[SoDFW Jason]

I got this rifle in a trade and I don't know much about it. Can anyone educate me? It's in great condition and I'm also curious what it's worth.

[Jim K]

The Swiss Schmidt-Rubin is a straight pull bolt action, in (originally) 7.5x55 (7.5 Swiss), not 7.62x54R Russian.

The most common on the market right now is the Model 31, the latest and best of the three Schmidt-Rubin rifles adopted by the Swiss.

They are selling for around $150 or less in good condition, though very nice ones will bring more.

Jim

[geojap]

I think the link you need is www.swissrifles.com If you have a K31, that rifle is a very nice one, but ammo is very expensive and the surplus ammo that is available now will dry up, so get ready to reload. When I say "that rifle is nice", I actually mean it is the nicest military bolt action ever made. Free floated barrel, outstanding engineering, 1 MOA capabilities out the door, great trigger, etc. They are available from AIM Surplus in VG condition for $90 shipped. New ones are worth hundreds more. I'd like to get some but the idea of not having ammo for it in the future doesn't excite me.

[Jagermeister]

Jason:
This is what I have on the Rubin:

JM

[Jagermeister]

I will be sending you the assem/disassem, W/photos momentarly by separate email.

JM

[Gewehr98]

Federal is introducing a domestic loading of the 7.5x55 Swiss round. It should be quite a relief to those of us who have bought stock in Norma ammo and brass for our Swiss rifles. ;)

[geojap]

That's great to hear, GW98. Just so I understand correctly, they are going to be selling boxes of complete rounds, right? Not just reloading supplies like dies, casings, etc. If that's so, I need to get me a couple with the old C&R.

Cruffler.com did a review of the K-31, and using Norma ammo, they shot several groups in the 0.6 MOA range with a rifle that came right out of the box. Needless to say, they were flabbergasted. They projected that the modern equivalent of a rifle of this quality would cost $2,500.

That's great to hear about the ammo, because these are outstanding target and hunting rifles.

[Gewehr98]

There was a smallish advertisement in one of the more recent Shotgun News editions.

Otherwise, there's a good supply of the Portuguese reloadable ammo out there, Dennis Kroh at www.empirearms.com usually stocks it. I shoot it and the Norma ammo in my 1911 Schmidt-Rubin, it's good stuff.

[Country Boy]

For more information on the K31 Schmidt-Rubin, check out:
www.surplusrifle.com/swissk31/index.asp
http://www.cruffler.com/Features/NOV-01/review-November-01.html

I'm REALLY looking forward to getting a Schmidt-Rubin.

BTW, I registered here as soon as I could, but I've been away for a while and haven't posted until now. All I can say is, "Holy Crow! This place has really taken off!"

[Gewehr98]

Nice combination of wood and steel. ;)

http://mauser98.com/schmidt.jpg

[El Rojo]

Touche!
http://home.bak.rr.com/elrojo14/pictures/k31red.jpg

Am I the only one that got 500 of the Swiss Match Brass when The Swiss Rifle Forum (http://pub125.ezboard.com/fcollectorguns35625frm1)was selling it? Man I sort of thought I blew it buying all of that brass for so much, but now I am pretty happy I did.

Yeah make sure you don't use 7.62x54 in it. That is most certainly not the round. I think I might go out in the garage and see if I can get a 7.62x54 to even go in the chamber. Boy that could be scary if people started mixing that up.

[goon]

You guys see, these forums are a good thing. Ten years ago someone might have tried that and blown themselves up. Now, Jason has someone to tell him that he was gonna use the wrong ammo, along with everyone else who didn't know but was afraid to ask.

[SoDFW Jason]

Hey guys,

Thanks for the input(I feel like an effin idiot now). My rifle doesn't look exactly like ANY of the examples I've seen. I am QUITE sure it is completely stock because numbers on it match everywhere. All of the examples I've seen have a big knob at the rear of the bolt, mine just has a thin, flat, round plate at the rear of the bolt. My rifle has a "1970" stamped on the action too. Is this a variant that's newer or something?

[Jagermeister]

Jason:
I was thinking it may be a Veterlli conversion, but the 1970 just blew that. Do you have a photo. That would really help

JM:banghead:

[Jim Watson]

Could it be a 7.62x54R after all; and NOT a Schmidt-Reuben?
A "thin flat round plate" sounds a lot like the striker head on a Moisin Nagant.

Uh, Jason; how do you open the bolt? Does it pull straight back or is it a TURNbolt?

[Jagermeister]

Jason:
Do any of these lool similar? The 1970 could mean that it was converted to 7.62X54, in 1970. I only say "could have" not to say it was. Also, the 1970 could possibly be the serial number.

JM

[Jagermeister]

The Italian's also had this gun.

JM

[Jagermeister]

Here is another choice. This in the Mosin Nagant Rifle mfg'd in the 7.62 russian round

JM

[SoDFW Jason]

Jim: It's an "up and back" pull on the bolt more like a modern deer rifle(Rem. 700) but the bolt itself is straight.

Jager: The serial number is totally different from the 1970 designation. I am still in the stone ages w/o a digital camera.

I actually got the rifle from BadJohn and he swears up and down he shot it and it was 7.62 X 54.

Were there any Mosins or Mausers chambered for this round?

That Mosin photo up there sure looks a lot more like it. See what I mean about the knob at the rear of the bolt being flat as opposed to round?

Is there a Mosin website to get a clearer picture of it?

[geojap]

Mosin Nagants fire that round, in their issued, unaltered state. Check out www.gunsnet.net/forums , and go to the Curio And Relic forum. Then go to the Mosin Nagant sub-forum. Look at the pics that the guys post there. Does it look like that? If it is a Mosin, it could be eaither Russian or Finnish made. The Finns made some very nice rifles with lots of history behind them. They are very accurate and well made.

[SoDFW Jason]

OK, more info.:

I had my little brother look at it for me. It says Interarms Monroe, NC 7.62 X 54 then it says Finland after that.

clear as mud now?

[geojap]

It was imported by Interarms, and is probably a Mosin made in Finnland. I would go to some of the other forums, like the C&R one that I mentioned above, and do some more research. Parallax's C&R forums are good too. There are probably more markings on it that you can interpret that will better define which rifle you have. Email me if you need more help with it. There are plenty of people out there that know Mosins thru and thru, and could help you out.

The Finn Mosins are very highly regarded, and if you paid $150, that is a good price, if it is in decent shape. I'm not an expert on Mosins (I don't own any), but the Finns are as highly regarded as Persian Mausers, Swedish Mausers and maybe the Swiss K-31's that you thought you had earlier. They are very accurate rifles, meticulously produced and maintained, and there are several legendary stories about Finn snipers in WW-II, armed only with their Mosins with iron sights, sneaking thru the country side for months at a time, and sniping literally hundreds of Soviet troops. Sometimes making kills out to 600 meters with just iron sights. I've heard it said that the Finns really understood "The Art of the Rifle". Whatever you've got, the 7.62x54 round is cheap and plentiful so you should have no problem finding ammo and shooting it. Enjoy it.

[diyj98]

Sounds like a M39 Finn. Does it look similiar to this?

[SoDFW Jason]

DING DING DING!!!! We have a winner!!! Thanks to all that contributed. It is, indeed, an M39 Finn. Now I need to figure out what it's worth. Any ideas?

[diyj98]

Like anything, it all depends upon condition. Here's a link to an outfit selling them. It should give you a rough value. If you decide to sell yours let me know!

http://www.gunsnammo.com/

[geojap]

Lots of places sell Mosin Nagants. Aim surplus, Empire arms, Guns n ammo/FAC, Wholesale Guns N ammo, Cole, Century, etc. They are worth $80 to $300 depending on condition. A better place to research these a little more thorougly is on the C&R forums.

[goon]

I just bought a really sweet one from one of the C&R gurus over at the Guns Network C&R forums. I paid $170 shipped for it if that helps. It it heavier than a Russian one, but I can just imagine engaging commies on the front lines with it in an attempt to drive them out of Finland.
I like it.

[El Rojo]

LOL! Well the good news is 7.62x54 is a heck of a lot cheaper to shoot.

[Gewehr98]

How one could get a Schmidt-Rubin description from eyeballing a Mosin Nagant?

A.K.A. Noisy Magnet, Moose Nugget, etc. :)

[foghornl]

If you need some info on the Mosin-Nagant rifles, I can think of 2 good web links.

Visit

www.Mosin-Nagant.net

www.Russian-Mosin-Nagant.com

For accessories, visit www.Tapco.com Tapco has Mosin-Nagant bolt parts, slings, cleaning rods/kits, stripper clips, etc. Just ordered a bunch of strippers for mine, and some leather ammo pouches, but won't be in for a few days.

I bought a Mosin-Nagant M-44 carbine (1954 Romanian manufacture) a while back for $50 from my local Dunhams Sporting Goods. They also had mil-surp ammo for $5/20. Cheaper bulk ammo is available from ammo man, cheaper that dirt, Southern Ohio Gun, etc. Winchester also loads a 7.62x54 round in their White Box Metric Ammo line