Development of the Krag Jorgensen for the US Military takes a different approach in telling the history of the Krag rifle. The Krag was maligned as obsolete when it was adopted in 1892. A fresh review of period government documents coupled with a systems engineering assessment of the Krag rifle as a weapons system compared with contemporary rifles of the day demonstrate that the Krag was a reliable, robust and accurate weapon that carried the United States Army into the 20th Century. Military rifle experts and novices both will enjoy this fresh look at the first smokeless powder rifle adopted by the US Army.