Schmidt-Rubin 1911 value?

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EastonTexas

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I was wondering the value in good condition? Any info about it would be appreciated. Serial number 368631
 

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...You know, I had someone try to sell me one of these recently. He's a collector and has some kind of old firearm's collecting license. They're really nifty firearms and are super accurate. As an engineer, I really can appreciate the design on the action.

If I remember right, he was trying to part ways with it for around $800 something. It was in good condition, but don't know anything about the serial number or authenticity of the parts.

Maybe this isn't much to offer and it's anecdotal, but at least it's true from my neck of the woods.
 
I'd suggest taking a look at the Simpson LTD site and find some in comparable condition. $800 sounds pretty high. I've seen them go in the $300 - $600 range. I don't think I'd sell unless I was offered an outrageously high price.

If you can find ammo, those are so much fun to shoot. The barrels are almost longer than my cleaning rod. For me, the stock shape is much more comfortable than the more modern K31. Awkward to carry due to its long length, but balanced for shooting!

Yours has a P stamp, indicating it was privately owned after military service. Internet serial number references put the manufacture date of yours as 1913. Just a year after the Titanic sank, and a year before WWI started.
 
Aim Surplus has one for $600 which I'd think is pretty typical. Only 127,000 1911's were ever made! All Swiss rifles were dirt cheap not long ago but the supply had dried up.
 
There are three models this could be... a G1911, a 96/11, and a K11 carbine. None of them are worth 800, unless they have exceptional wood in unsanded original condition, or some fancy diopter sights and other accessories for match shooting. Or a case of ammo.

The G11s and 96/11s (much the same thing, the latter being older guns converted into 1911 spec) typically sell in the 400 (buy it fast) to 550 range (maybe more from Simpsons and Edelweiss but they’re proud of their stuff in my experience). The K11 carbines also sell in the 500-600 range.
 
The 1911 has a very long action, with locking lugs at the rear. Due to this, it's less inherently accurate than the K31, although a few shooters in Switzerland used to like the longer sight radius. Some have really nice walnut stocks, some are more plebeian. The Swiss match diopters are a nice piece of precision engineering, and were worth more than the rifle itself when I was tinkering with and refurbishing those in Switzerland, 35 years ago. At the time, a good shootable 1911 was worth $100-150, a K31 with beech stock $120-200, and a K31 with walnut stock $150-250. Real match grade rifles with selected barrels were worth more, but the run-of-the mill K31 was more accurate than any other military issue rifle I've tried. Guys were getting 10 rounds within 8" at 300m with aperture sights, with 8-9 of these rounds inside the 4" bull. Stock military rifles, stock military ammo, aperture sights.
 
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Excuse please ... the 1911's locking lugs are in the middle. I think your description is for the 1896 model? Many have been rearsenalled to a "96/11". The 1911 is a true long rifle; the K31 and the K11 are short rifles.
View attachment 984119
The 96/11 can be distinguished externally from the 1911 by a larger bulge on the right side of the stock due to the magazine conversion.

I think American shooters prefer the K31 over the K11, 1911 or 96/11 not because of the sight radius, but because the K31's rear tangent sight is zeroed at 100 meters, not at 300 meters like the earlier two rifles.
 
They're in the middle because the push-pull cam is at the back of the bolt. Remove that and put a simple bolt handle, and all of a sudden they're at the rear of the bolt... They're at the rear relative to the magwell, not front locking lugs like in a Mauser system or a K31.

Compare the spindly-looking, looooong bolt head with the massive head of the K31, and the location of the lugs.
 
The earlier rifles (pre-1911) really did have the lugs at the back. Compare this bolt:
View attachment 984136
...with the bolt in the pic I include in the post above. As you said, it's relative, but the 1911 bolt can really be said to be "in the middle" compared with its previous iteration. ;)

I don't have a 96/11, but I do have a 1911, K11 and K31. I think my 1911 shoots the best of my three Swiss rifles, but you do have to learn where to hold.
 
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My opinion it is among the best surplus rifles, on par with the Swedish Mauser and Finland M39 Mosin in terms of accuracy and workmanship. Rested not too hard to get 10 rounds in a ten ring and pretty easy to get 10 shots staying in the 9 ring at 100 yds. Even at today's prices I consider a Swiss worth it. Got mine over 10 years ago. Have two 1911 and three K31
100_2412.JPG
029.JPG
 
@lionking - got a quick question for ya ... do you find a difference between the PPU ammo and the GP11 ammo for point of impact if you use the same point of aim?

I'm making up a holds chart for all my milsurps and my Swisses have got me a a bit baffled. With my K11 I'm hitting the same POI for POA at 50 yds for both PPU and GP11 ammo, but when I stretch that out to 100 yds there's a four inch elevation difference between them.
 
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wiscoaster said:
@lionking - got a quick question for ya ... do you find a difference between the PPU ammo and the GP11 ammo for point of impact if you use the same point of aim?

I'm making up a holds chart for all my milsurps and my Swisses have got me a a bit baffled. With my K11 I'm hitting the same POI for POA at 50 yds for both PPU and GP11 ammo, but when I stretch that out to 100 yds there's a four inch elevation difference between them.
Click to expand...
Yes as you see with first pic of my #1 impact changed some between the two and have since tested Prvi soft point and impact really changed between Prvi FMJ, mine seem to like FMJ more than SP.
 
I know it's been almost 7 months since last post, but for those interested in buying a Schmidt Rubin here's another source I purchased one from: MMB Imports.
Talk to Margie. Simpson and Edelweiss are both excellent sources and are honest
 
Tortuga said:
...You know, I had someone try to sell me one of these recently. He's a collector and has some kind of old firearm's collecting license. They're really nifty firearms and are super accurate. As an engineer, I really can appreciate the design on the action.

If I remember right, he was trying to part ways with it for around $800 something. It was in good condition, but don't know anything about the serial number or authenticity of the parts.

Maybe this isn't much to offer and it's anecdotal, but at least it's true from my neck of the woods.
Click to expand...
That would be a Curio and Relic license, shortened to C&R usually. Or, FFL Type 03.
 
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