I've got a question, K31 vs. M1 Garand

[LJ-MosinFreak-Buck]

As far as accuracy and reliability, how would these two compare? I don't have an M1 Garand so I can't try it for my self, but my K31 has been one of my most reliable rifles after my Mosin Nagant M44 Carbine.

Is there things the K31 can do that the Garand can not? And vice-versa?

Thanks,
LJ-MF-B

 

[nbkky71]

Bear in mind that you're comparing a bolt action rifle to a semiauto. However, based on what I've seen at Camp Perry, your average K31 is much more accurate than your average Garand.

I think that a carefully assembled Garand using quality ammo can give a K31 a run for it's money. However, that 7.5x55mm Swiss ammo is hard to beat.

 

[LJ-MosinFreak-Buck]

That's what I was figuring, but since I've never owned or ever fired a Garand, I'm not sure. What's reliability like?

 

[Marcus5aurelius]

I know I'm going to get yelled at from all the service members who used to carry but when I shot one at the CMP at one point, the instructer needed 10 full minutes to load from the strip clip. Everytime he would fit it in, it would pop out with ammo. Granted anyone with enough training would have no problem, but still it's up for consideration. Beautiful gun to shoot though, really a work of art.

 

[nwilliams]

I'm a huge fan of the Garand and the K31 but they are very different rifles.

If it came down to one thing between the two guns it would be the ammo, I am a huge fan of the 7.5x55 Swiss round. I've seen some incredible custom competition rifles chambered in 7.5x55 and they demonstrated fantastic results even with just the GP-11 milsurp ammo.

I would love a Garand chambered in 7.5x55

 

[Slamfire]

A rack grade M1 garand is not going to be as accurate as a K31.

There are lots of people who claim to own 1 MOA rack grade Garands, but I am not one of these. Below are targets fired with various rack grade garands, some with ball, some with good ammo. The 19 shot group is with good ammo. All targets are at 100 yards.

It is a good rack grade Garand that will shoot within 3 MOA. The criteria for a 1950's new NM Garand was 3.5 MOA with NM ammo.

The lower target is the old 5V target, used at the National Matches up till the 60's. I don't remember when the decimal target replaced the 5V. However, look at how large is the highest scoring ring. All you have to do is hit the black, and you get a 5. That was the capability of the rifles back then.

Incidentally the group I have on that target was fired in a club 200 yard Garand Match. We had a match rifle category and that group is what I fired with a match grade Garand prone.

A match grade Garand will shoot as well, and maybe better, than a K31.

The Garand is a much better battle rifle than a K31. As for reliability, don't know. The Garand was developed into a highly reliable rifle and I have shot tens of thousands of rounds through them. I have shot less than 500 rounds through a K31 and no one I know shoots them in competition. I suspect the K31 has some weak spots, but you have to figure that the Swiss got most of the bugs out of the system in 30 years of service.













200 Yard Old 5V target

 

[Shung]

I've got both (3x 31 and 1x Garand).. The 31 are more accurate, but I love my Garand much more.. beside the fact that it is a semi auto, it has a whole history that come with !

 

[Shung]

I would love a Garand chambered in 7.5x55

is it technically possible ? You gave me some ideas of customs...

 

[GRIZ22]

Everytime he would fit it in, it would pop out with ammo.

This sounds like a bad spring not lack of training.

Generally, I'd say the K31 is more accurate than a Garand but the Garand shines when one needs to put a volume of fire on a target.

 

[TAB]

For the most part the k31s are in much better shape then your average surplus M1. combine that with the quailty of surplus 7.5 swiss and its not shocking that a k31 is more accurate.

it would be very intresting to see what each could do in simlar condition and simlar ammo.

 

[High Planes Drifter]

This from Chuck Hawks :

The m/96 is a very accurate service rifle. This was proven during the early years of the 20th Century, when the various powers held international service rifle matches. The host country provided the rifles and ammunition used in these matches to all of the teams so that all competitors used the host nations service rifle. In the entire history of this series of matches, the best scores across the board were not shot with the U.S. M-1903 Springfield, the British Lee-Enfield, or the vaunted German Model 98 Mauser, but with the Swedish m/96 and the Swiss Schmidt-Rubin rifles. These are the most accurate of the classic bolt action military rifles. No collection of military Mausers should be without a Swedish Model 1896.

This was obviously written about the M96, but Chuck Hawks did mention the Schmidt Ruben rifle. In a shooting match between a Garand, and a K31, both being in good shape with good sights, and bore condition , I'd say the K31 is capable of better accuracy; it is capable of better accuracy than an '03 Springfield......and almost as accurate as a Swedish Mauser.

 

[mm1ut1]

For a target rifle the K31 is tough to beat. Going into combat I'll take the Garand any day.
BTW at Perry last year I saw people using two magazines for the rapids instead of chargers. Is that legal?

 

[John Parker]

I've heard that all the surplus Swiss manufactured 7.5 is match grade...is this true?

 

[TimboKhan]

The Garand is a much better battle rifle than a K31. As for reliability, don't know. The Garand was developed into a highly reliable rifle and I have shot tens of thousands of rounds through them. I have shot less than 500 rounds through a K31 and no one I know shoots them in competition.

There is a lot of truth in this statement. From the perspective of a battle rifle, the Garand is superior. More shots on target faster = better. The straight-pull action of the K31 is pretty good, and theoretically easier to operate under stress, but the bolt is fairly complicated when compared to pretty much any other bolt action you can think of. That being said, I am unaware of any particular issues with reliability with the K31. It is worth noting that the K31 was never "battle-tested", whereas the Garand obviously was.

Somewhat untrue about the K31 in competition, you just have to be a little bit more specific by what kind of competition you mean. Fact is, people that shoot in vintage or surplus rifle matches shoot K31's all the time, and frequently smoke people with them. I may be mistaken, but I think they are still relatively popular as match rifles in Europe.

The rifles are different enough that it is hard to say that one is better than the other, because it sort of depends on what you are looking for. I happen to think that both rifles are reliable and accurate, though if everything was equal, I suspect the K31 would be the more accurate rifle.

 

[LJ-MosinFreak-Buck]

Okay, I have had the feeling that a Swiss wasn't as reliable, but I knew for a fact it was more accurate. Well, I didn't know, but I had a feeling lol.

Speaking of matches, I need to get into the next K31 match here in Omaha... I just need to find out when and where... lol.

 

[GRIZ22]

I've heard that all the surplus Swiss manufactured 7.5 is match grade...is this true?

I doubt it is "match grade" that would be very expensive evben for the Swiss. It is much better than your average ammo though.

 

[Ignition Override]

If I could easily buy the Swiss ammo (or a version made by Wolf etc) for about $.25/round, I would gladly buy my first K-31.

Although these types of topics seldom deal with prices, choices are quite often very far apart not just in terms of character and category, but to be practical, the affordability for another plinking gun.

 

[TimboKhan]

well, it would be nice if it was that cheap, but there aren't many rifles that are that cheap to feed. Comparatively, they aren't that expensive to shoot, but I guess that is a matter of opinion.

 

[jpwilly]

I purchased 200rnds of Prvi 7.5x55mm (reloadable brass) a few months ago for $117 from AIM Surplus. They aren't that expensive to feed.

Here's mine: