.

[@patriotenfield3276]

Why no mention of Russian/Soviet Airborne armor in your vehicles 😤?

[@tomawen5916]

About 25 years ago my then girlfriend (now wife) and I went to Mackinac Island. They had a military demonstration including exhibition of the Krag rifle with a re-enactor in 1898 volunteer uniform. It was a very impressive firing demonstration with the only hiccup was reloading the rifle. Great weapon!!

[@danawsomeful]

Mackinac island is absolutely beautiful and the history display is fantastic. The fire and cannon demonstrations are always a highlight

[@Jorminyu]

For us they did more of a different display. So the Springfield Trapdoor Rifle. Which means he reloaded every shot. It was cool asking about the Prussian inspired design of helmets. Yes they were inspired by Prussian design for those who don’t know.

[@hb9145]

We solved this problem later with speed loaders. The Krag was a very popular rifle in national speed shooting competitions (Stang shooting) until the 1990s.

[@jeffinknoxville]

The “Krags” show up often at gun shows and are one of the more affordable military collectibles. The ammunition is available commercially and the rifles, if in good condition, make good shooters or just interesting wall hangers

[@jehoiakimelidoronila5450]

I presume they're that available (a la surplus). If they were then it's good enough for the ammo shortage that's happening lately

[@AwesomeNinja1027]

As a Filipino i would like to thank you for showing Heneral Luna as your opening clip for this video. And including Goyo ang Batang Heneral.

[@Nugcon]

Heneral Luna mentioned, big win

[@ivanov9245]

PINOY PRIDE OHHH YEAHH HHH

[@telophasemusic]

Hey hey pinoy brother! (I'm Half Japanese, half fillipino but still lol)

[@AwesomeNinja1027]

@@telophasemusic it doesn't matter. As long as you have Filipino blood. You are my brother.

[@telophasemusic]

@@AwesomeNinja1027 hell yeah dude 👍

[@The_Republic_of_Ireland]

Johnny boy, seriously, why TF does KZbin hate you to the point you need to reupload your vids 100 times? It's genuinely retarded, you're one of the best KZbinrs going and so informative too

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Thanks, man. It's a struggle. I'm just happy to be monetized, though. Youtubing is fun. Well when I'm not having my videos messed with lol.

[@The_Republic_of_Ireland]

@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq lol I hear you. God willing you will have a clear run of it sooner or later

[@Wolvenworks]

Ask susan lol.

[@donnymcgahan1158]

"Let's get retarded" -Fergie

[@Kurt20051YT]

Glad to see 2 of my favorite actors from my childhood in the thumbnail. Both the three stooges and hogan's heroes were great shows.

[@guessundheit6494]

The side opening and "self sorting" (sans stripper clip) is definitely an advantage. It doesn't require precision, easier to do when panicked or wearing gloves in harsh winters.

[@FelixVenator]

Is it really easier to handle single cartridges while wearing gloves, though?

[@tenofprime]

​@@FelixVenator it is important to remember the timeframe here as well. At that time it was not unheard of for an army to loose not because of battlefield maneuvers but because they ran out of supplies, including ammo. That is why the well aimed single shot with a magazine if you get jumped was preferred.

[@padraigpearse1551]

Another movie it can be seen prominently in is Chaplin's "The Great Dictator"

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Shoot I always forget about checking that gem when making my vids.

[@Jack-Hands]

And don't forget the original "King Kong".

[@20thCenturyManTrad]

So glad you made a Hogan's Heroes reference, one of my all time favorite shows.

[@booksrule0240]

I love to use the line "I know nothing, NOOOTHING!"

[@20thCenturyManTrad]

@@booksrule0240 I always do when I really don't want to answer a question!

[@tenofprime]

What I love is that Germany did use krags in rear line work like POW guards so it is not that improbable.

[@20thCenturyManTrad]

@@tenofprime I definitely agree, on the rear you took what you could get.

[@tenofprime]

@@20thCenturyManTrad in WW1 they were dragging out the black powder single shots at times.

[@dannelson8768]

When I was a kid, we would go to Memorial Day services in my Dad's hometown where he was a member. The local American Legion members marched and used Krag rifles in parade and firing the 21 gun salute. That was always a great memory. Oh, and one thing Johnny ... you're videos aren't silly ... it takes a lot of time and effort to make them, we appreciate you.

[@johnmcdonald587]

The use of the Krag in 'The Wind And The Lion' was due to the fact the production couldn't locate the number of Lee Navy's required to arm the Marines.

[@1bert719]

Probably a similar reason US marines in "55 days in peking" are sporting British Lee metford rifles. The Navy type must be far rarer.

[@eddarling1871]

Sgt Schultz actual rifle is in the WWII museum in wakefield RI

[@andrewstravels2096]

Curly, Sgt. Shultz, excellent memories from my childhood!!! Thanks for introducing me to the classics dad!!!

[@Persian-Immortal]

I know nothing! I see nothing!

[@patriotenfield3276]

Interestingly enough, Norway has developed its own Jarmann M1884 rifle in Norwegian 10.15x61r . And before The Norwegians came with the Kammerlader rifle. The Kammerlader was a single shoot while the Jarmann has a tubular reloading system based on Kropatscheck model of firearms.

[@ffas791]

Thank you for adding Hogans Heroes to the list!!!

[@Goose1995]

I'm in the Menger hotel in San Antonio looking at the Krag they have in the Rough Riders display right now. Great timing man!

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Very cool!

[@judsongaiden9878]

When I was a teenager in the '90s, my friend's dad restored a Krag-Jorgensen. I used to spot one here or there every once in a while at some of the local gun shops (Hoosiers, represent!) 15-25 years ago. You just don't see them anymore.

[@coachjt7103]

My dad owns a Krag. My great grandfather purchased it at surplus after the war. I shot it just a few weeks ago. It's a sweet gun.

[@jovanweismiller7114]

My Dad used a Krag-Jørgensen .30-40 for deer hunting in the 1950s.

[@JF-xq6fr]

The deer harvested by my neighbor with a Krag, ate just as well as those felled by any other rifle. I had tons of friends who did the same with Type 99 Arisakas, Carcano rifles, 1917s, 1903s, old Mausers, Lee-Enfields... It was so great that you could get a "real" deer rifle for chump-change at Kmart/Woolworths/hardware store, and also own a piece of military history.

[@Lomi311]

Awesome to see a C&Rsenal clip. They make a great long form counterpart to these shorter videos. Thanks to Johnny and Othais!

[@stcredzero]

The stunt sequence at 4:27! Guy falls off the top of a wall 5 stories up, and hits his head on a stairway landing just before falling into the water! Either someone died on the set and they shot it, or this is one of the most impressively choreographed and executed stunt shots in history!

[@infinitlycool]

Pretty sure that was a dummy they used for that sequence.

[@AC4ace]

It's almost certainly a mannequin.

[@stcredzero]

@@infinitlycool Well, the editing and the whole thing worked for me! Also, the thing didn't flop around like a dummy. It must've been well articulated and weighted.

[@stcredzero]

@@AC4ace Well, I was sold!

[@cmcapps1963]

I need to hear the Wilhelm scream before I'm sold...

[@Antares2]

I've heard anecdotes regarding the Krag-Jørgensen during the Battle of Narvik. Especially in the mountainous areas of Gratangsfjellet, the Krag (possibly aided by elevation advantage as well) was able to outshoot the german Mausers quite handily. They were engaging at longer ranges than the germans could effectively fire back. Don't know how credible it is, but I do know that the germans really struggled in the mountain fights around Narvik. At least for a short while.

[@kjellg6532]

Accordibg i Wikipedia: Krag 900 m, Mauser 98k 500 m (iron sights), 1000+ m ith telescope. Iow they seem equal. The Germans had some difficulties in Norway, too many good marksmen, military and civilian. May where also able to operate under hash winter conditions.

[@Antares2]

@@kjellg6532 Yeah, like I said, this is purely anecdotal (according to veterans that spoke to my father and grandfather about it a long time ago) about how the norwegian marksmen were able to hit germans at great ranges. I have no way to verify if it was actually true or not.

[@hb9145]

@@Antares2 Norway had shooting clubs in every village, and the Krag was a very accurate rifle in the right hands. The bullet had a flat trajectory and small cross section. I have heard many stories of Germans getting picked off with head shots at several hundred meters. Some of these stories may be exaggerated, but Norway had good marksmen in droves. One of my former neighbors was one of the best field competition shooters in Norway, shooting the Krag in competition and also in WW2. I would not like to be a German rifleman in a firefight against him.

[@SeanDahle]

I've shot one. Smooth rifles. My favorite gun to use in Red Dead Redemption 1 and 2.

[@paleoph6168]

Horay it's back! 🎉🎊

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

New and improved! Thanks for your support as always my man.

[@paleoph6168]

​​@@JohnnyJohnsonEsqand you added _Hogan's Heroes!_ 1:22 5:06 I guess next time for mi _Amigo,_ then.

[@christopherwang4392]

Colonel Klink: "For the first time since I've taken command here, I want to know nothing, NOTHING!"

[@inductivegrunt94]

It's back. Great video, so it's good to have it back. Still would like to see the Mosin Nagant and hear about its history after WW2.

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

I promise it's on my list! It's a big project and I want to give it some solid attention so not for a few months yet.

[@inductivegrunt94]

@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq Okay, that makes sense. I'm it'll be good if it's as big as you describe it should be.

[@hansmerker5611]

I suggest a video on the 1903 Springfield rifle.

[@brandonwoeldike2084]

As someone with a very Danish family, I’ve been fascinated by the Krag for Avery long time

[@dinodoode2479]

cheers man, i just discovered your channel and really enjoy your videos.

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Right on. Welcome to the channel 🙏

[@rburns9730]

1:22 "I see nothing! I hear nothing! I know nothing!"

[@richardjohnson4238]

Johnny, only YOU could find a way in work in Hogan's Hero's AND the Three Stooges! Well done!

[@TylerHulan]

Your videos are always fun and informative. Thanks for making them!

[@RandomAussie-dx9fj]

My new favorite rifle.

[@dd11111]

I didn't know I wanted to see a video on the Krag's on screen apperances until I saw it in my feed. I always thought it was an odd/quirky rifle, and it is. (It'd make a perfect base for a star wars or space western blaster) So I'm not sure why I hadn't considered it for this series until I saw the thumbnail. I think this is the perfect kind of gun to feature here, historically noteworthy yet somewhat obscure and with a unique/unusual design or operation. Absoubtly stellar job Johnny.

[@BAG3Lmk07]

Great video. “Rough Riders” and “The Wind and the Lion” are at the top of my favorite movies. Big TR fan. After watching the heavily stylized “Heneral Luna” all I wanted to see was more of canon Arthur MacArthur Jr. That was a real delight.

[@Bali-flipper]

My Norwegian grandfather has one of these in his basement, and my uncle found a full ammo pouch with krag ammo that was never used. My uncle got the ammo from a old lady that had a husband in the war that had kept his stuff and she gave it to my uncle.

[@Viking.warrior.94]

Being born and bred in norway I find great honor in this rifle, that being said, I also own a Krag Jørgensen Marine edition.

[@zachweyrauch2988]

Man.... i really appreciate how little glamourization of glory or violence is in your content. You do a great job walking the line between interested and endorsing.

[@DonderNashawk]

Love this channel, short, sweet, and to the point

[@r2gelfand]

I have 2 of these beautiful rifles. Actions are smooth as silk.

[@m.a.118]

I have a restored German WWII Krag carbine (with German army proofing marks), it was badly damaged when we bought it- So my father remade a maple-wood stock for it and it and the magazine was removed (damaged) so it only holds three rounds... But it's easily my favorite rifle. Accurate and light. Also, easy assembly compared the my Lee-Enfield's which the bolts tend to be a bit of a pain.

[@michaellepp5445]

I literally only clicked on this because of the Hogan's Heroes clip. I learned a lot also. Thanks

[@tvela595]

I didn’t realize the Krag was in To Kill a Mockingbird! Cool

[@paulhart9102]

My grandfather had a sporterised Krag with a Shabnel forend and a Monte Carlo stock. Beautiful.

[@mrthomas2847]

I'm from Norway, the first rifle I ever shot was a Krag, I remembers as a kid how I had no idea how it works, I just had rounds in my hand dropped them all at the same time locked and it worked prefect

[@christopherwang4392]

Sergeant Schultz: "I see nothing! I was not here! I did not even get up this morning!"

[@klegdixal3529]

is there a way you could work some of the Battle of Drøbak Sound sequence from King's Choice into one of your videos? Whitehead torpedoes perhaps?

[@M26E4SuperPershing]

I would love to see a video either about the jumbo or M26

[@kongoubongo1114]

Always trust KZbin to inconvenience its userbase over trivial stuff. Good video, Johnny!

[@reinerzufall4927]

i think 1903 springfield would also be interresting

[@reinerzufall4927]

or maybe the g98k

[@normalplayer7377]

Good to see it back

[@oolooo]

1:45 And you can use Mosin-Nagant clips too to feed it .

[@aurathedraak7909]

I didn't know Shultz had carried one in the show?

[@shadowfast541]

2:42 "Are you sure you know how to handle that gun?"

[@charthapian4536]

Another lesser known appearance of this rifle in a film (a "sporterized" variant) is in To Kill a Mockingbird 1962

[@foottingthaiusa]

An interesting firearm. that I have never seen before thanks for sharing this information to me.

[@blitz8221]

Fun fact: The King's Choice's title in Norwegian isn't actually The King's Choice (Kongens valg), but The King's No (Kongens nei).

[@CrayonosaurusRex]

Allot of the American made Krags were bought up after WWI by the NRA and allot of gun clubs and sporterized to be given away as "membership" gifts. I have a Norwegian krag, and it is my favorite surplus gun to shoot (ironically beating out a Spanish Mauser as my original favorite)

[@Satanperkele]

I inherited one of these from my great uncle, and as he handed it over he made sure to mention it was used in the defence of norway against the nazis and even laid a few of them low. History is nuts

[@Basicallybaltic]

Super cool to see a Norwegian made weapon in your videos 🇳🇴Må jo elske det🇳🇴

[@Mill_Brownwen_Officiales]

Fun fact: when I visited a reenactment group in the philippines (republic filipina reenactment group) they used the Rifles (both m1893 and krag) used in the Heneral luna movie and the Goyo movie,in the movies The Soldiers on front of the Camera would have a very realistic boltable looking krag/mausers while the extras on the back would have unboltable rifles that come in many shapes, the conditions on the rifles currently are breaking and the first rifle I was given had no trigger guard, broken sling and a broken bolt, They aren't actually made out of metal by the way.

[@Chiller01]

I have a modest WW1/WW2 rifle collection but have never been attracted by the Krag. It just looks kinda clunky. Just saw them in the recent Norwegian film, Narvik. A pretty good movie.

[@hb9145]

Just feel the smooth action and try the excellent 6.5x55, and you'll fall in love.

[@Chiller01]

@@hb9145 I have an M38 Swedish short rifle so I enjoy the 6.5X55 mm round. They were so far ahead of their time with that cartridge!

[@hb9145]

@@Chiller01 That is a great rifle. Agree.

[@Shaun_Jones]

Although not a movie (yet, hopefully), the Destroyermen series of novels also features the Krag somewhat extensively. Although somewhat out of place for an American warship to have several crates of the guns aboard in March of 1942, it’s explained that they were most likely placed aboard the ship when she was commissioned in 1919 and were simply never removed. They see heavy use in the books, mostly because they consist of more than half of the modern rifles on the entire planet.

[@HandyMan657]

Whao! 1 day? Thanks again, again Johnny. See ya for the next one one.

[@calebblasingame2921]

America also used Krags in the First World War. Despite what people think, m1903s were issued in very small numbers. The vast majority of were issued m1917 rifles, and many American soldiers and Marines were issued surplus Krags or borrowed enfields and lebels

[@ThubanDraconis]

For what it's worth... Modern bolt action rifles don't have the cutout for loading from stripper clips and even if they did the scope would get in the way. This system might work quite well for hunting rifles. (I'm not talking about butchering a historical relic but making new rifles in modern calibers with scope mounts that load like the Kraigs.)

[@ajsingh5794]

Love the stoogies included in your video.

[@christopherwang4392]

In 1898, Edward G. Parkhurst actually designed and patented a clip/charger-loading device for the Springfield Krag. The U.S. Ordnance Department tested the Parkhurst Clip-Loading Device and found it to be very effective and simple to use. Nevertheless, the U.S. Army in all its conservative wisdom rejected the Parkhurst Device and kept the Springfield Krag as a single-loading repeater.

[@tlshortyshorty5810]

As a Filipino-American with an interest in history I always wanted one of these rifles. It helps that I think that the side-loading capsule magazine, while odd, makes the rifle one of the most beautiful military bolt actions ever made- a delicate and elegant way of loading compared to a stripper clip, as well as being a shiny spot on the receiver that differentiates it from the stark wooden sides of other guns like the Mauser and Mosin.

[@nastynate4916]

I see sergeant Schultz, I click

[@themisfitbrigade]

I own an 1896 model and I absolutely love it. Ammo is expensive as hell though.

[@prson4042]

Fun fact, the government in the early 1900s as they had developed the cartridges 30-01, then 30-03, then soon after 30-06, had made efforts to make up for the inability to feed the magazine with stripper clips. These were known as the "Parkhurst clip fed krags". There were very few made but they had the capability to use stripper clips but were abandoned because when they tried to rechamber normal krags to the aforementioned cartridges, the single locking lug unfortunately could not handle the pressure created by the rounds and was often found to be highly damaged. Had they gone through the effort of re-designing the krag to have 2 locking lugs (pretty sure it would have been possible and have a few ideas of how to do it) we may have seen krags in both world wars instead of Springfield's rather exceptionally well done mauser clone.

[@tinkeringclaws5559]

i love my krag, looks horrendous but still silky smooth.

[@TellySavalas-or5hf]

Sergeant Schulz was a bit of a rubber duck. Fox wild he was. But Hogan's Heroes scenes were filmed in California! The soft erotic film "Ilsa Shewolf of the SS" was filmed on the same POW camp site in 1973. Good video again John!

[@kennethlindahl9206]

Lots of the old guys when I was a young guy swore by there 30/40 Krags. One old feller told me he could shoot his faster than a lever action ... for the first 3 shots! Never saw him do it, but he seemed sure.

[@cooperwilliams9140]

Always remembered it in "To Kill A Mockingbird"

[@danbuchman7497]

Curly: “I see nothinggg!” Shultz: “Nyuk, Nyck, Nyck!” Love the small details found in even the of silliest shows.

[@Doofing_Cookies]

Me when I see the thumbnail: *S H U L T Z!*

[@jasonsantos3037]

This is the most interesting rifle never get used a lot.

[@Helpline5815]

The Sand Pebbles starring Steve McQueen featured the Boxer Rebellion, but they used Springfield M1903's.

[@svetovidarkonsky1670]

Great vid... concise and informative! Thanks

[@steventrotter4958]

Civilize 'Em with A Krag!

[@grubblepidd2567]

Great Video! I never knew much on the Krag, It be good to see a video on the StG 44/MP 43

[@paleoph6168]

(sung to the tune of the US Civil War song _Tramp! Tramp! Tramp!_ ) In that land of dopey dreams, lovely peaceful Philippines, where the bolo man is hiking night and day; Where Tagalogs steal and lie, and Americanos die, there you hear the soldiers sings this evening lay: Damn, damn, damn the Filipinos! Cross-eyed kakiack ladrones! Underneath our starry flag, civilize 'em with a Krag, and return us to our own beloved homes.

[@oldtruthteller2512]

My son has one of these rifles. My cousins back in Norge used them to try to stifle the German invasion in 1940.

[@SacredRat]

The fact that I know both TV shows on the thumbnail-

[@TalkernateHistory]

This gun is also prominently used by Japanese soldiers and Chinese partisans in Dragon Seed (1944). When they're used by the Japanese in the movie, assumedly they are stand-ins for Arisakas. However, the Chinese partisans also use Krags, and in a scene where they open a crate of these rifles they comment on the guns having "strange foreign writing" on them and another character comments that the rifles are a gift and something to the effect of "one should not ask too many questions about the source of gifts", implying that they have been secretly smuggled to the Chinese by western powers. However, I don't think this ever actually happened. I don't think any Krag-Jorgensens were ever sent to China.

[@SPQRTejano]

These were some of my favorite movies of all time.

[@delroyhewitt7378]

Col. Klink: Shultz!!! Shultz: I know nothing kommandant nothing!! 😂😂

[@delroyhewitt7378]

Thank you for the like Johnny. Hogan Heroes was my favorite show growing up even though I was not born in that era

[@christopherwang4392]

Major Hochstetter: "WHAT IS THIS MAN DOING HERE?!"

[@loquat44-40]

I never noticed that sergeant Schultz had a Krag and that on top of it was a correct choice except likely being the wrong model of Krag. I have handled a krag, but never fired one and I would really like to have one lol.

[@philipsalama8083]

Worth noting that the Philippines garrison still had Krags in storage in 1941. The Filipino resistance would get their hands on a lot of them and use them against the Japanese. I also read somewhere that they were still being used by the Filipino communist guerillas and Moro seperatists in the 80s, but I can't find where I read it, so take it with a grain of salt.

[@nursestoyland]

*deja vu*

[@OutnBacker]

The KJ was a masterpiece of quality and design. No smoother bolt action rifle has ever been built. The Mauser 98 is clunky in comparison. The only other bolt gun that comes close is the excellent SMLE Enfield. The real reason the rifle was phased out was not the reloading method. All you had to do was dump in the rounds and they self-sorted - no stripper clip required, but the downside was that you had to carry loose bulk cartridges instead of clipped ammo en bloc. But that still was not the reason it was replaced. The reason was because the German designed Mauser was a stronger action that fired a more powerful cartridge with a longer range. Thus, the US adopted the Springfierld Model of 1903 - itself a Mauser action, for which the US was sued by Mauser, and lost. Because of the superior bolt strength of the Mauser, the US rifle could be chambered in the now famous .30-06 cartridge, which was about the same power as the Mauser cartridge of the time. As a general purpose hunting rifle, a nice KJ will do the job well and the fit and construction is second to none.

[@HarborLockRoad]

Working for my municipal services, we were excavating in the country and found an old brass case, nobody else could identify it but me. Krags were sold as government surplus and were popular hunting rifles, thats how," the round i found wound up in the ground". Lol

[@arthas640]

0:22 nothing you can say will dissuade me from thinking anything except that's Martin Mull on the left.

[@markwilliford4567]

I have a photograph of my grandfather in his Doughboy Uniform at Fort Sam Houston training with a Krag..

[@LIGHTNING278TH]

The main downside of the rifle wasn't the lack of chargers but the relative weakness of the action. The single locking lug limited the pressures the action could take. The Ordnance dept tried developing a higher pressure, higher velocity cartridge following the Spanish American war but were unable to make it work within the limitations of the design. This led to adopting a modified Mauser action in the move to develop the 1903.

[@PitFriend1]

A magazine cutoff to limit it to single shots wasn’t unusual in military rifles at the time. Early marks of British Lee Enfield rifles and the French Lebel 1886 (which also couldn’t use stripper clips since it had a tubular magazine) had cut offs as well. This was intended to prevent soldiers from “wasting” their ammunition and allow for ordered volley fire in the old Napoleonic fashion. This idea went away pretty quickly when WW 1 broke out.