1869/71 Vetterli - I had to...

[PTK]

I saw a decent looking Vetterli in a gunstore yesterday, and it picked at my mind all last night. I went there today and picked it up, along with a Beaumont-Vitali that was next to it.

I have the .43 Dutch ammo headed to me, along with a bunch of .41 Swiss centerfire. I'll be converting the Vetterli's bolt to centerfire in the next few days, a very simple operation thanks to how the bolt was originally constructed. What shocked me most is that the bore on both of these rifles is a great deal sharper, cleaner, and shinier than my M44, M91/31 or even my M39 Finn! They should shoot very well indeed.

Whoever decided to have these priced at ~$250 on consignment, THANK YOU. You made my day, and then some.

Purists and collectors may well hate me, but I'm going to be refurbishing these both, to the tune of removing rust, cleaning the wood/bore/etc. and adjusting the sights to the ammunition that I have ordered. These will be shooters, not safe queens. Should get some odd looks at the range, that's for sure.

 

[Ash]

CHECK THE BEAUMONT! I have seen a bunch of Beaumonts with the barrel demilled below the stock just in front of the chamber (I owned one of them). Indeed, I have seen more demilled than I have seen functional. This one may be fine, but I would take that baby completely apart before I shot it.

As to the Swiss Vetterli's, they shot a low-powered slow rim-fired round. I would be really surprised if they were in bad shape considering the care the Swiss, like the Finns, had for their rifles. More so, since these rifles saw absolutely no combat.

Ash

 

[Vaarok]

You magnificent bastard. I thought I made out once with $300 for a Gew71 and a Gew88, but $250 apiece for an unadulterated Beaumont and Vetterli is way better. Also, I'm intensely jealous you're gonna shoot it. I don't have the time, space, or skill to roll ammo, or I'd do that.

You MUST do a range report.

As for refurbing, careful use of steel wool and careful cleaning and conservation of the wood should clean 'em both up without need for reblue-and-polyurethane. It's not a sin to clean a milsurp. It's a sin to pimpshine one by going fast and aggressive rather than patient and careful.

 

[PTK]

Ash


YOU HAD ME WORRIED!!!!!

I just disassembled it. Intact. PHEW! Dodged that bullet.


Vaarok

My idea of refurb is just that - rags, solvent, Renaissance wax, and oils. No bluing or anything like that. I figure it'll be a month or two of cleaning while I wait for my ammo.

Not only will I do a range report, I'll have my girlfriend take video.

 

[Ash]

Great! Let us know how they shoot!

Ash

 

[Flyboy73]

I have a Swiss Vetterli I picked up a while I would like to convert to centerfire. However i don't want to convert the orginal bolt. Have been looking for another bolt body to convert. Numerich was sold out when i ordered and just missed out on one at ebay, that was allready converted.

I see the cleaning rod is missing on yours, like mine. I understand alot of the vetterli are missing them. Have been looking for one for while too.

Bayonets for them are more then what i paid for the gun.


Brion

 

[PTK]

I have a cleaning rod, extra bolt body, and bayonet headed to me. I got lucky and found people willing to part with them.

 

[.455_Hunter]

Green Mountain Guns?

Were these rifles at Green Mountain Guns in Lakewood?

If so, I thought about picking up the Swiss model a month or so ago. It seemed very nice.

 

[PTK]

That's the one

The Beaumont came in Sunday, I bought it Tuesday.

Once I get it going, feel free to PM me and we'll hit the range together, I love to share odd and unique arms with others.

I should have a cleaning rod, bayonet, and converted bolt by the weekend, and ammo in another month or two.

 

[Chipperman]

Post pics after you SBR them.

 

[PTK]

Hahahahaha

Chipperman wins the thread!


Though, if the Beaumonts were more common, it'd be a handy carbine with a 12-14" barrel. Not about to happen with these, though.

For those wondering, brass, bullets, and dies for these two calibers combined cost me almost $400... ouch. 20 Beaumont cases are about $80, and the dies are $175 or so. At least .41 Swiss is cheaper - only $30 dies and $1.50/case.

The good news is that since they're so low-pressure (comparatively) the cases should last many firings.

 

[Vaarok]

You can make Beaumont brass out of .50-90 cases, and sporterized Beaumonts are dime-a-dozen around here.

.348 Winchester brass supposedly can easily be made into .41 Swiss Centerfire.

It's the dies that're a killer pricewise.

 

[PTK]

Where's "around here", and can you provide contact information for any sellers?

I CAN make Beaumont brass out of .50-90, but it bulges in the chamber. No thanks. As for the .41 Swiss, that's about what I pay for actual .41 Swiss brass, and this way I don't have to trim and mess around with it.

 

[PTK]

Well, these are both refurbished and checked over. I fire them both (along with my Martini-Henry) tomorrow at the range. Pictures/video to follow.

Also, Vaarok: Again, sporterized Beaumonts - any information? I'd buy them happily if the price were right.

 

[Vaarok]

Syracuse, Cobleskill, Albany, Oneonta, and Utica gunshows in upstate-central NY. I see on average two a show, for between $150 and $300.

 

[PTK]

Dang it. I don't live anywhere near there...


Anyway, here are the first few pictures. Video of the Vetterli didn't turn out, but the Beaumont video worked fine. Conversely, we forgot Beaumont photos but got plenty of Vetterli photos.


Beaumont video

 

[Shung]

Now I know why Vetterli are getting scarce over here..

 

[PTK]

This example is also absurdly accurate for a rifle this old.... I surprised myself greatly.

 

[Shung]

Swiss rifles never/rarely disapoint

 

[Chipperman]

Swiss rifles never/rarely disapoint

No only the ammo does.



(...as in the cost of the ammo )

 

[PTK]

Reloading this, as it's a low pressure round, will cost the dies, brass, and then powder/primer/bullet. The brass lasts nigh indefinitely, and the other components are cheap. I'd be shocked if I'm spending more than $0.20/shot for the .41 Swiss.

The Beaumont, on the other hand... 20 cases cost $70. Just the empty brass. Yeah, it's that expensive.

 

[Shung]

No only the ammo does.



(...as in the cost of the ammo )

there maybe.

here shooting GP11 (k11 or K31or STG57) or GP90 (SiG550) only cost 35ct a round-

Being you, I would choose PTK way by reloading them.

I have to do the same here, shooting 45-120 , 30-06 or even 44-40 ! They would cost me far too much if I wasnt reloading them.

 

[PTK]

Shot the Beaumont-Vitali again at the range, new video.

Video

I sighted it in for hunting. I'll be (hopefully) taking a deer this year with this rifle.