K31 extraction/ejection...

[Davo]

I took my k31 out for the first time today, and had a blast. My first shot killed a clay pigeon at 50 yards, woo hoo! My buddy said it was his "new favorite", and I think im gonna have to agree. The action was smooth, and worked perfectly. My friend actually thought it was an autoloader initially.
I noticed brass ejected well, but it ejects nearly straight up. A few times brass hit me on its way to the ground.
Why was the k31 designed like this? Are there any benefits to this? Out of curiosity, where do the newer generation of swiss military rifles eject? Thanks guys!

 

[swingset]

It's designed that way out of necessity - the nature of the straight pull bolt would require ejection at the same point of loading, and charging the rifle from the side would be a PITA & slow. It certainly doesn't hurt anything, other than making scope-mounting a bit more difficult (tho they overcame that with offset scopes.

The current rifles are not bolt actions, they are Sig 550 (Stg. 90) rifles, and resemble an AK in many ways tho chambered in 5.56. They eject to the right of the action, like an AK. Their predecessor, the PE57, also chambered in the 7.5 swiss like the K-31, ejected from the side.

A Sig 550:

PE-57:

 

[cracked butt]

Are there any benefits to this?

Yes, with a little practice, you can eject the brass, catch it on its way down and put the empty in a box in one smooth motion. It looks good and feels good to do at the range.

 

[Marnoot]

Yes, with a little practice, you can eject the brass, catch it on its way down and put the empty in a box in one smooth motion.

And with no practice, you can eject it straight into your forehead, resulting in a unique semi-circular cut guaranteed to elicit queries by all who notice it...not that I'd know anything about that...

 

[swingset]

I reload my 7.5, so I've learned a slow steady retraction of the bolt will flip it gently out of the chamber, and into my hand, which I lay across the rear of the action....it usually does one full flip in the air, and lands perfect on my hand. Looks like a magic trick.

 

[Davo]

Cool to know swing....
And Marnoot, my girlfriend used to have hot .22 brass land in her um "bosom", she was not pleased. I was.
DAVO

 

[Cosmoline]

My K-31's have always shot brass straight up. I used to wear a wide hat with a curved brim to the range and try to catch the brass in it

 

[Dave R]

I reload my 7.5, so I've learned a slow steady retraction of the bolt will flip it gently out of the chamber, and into my hand, which I lay across the rear of the action....it usually does one full flip in the air, and lands perfect on my hand. Looks like a magic trick.

Dang! I thought I invented that!