K 31 or Turk Mauser?

[captain obvious]

I'm a college aged C & R addict, and I need to know what is a better buy. For about $100, I can get either a Schmidt Rubin K31 or a Turk mauser from the local sporting goods store. I don't yet own a mauser, nor anything chambered in 8mm, but I also know that I will eventually buy a Schmidt Rubin. Which one should I choose, or if anyone has a better option for a good C&R rifle for about the same price, let me know.

 

[Sam Adams]

Get the K-31. There were only about 500,000 of them made, and supplies won't last forever. Besides, it is a far more accurate rifle. Mausers were made by the multiple millions, and they'll always be available (maybe not the Turk variety, but the Yugo or captured German will be available for quite some time.

You might also want to look at Mojo Sighting Systems http://www.mojosights.com/ to check out some very nice, yet reasonably priced, sights for whichever milsurp you decide to get.

 

[TimRB]

Sam's good points notwithstanding, I would get the Mauser without hesitation. If nothing else, ammo is far cheaper and available. I have a K31; it's interesting, but I just don't seem to shoot it as much as my Mausers.

Since you are undecided and seem to be willing to go either way, maybe you should go to the store and just buy whatever strikes your fancy on impulse. Hell, you know you're going to go back and get the other one anyway.

Tim

 

[hillbilly]

Quit eating fast food hamburgers for a month, donate plasma a time or two, save up and cash in some aluminum cans and GET BOTH!!!!!!!!!!

hillbilly

 

[Cosmoline]

I guarantee you'll still be able to buy a Turk for peanuts in ten years. You will NOT be able to buy a K-31 for peanuts in ten years. Word is getting around about how good they are, and ammo isn't as hard to find as it once was. It's like asking if you should buy a Swiss watch or a Turkish watch if both are priced the same.

The straight pull action may seem odd at first, but start shooting with it and you'll quickly come to love it.

 

[captain obvious]

ok well, I'm pretty sure I'll end up getting both in the long run, but i'm leaning toward the K31 for now - if only the ammo wasn't so expensive

Can milsurpitis be fatal? sometimes it seems so

 

[Langenator]

Can milsurpitis be fatal? sometimes it seems so

Only to your bank account.

 

[cracked butt]

K-31s are a dime a dozen where I live (actually about $1000 per dozen) but I haven't seen a turk in over a year. I would get a turk, its MUCH cheaper to shoot, then save your money and get the K31 later. I can see the price of the K31 going through the roof, but probably not for at least another year. Then again, Turks only cost about $40 about 3 years ago.

 

[Sam Adams]

if only the ammo wasn't so expensive

I understand that problem, as well as suffer from it myself. The solution is to reload. The K-31 is an oddball caliber, but the great thing about it is that it eats .308 bullets. The Swiss surplus is match quality, though Berdan primed - so you'll have to get yourself some reloadable cases elsewhere. I got my Lee dies and 200 cases of Graf's 7.5 Swiss brass at http://www.grafs.com/ Reloading info in abundance can be found on the Swiss Rifle Forum at http://p083.ezboard.com/ftheswissriflesdotcommessageboardfrm11

If you have a C&R, you can get a discount at Graf's, Midway and Brownell's. Between Graf's and Midway, you should be able to find some good .308 bullets at a reasonable cost. BTW, the K-31 likes heavier bullets, and the Swiss GP-11 shoots a 174 grain bullet. You can get pulled US .30 cal. match bullets for $0.11 each at http://www.iidbs.com/hitech/ , and pulled standard bullets for about $0.06/round (both in lots of 500). Lots of people have reported shooting at near minute-of-angle ... not so bad for a $100 rifle!

 

[albanian]

I have both. If you can look the Turk over and make sure it is in decent shape, I would go with that. They are getting hard to find now and one in decent shape should make a fine rifle. 8mm is so cheap that it would pay for the rifle in savings even if you only shot a few hundred rounds vs. the K-31. I don't know what the exact round count would be to pay for itself but I bet it is somewhere around 300-500 or less.

That being said, the K-31 is probably going to be more gun for the money. When you look at one, you are amazed that they can sell them for about $100. Mine was in great shape except the stock was dinged and dented like they all seem to be. The metal is at least 90% and beautiful. My Turk is ugly and rusty with a half worn out bore and a cracked stock that I repaired. I still really like the Turk Mauser because it makes no claims on being a modern rifle, it is old and it looks like it. It is about 8 feet long with the bayonet and weighs a ton and has that old looking straight bolt. Despite the length and weight, there is a certain gracefullness to it that you only seem to find in the old guns. That is why I like it, it is what C&R and Military Surplus shooting is all about.

 

[captain obvious]

Got Back from Dunhems....

And apparently they don't sell firearms to VA residents.

Has anyone else heard of this?

Anyway, can anyone recommend a gun store that sells C&R rifles in Morgantown, West Virginia (I'm too young for a 03 FFL)?