Interesting Kreiger Variation
Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2026 4:08 pm
Gents,
I got this nice Kreiger 81 from my wife for my birthday. It's really about the perfect set up for everything but stalking. I prefer a svelte aperture sighted Model 8 for that. Anyway, what makes this Kreiger unique is the safety over travel stop. When I first got it I was disappointed that it didn't have the screw and was very careful to not depress the safety very hard. As you can see from the pics, it has a pin in the trigger plate to stop the rocker. It is a cleaner approach to the problem than yet another external screw.
I have a theory that the original owner may have done this. This rifle is in impeccable mechanical condition. I completely disassembled it and it was exceptionally clean. On top of that it's original owner had applied anti seize lube to the extractor slide. Few men would decide to use anti seize. I think he may have been mechanically inclined and came up with the safety rocker stop. I bought it from the the great nephew of the original owner, Don Higgins of Michigan.
Of course if there are other examples like this my theory is shot.
As you can see, it once had a Lyman 41 also. I'm going to put one back on. The K4 has a dot reticle which I really like. It's quite clear for being 60 years old. I don't mind the rubber butt pad. It makes it a lot easier to stand a rifle up on a slick surface. I like that all the mods done to this rifle actually enhance its usefulness.
It was snowing during the pics. Any blemish is actually a snowflake. It's in very nice condition.
I got this nice Kreiger 81 from my wife for my birthday. It's really about the perfect set up for everything but stalking. I prefer a svelte aperture sighted Model 8 for that. Anyway, what makes this Kreiger unique is the safety over travel stop. When I first got it I was disappointed that it didn't have the screw and was very careful to not depress the safety very hard. As you can see from the pics, it has a pin in the trigger plate to stop the rocker. It is a cleaner approach to the problem than yet another external screw.
I have a theory that the original owner may have done this. This rifle is in impeccable mechanical condition. I completely disassembled it and it was exceptionally clean. On top of that it's original owner had applied anti seize lube to the extractor slide. Few men would decide to use anti seize. I think he may have been mechanically inclined and came up with the safety rocker stop. I bought it from the the great nephew of the original owner, Don Higgins of Michigan.
Of course if there are other examples like this my theory is shot.
As you can see, it once had a Lyman 41 also. I'm going to put one back on. The K4 has a dot reticle which I really like. It's quite clear for being 60 years old. I don't mind the rubber butt pad. It makes it a lot easier to stand a rifle up on a slick surface. I like that all the mods done to this rifle actually enhance its usefulness.
It was snowing during the pics. Any blemish is actually a snowflake. It's in very nice condition.