Finally Bought a K31!

[davidjblythe]

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=246198&highlight=Swiss+K31+Pictures

Check out that post and you will see someone with the same thing.

 

[Hoppy590]

the cartouche, thats what a stamping on wood is, a stock cartouche is normal on K31's. i dont think iv seen one that didnt have it. mine does.

 

[Ohio Rifleman]

Oh, I didn't know that this was something on pretty much all of the rifles. Anyone know a good place to buy a K31 sling? When I made the purchase, it was just the rifle, no accessories or anything.

 

[Hoppy590]

SAMCO sells cleaning kit, sling, some tools.
http://www.samcoglobal.com/rifles.html
sportsmans guide has cleaning kits
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=365188
just a warning bayonets are pricey

 

[Ohio Rifleman]

Thanks for the links...and yeah, I knew going in that the bayonets for the K31 are expensive, around $100.

 

[avmech]

I have my grandfather's bayonet.................from when he was in the swiss army

 

[shuvelrider]

For what its worth, gp11 ammo is corrosive cuz it uses the berdan primer and that is where the corrosive salts come from, just clean well after your range time. The berdan primer is a european thing and never caught on in the states, it uses 2 flash holes in the primer pocket so dont save them for cheap brass to reload. You can get Prvi brass from Graf & Sons and the 7.5 Swiss uses a .308 dia bullet just like the 30.06 so you can get bullet from any decent gunshop and re-load your own. For my target shooting I use a 150gr FMJ over 40 gr of H335 , enjoy your k31. Mine shoots pretty close to my Mod A3 Springfield and consider reloading cuz it'll save you money in the long run and you dont have to scramble to look for a good deal on shells.

 

[Soybomb]

Oh, I didn't know that this was something on pretty much all of the rifles. Anyone know a good place to buy a K31 sling? When I made the purchase, it was just the rifle, no accessories or anything.

If you buy an original sling, they're usually pretty hard and will have some cracking, they are afterall 50-60 years old by now. This fellow makes reproduction slings if you want one that looks like the original but is in better shape http://tassadar1208.home.mindspring.com/index.htm

For what its worth, gp11 ammo is corrosive cuz it uses the berdan primer and that is where the corrosive salts come from

While most examples of corrosive ammo are berdan primed, being berdan primed does not mean the ammo is corrosive. GP11 is not.

 

[Hoppy590]

p11 ammo is corrosive cuz it uses the berdan primer and that is where the corrosive salts come from, just clean well after your range time. The berdan primer is a european thing and never caught on in the states,

you are correct about the 2 holes. they can be reloaded but they require extra tools. how ever the syle of primer doesnt always mean its corrosive

cool fact. Boxer prime was invented in europe ( england?) and berdan prime was invented in the USA. how ever each is more popular in its opposite continent

 

[shuvelrider]

Just goes to show we can learn something new everyday, thanks for the insight on the primer. Has the gp11 ammo been going up in price ?, last ime I bought some before rolling my own was $23.00 for the 60 round pack. a vendor at the local gunshow in Grand Rapids MI had the audacity to charge $40.00, stockpile and roll your own.

 

[rust collector]

GP11 is good ammunition, but Prvi Partizan is not bad. If you reload, you can also reform 284 Winchester brass to work in your gun.

The Ste Marie clamp on scope mount is well designed. You can also find front sight pushers, stripper clips, and possibly muzzle covers from various suppliers such as Numrich, Sarco etc.

 

[Ohio Rifleman]

Seems the going rate for the GP11 ammo right now is about $30/60 or $5/box of 10. Thanks for the helpful link for the slings, their prices are more than reasonable. Looks like $25 for a reproduction leather sling for my rifle. I am thinking about reloading at some point, but I don't get to shoot very often.

Seen lots of stripper clips and the like on Gunbroker, they don't seem that expensive. But, I'll be saving the bells and whistles for later. Not every day I plunk down $230 for a gun.

 

[Mr White]

The Privi will shoot well in your gun. Not quite as well as the Swiss GP11, but it will shoot well.

A lot of the bells and whistles can wait, but do get yourself some stripper clips. They make shooting a whole lot easier.

I like the gun. $230 isn't bad for a decent walnut stocked K31. They are such well made guns. The Swiss really know how to build them.

Did you notice that the stock down near the butt end is all dinged to hell? Know why?

 

[Ohio Rifleman]

I did notice all the dings and scratches on the stock, and I do know why it's that way. The Swiss used their rifles to scrape snow and such off their boots and to pound tent stakes into the ground, among other things.

At the gun show where I bought the rifle, there was another table selling K31s for $285 or so. It pays to shop around.

 

[Hoppy590]

i passed on one for 250. nice metal, just didnt wanna pay that much

maybe il go pick it up to acompany my current k31

 

[Ohio Rifleman]

My rifle came to $240-something after sales tax But that's about what one will cost you now. AIM is selling them for $200, but it'll likely be close to $240-50 after FFL fees and shipping. Unless you get really lucky and get a screaming deal like a K31 for $150 or something. Oh wait...you already have a K31? Hm, I don't know the appeal of having duplicates of the same gun, but to each his own.

 

[Hoppy590]

Unless you get really lucky and get a screaming deal like a K31 for $150 or something. Oh wait...you already have a K31?

180$ but i didnt wanna rub it in. even then this same K31 was 250 when i bought mine. i even told the guy i liked the gun but it was too much.

your talking to the guy with a pile of t53's

 

[Ohio Rifleman]

Heh, yeah I heard about that Chinese T53 craze a while back. Selling them for what...$35 apiece? Even with FFL fees and shipping costs, that's a heck of a deal.

It seems the prices for the K31s are going up...I hear about people who bought them when they were $100 or so. Who knows what my rifle will be worth in the coming years?

 

[jd46561]

***Please go to swissrifles.com and do some research on this fine rifle.***

E-bay has original K31 slings on all the time for under 20.00 before shipping. I have bought several VG condition ones from there.

"For what its worth, gp11 ammo is corrosive "
Wrong! ,Gp11 in Non corrosive, thats why all Swiss rifles still have mirror bores.

"I did notice all the dings and scratches on the stock, and I do know why it's that way. The Swiss used their rifles to scrape snow and such off their boots and to pound tent stakes into the ground, among other things. "

Wrong! this is why...



(photos from Guisan)

 

[cracked butt]

$230 for a K-31 is not too much, they will be selling for over $300 pretty soon and will still be a good deal.

FWIW I bought all of mine withing a price range of $59-125 including shipping costs

 

[cracked butt]

I like the picture above of the Soldier cleaning his boots. He's actually using a Swiss Army Knife. Coincidentally, though pobably by design, the screwdriver on my Wenger (not sure which model, but a very basic model) pits every screw on a K-31 perfectly.

 

[Ohio Rifleman]

$59-125?! Including shipping?!! That's like Mosin prices!

Anyway, maybe I should go out and buy a Swiss Army knife..lol. I did find a flathead screwdriver that fit the screws holding the buttplate in perfectly, though.

The Swiss were not shy about knocking their rifles around, that's for sure. I saw a diagram of how they carried their rifles in a backpack or something, with the buttstock and handguard exposed. I guess there's several different reasons why the stocks are all dinged and scratched.

 

[Mr White]

I paid $125 for my K31 from a local store. No shipping but 6% sales tax. Mine has a beech stock. I'd like to get one with a walnut stock to keep it company.

The story I was told of the dings in the stock was that when they were in the field, they stacked their rifles using the stacking swivels at night. In the morning when they got up and their rifles were all frozen together, they would kick the butts with those hobnailed boots to break them apart. and knock the ice off them.

 

[K3]

My local shop has 4 of them. They are asking $165. I just called.

Very tempting.

 

[Ohio Rifleman]

That is a huge deal, K3! Do it. Buy one..or two. You know you want to. I haven't even shot my K31 yet and I love it.

I've heard all sorts of things explaining the dings in the stocks, and they all seem like they wouldn't be all that unlikely. Ah well, the stock on my rifle is in relatively good shape, and the bore is perfect. Seriously. I've looked through it carefully, and it is bright and shiny. You could probably see yourself in it if you could fit your head down the barrel.