MilsurpShooter
Member
About a year ago at a gunshow I was on the hunt for a decent, walnut stock K-31. Was at a gunshow way up the line (4 hour drive just to get there) and saw a table with 3 of them for sale. Managed to leave with the rifle and one battlepack of ammo for a grand total of $175. $125 for the rifle. This was about May of 2007. I'll admit, since I bought it I had fired roughly 6 rounds out of it. Never got around to doing a test of it, see how it fired. Plinked a few rounds at 25/50 yards but I decided that today would be the day. I packed up my Mosin 91/30 with PU scope, my Marlin 336 in .35 Remington and the Swiss K-31. Didn't even get to fire the Mosin today lol
Go to the range, removed my jacket that wasn't needed, was about 72 on the thermometer there, intermittent breeze, overall a nice day for shooting except for the bugs that were out in force. I started with the Marlin, I had 42 rounds loaded up of a test load that I wanted to try, got to about the 10th round when I realized it was hot out, wasn't winter any longer and I would need to let the barrel cool off. As I stood off the line I decided to finally give the K31 a chance. Loaded one round, cycled the action, aimed below the target and watched the bullet impact under the target into the sand berm. I was quite puzzled. This was technically a battle rifle, since when does one of the battle rifle's I own, not shoot high at 100 yards?
Loaded another round, aimed and fired. Watched the little plume of sand rise from behind the target and looked through my spotting scope. Hmm can't even see where that hit, no hole in the paper... Wait a minute... I couldn't believe it, zoomed in my spotting scope a little more, adjusted the focus. A hole, right in the center, the X of the target was now missing. I couldn't believe it. A battle rifle that shot straight on at 100 yards AND let me get a dead center bullseye. I'll admit to you all here that I'm not a good shot, by any means. Certain days I can cover a group with a dime, other days I just tell everyone I was firing buckshot at the target, but this actually made me sit back in the chair and smile.
All in all I went through 42 rounds with my Marlin and about 30 rounds with the K31 and I had a heck of a time. I look at this little rifle now and find myself wondering...
What the heck took me so long to shoot it?
Go to the range, removed my jacket that wasn't needed, was about 72 on the thermometer there, intermittent breeze, overall a nice day for shooting except for the bugs that were out in force. I started with the Marlin, I had 42 rounds loaded up of a test load that I wanted to try, got to about the 10th round when I realized it was hot out, wasn't winter any longer and I would need to let the barrel cool off. As I stood off the line I decided to finally give the K31 a chance. Loaded one round, cycled the action, aimed below the target and watched the bullet impact under the target into the sand berm. I was quite puzzled. This was technically a battle rifle, since when does one of the battle rifle's I own, not shoot high at 100 yards?
Loaded another round, aimed and fired. Watched the little plume of sand rise from behind the target and looked through my spotting scope. Hmm can't even see where that hit, no hole in the paper... Wait a minute... I couldn't believe it, zoomed in my spotting scope a little more, adjusted the focus. A hole, right in the center, the X of the target was now missing. I couldn't believe it. A battle rifle that shot straight on at 100 yards AND let me get a dead center bullseye. I'll admit to you all here that I'm not a good shot, by any means. Certain days I can cover a group with a dime, other days I just tell everyone I was firing buckshot at the target, but this actually made me sit back in the chair and smile.
All in all I went through 42 rounds with my Marlin and about 30 rounds with the K31 and I had a heck of a time. I look at this little rifle now and find myself wondering...
What the heck took me so long to shoot it?
