K31 Reloading / Bore Slugging

[enichols]

Hi all-
I am getting a Schmidt-Rubin K31 carbine in a couple of weeks, and I was thinking that I will probably end up reloading for it at some point. I looked through my Sierra manual, and in the section for 7.5mm Swiss it says that you should use .308 bullets (which I've read countless times here and which is cool, since I already load for .308), but that you should slug your bore... what exactly does this entail, and how many of you that own K31s and load for them have slugged your bores?
Thanks,
Nic

 

[444]

I never slugged the bores on my K31s. I load .308 bullets and they shoot great.
However I have slugged the bores of other rifles. The correct way to do it is to buy some lead fishing sinkers that have a hole going through the middle. The ones that could have the fishing line threaded through the sinker and it would allow the sinker to slide up and down on the line. The reason for buying the ones with the hole in the center is to avoid spring back after the slug is removed from the barrel. You then simply pound/push the sinker through the bore from end to end. After removing it, you use a micrometer to measure it.

 

[enichols]

Thanks, 444-
So when I get the K31 and get the dies to load for it, should I even bother slugging the bore or should I just not worry about it and load with the .308 bullets? I don't mean to sound paranoid or anything, but as well made as I know the K31s are they are 60 year old rifles, and the last thing I wanna do is mess up my new toy
-Nic, who will one day get past all these newbie reloading issues

(edited slightly to correct grammar)

 

[swingset]

I see no reason to slug one unless you just GOTTA know where that rifling starts and wanna see it first hand, or you want a die made to the exact specs of one single K-31 rifle.

For me, I use the LEE 7.5 dies, which are cut to the 1911 action. For the K-31, you have to over cam the die abit to set the shoulder back to K-31 specs, but no biggie. Just adjust till you can close easily on a shell. Redding and CH-4D both have K-31 spec dies if you don't want a cheapie die.

Then, I simply use the tried and true "marked" method to see where my seating should take place. I seat a bullet generously, close the action and then retract the bolt, looking for rifling marks on the bullet. Simply keep seating down until the very point where the bullet stops getting marked. If you move in .005" increments, go one more increment over the "line" and you'll be set off of the lands by .010", which is fine. You can go more if you like, these rifles don't seem to mind a little "jump". In between seating and chambering, if you twirl the bullet in some 0000 steel wool it'll clean off the marks making it easier to see them each time. Whala.

 

[Clark]

All I have is the Lee dies, but I would like to get the Redding K31 dies.
http://www.grafs.com/shopRegularproducts.cfm/startItem/1

http://swissriflewebsite.com/
http://swissriflewebsite.com/FAQ.htm

 

[Big Daddy]

There is a guy that posts on one of the milsurp boards that is a super accuracy reloading freak with the K31. He says not to use the LEE dies and that the best for the K31 are made by RCBS. I am sure the Reddings are fine, but he reccomends the RCBS and has a bunch of posted loads.

 

[Dave R]

Is it true you can reform .284Win brass to make K-31 brass? I read that several places.

 

[444]

Yes, you need to simply run it through a 7.5mm sizing die and then trim.

 

[lonniemike]

k-31

Measure as much as you feel necessary. You probably won't have to trim, for excess length, any of the reformed brass. That is my experience with 121 pieces of 284WIN brass. And the experience of many others! More people probably use Lee dies because of cost and availability. Lee dies worked fine for me for many years and for many other reloaders. I've also recently had a chance to get a RCBS die at a good price and can discern no difference in the finished product of either die. I don't belittle, accurate pet reloading, Pierre's opinion on Lee dies. Pierre, now, no longer discusses his reason/experience. He only states his preference of RCBS.The SwissRiflewebsite is where Pierre used to hang around, now he hangs around the SwissRifles.com web pages. The Swiss manufactured rifles are /were unknowns and a lot of confusion, myth, mystery, and misinformation has surrounded them. The Swiss rifle's manufacturing is of the best quality specs, if not the best. I won't claim the 31's action is the strongest action or safest action but the Swiss S-R rifle series probably has the best safety record for any military rifle. Has anyone ever blown up a S-R or had one fail(other than the Swiss military showing what happens if a soldier shoots a gun with a barrel full of snow!)? Lets get a count going. I know of no failure of any standard Swiss military rifle using gp-11 or equivilants. Anyone else? This is not an endorsment to hot rod any of the Swiss guns. The rifles are more than adequate for their intended purpose. Best-o-Luck