Even if the 'details' got turned into more of a family mythology, no worries, it still has a bunch of history with him that I can appreciate and am glad you have, and are playing with it.
FWIW, I have my G-dad's '98 Krag rifle, all original and love it just for that (but it is a fine looker and shooter too
). He was to be an Army Medic in WWI but the Armistice got declared just before he was to be shipped over. A country boy and hunter/fisher for the pan, then later sportsman, he bought that Krag when they were sold off cheap. Ive heard a couple variations on that from $1.98 to $3.98, but mostly I remember him telling ME that it would "shoot the eye out of a squirrel at 100yd.", with a big grin and a wink. As far as I know, it was his only 'deer rifle' the rest of his life.
I have shot it in a couple of friendly vintage rifle matches with cast bullet reloads and its still a dandy. A brother of his, my G-Uncle, I guess, was in the (IIRC) 3rd Wisconsin Volunteers in the SAW, Philippines, and may have been issued the '98 Krag Rifle, though Im not sure (gonna have to look into that...). The Rough Riders had '96(?) Krag Carbines while other volunteers, and the Buffalo Soldiers had Trapdoors, only regulars in Cuba were to have Krags. At 'The Hills' I would have grabbed a 'Long Tom' rifle first chance to lay down some long range fire if I'd had the chance.
