Editing Krag–Jørgensen (section)

== Special Krag–Jørgensen rifles / carbines and oddities ==
The Krag–Jørgensen was manufactured for almost 60 years in Norway. During this time several special models and prototypes were designed and manufactured.<ref name="NMG-21">Hanevik, Karl Egil (1998). Norske Militærgeværer etter 1867, chapter 21</ref> Some of these special weapons were meant as an aid in production or to meet a specific demand, but there were also various attempts to increase the firepower of the weapon.

=== Model rifles ===
The so-called "model rifles" were used both when the various sub types were approved and as a guide for manufacturing.<ref name="NMG-21" /> Basically, the model rifle or model carbine was a specially manufactured weapon that showed how the approved weapon should be. They were numbered and stored separately. Several model rifles and carbines were manufactured for things like a change in surface treatment or other seemingly minor things. There were especially many model rifles made for the M1894, since several were sent to Steyr in Austria to work as controls and models.<ref name="NMG-21" />

=== Harpoon rifles ===
A small number of Krag–Jørgensen rifles were converted into harpoon guns,<ref name="NMG-21" /> in the same fashion as [[Jarmann M1884]]s were converted to [[Jarmann harpoon rifle]]s. It was realized that converting the Jarmann was more cost efficient than converting the Krag–Jørgensen, so further conversions was halted.<ref name="NMG-21" /> It is not known how many were converted in this way.

=== Modified for belt feed ===
The factory museum at Kongsberg Weapon Factory preserved a prototype of an M1894 modified for belt feed. Although no documentation has been uncovered, it's clear that the rifle has been modified at an early stage in the manufacturing process to use the same feed belts that were used on the [[Hotchkiss machine gun|Hotchkiss]] [[heavy machine gun]] in use in the Norwegian Army at the time.<ref name="NMG-21" />

The backward and forward movement of the bolt operates a mechanism that moves the belt through the receiver, presenting fresh rounds for the weapon. While this may have been advantageous while fighting from fixed fortifications, it cannot have been very practical for the user of the rifle to carry a long feed belt with him in the field. Even so, it is an interesting and early attempt to increase the firepower of the Krag–Jørgensen.<ref name="NMG-21" />

=== Lieutenant Tobiensen's "speed loader" ===
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Krag-Jørgensen-Speed Loader 1.jpg|left|thumb|100px|[[Technical drawing]] of the 'Speed Loader']] -->
In 1923 Lieutenant Tobiesen, working at Kongsberg Weapon Factory, designed what he called a ''speed loader for repeating rifles''. It can be seen as a new attempt to increase the firepower of the Krag–Jørgensen,<ref name="NMG-21" /> just as the attempt to convert it to belt feed. The design consisted of a modified cover that let the user of the rifle attach a magazine from the [[Madsen light machine gun]]. The cover had a selector switch, allowing the user to select if he wanted to use the Krag–Jørgensen's internal magazine with its 5 rounds of ammunition, or if he wanted to use the external magazine with 25 rounds.

The design was considered promising enough that eight prototypes were manufactured and tested.<ref name="NMG-21" /> However, in testing it was revealed that the heavy magazine mounted on the side of the weapon not only made the rifle more cumbersome to carry and use, but also made it twist sideways. It was decided that the "speed loader" was not a practical design for military use and no further manufacture took place.<ref name="NMG-21" />

In 1926, a group of seal hunters approached Kongsberg Weapon Factory and asked to purchase a number of speedloaders for use when hunting seals from small boats. They were turned down due to the high cost of manufacturing a limited number of the devices.<ref name="NMG-21" />

=== Modified to self loaders ===
At the same time that the Hotchkiss heavy machine gun was introduced to the Norwegian Army, some people started considering modifying the Krag–Jørgensen to semi-automatic fire. Doing so would have multiplied the firepower of the infantry, allowing more weight of fire to be brought at a target. Most of the designs put forward were not very well thought out and few of the designers knew enough about firearms to be able to calculate the pressures and dimensions necessary. However, two designs were investigated further, and eventually one prototype was built.

==== Sunngaard's automatic rifle ====
In 1915 Sergeant Sunngaard proposed a design for making the Krag–Jørgensen into a selfloading rifle. The design was considered over a period of time before it was declared to be 'quite without value', primarily because the requisite pressure would not be attainable without major redesign of the rifle.<ref name="NMG-21" /> For this reason, no prototype was made.

==== Self-loading device SNABB 38 ====
In 1938 a Swedish design called the SNABB was considered. This was a modification that could be made to virtually any bolt-action rifle allowing it to be converted into a self-loading weapon, therefore presenting a chance to cut costs as compared to manufacturing new weapons.<ref name="NMG-21" /> The device used gas pressure to operate the bolt handle with the help of a runner. The modification was deemed by some to be unnecessarily complicated.<ref name="NMG-21" /> A separate pistolgrip was needed, and the receiver needed major modifications.<ref name="NMG-21" />

A prototype was manufactured in the autumn of 1938 and tested for several months. While moderately successful, the modification would cost about three times as much as originally thought, and the project was dropped due to lack of funds.<ref name="NMG-21" />