The Danish Gevær M/1889: A Developmental History of the Krag–Jørgensen Rifle in Denmark

Abstract

The Krag–Jørgensen rifle is perhaps best known in the Anglosphere for the important role it played in shaping America’s modern military, ushering the country into the era of smokeless powder and magazine-fed, repeating firearms at the end of the 19th century. Although several books have been written on the American Krag–Jørgensen models, very little has been written in English on their Scandinavian counterparts. The Krag–Jørgensen rifle, although developed in Norway, was first adopted in Denmark as the Gevær M/1889. The lack of reliable scholarship examining Scandinavian rifles of this period has given rise to a range of false narratives and misinformation connected with the early development of the rifle and its adoption by the Danish armed forces. This article seeks to address these issues head-on, providing a verifiable—if general—narrative of the early development of the weapon and its early trials and adoption.