New Swiss K31 and a Contact Story!

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Sylvilagus Aquaticus

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I've been procrastinating getting a Swiss Schmidt-Rubin K31 for awhile. I know the supply is drying up, as it must, eventually. Last Saturday I found a decent one- beech stock, not pristine, but not all beat to hell; plenty of dings and a lot of work will need to be done to the handguard to make it nice. Of course, the metal is perfect, as is the bore. Traced the build date to 1952.

Got it home, and checked under the buttplate first thing. Sure enough, there's the tag. A quick search of the Errornet with the name and town revealed two hits, amazingly enough.

Sent an email this morning. I knew my prospective recipient spoke English.

Email follows:
Greetings, Sir:

I found a small plastic tag with the following information on it:

Sap. Bxxxx, Rxxxxxxx
Cp. EM/ Genie 21

(Obverse side)

Bxxxx, Rxxxxxx
94, Les Cxxxxxxx, 1xxx Mxxxx
----------------

I found this tag underneath the buttplate of a Schmidt-Rubin Kar. 31 rifle which is currently in my possession. The K31 was manufactured in 1952 and I assume it was retired from service and sold as surplus within the last 10 years.

Would this young recruit be you, Sir?

Regards,
==================
I waited.

4 hours later I received this:

Hello Sir,
YES is me! Exceptional discovery, about 45 years later... an in Texas! I'm now retired and live still in Mxxxx, but in a new house.
Let me know what is a "Schmidt-Rubin Kar"??
And tell me how this piece of history (;-) came upt to you!
Thank you for an answer, it is very funny!

PS: I have done a great trip through US in '67 (38 States in a Plymouth 49...) and I was in Texas too.
====================

I've already responded back to him.

Yeah, this has been a very good day.

Regards,
Rabbit.
 
I love hearing the stories about people getting in touch with k31 owners :D
 
My K-31's original owner was quite different from yours ... no e-mail and no English ... fortunately I was able to write him in French (western Switzerland) and I got a response via an e-mail from his neighbor a week later and a letter from him a couple of weeks after ... it is one of the treasures of my collection. I wish more history was available on milsurps ... it sure is a hoot when you get lucky!
Congrats on your contact!
Saands
 
I purchased two nice walnut K31's from AIM a while back hoping to find a tag and have a story like this for myself.

*Takes off butt plate 1* No tag :(

*Takes off butt plate 2* TAG!! Yes, I got a tag! So I read it and... Zurich Armory... nobody to contact :(

Bummer... Glad you had better luck though.
 
Got a followup mail from him overnight.

I've de-identified him and his company/accomplishments out of deference. Email edited for content follows:
--------------------
Thanks Xxxxx, for these good news,

I have been fourty years in the xxxxxx business, in the xxxxxxx xxxxx I founded 1967. I created, for example, Xxxxxx.

(He's inserted his company, which exists today and does have some incredible accomplishments- removed for his privacy- Rabbit)


When I drove through the States, coming from New Mexico, I passed on the south of Texas: El Paso, Stockton, Junction, San Antonio, Houston, Beaumont, before entering Mississippi. I have a quite good souvenir of the big plains, the horses and bulls and above all the friendship of Texas People. I could'nt drive to Dallas, where president Kennedy had been killed about 4 years before. I do regreet it.
You brought me back...

As concerns "my" rifle, I am very glad that it falled in good hands. It was my companion for about 400 days (recruit School, than yearly "cours de répétition" for 17 years. We had to service it each day, and I was very concienscious... and a good snipper too!

I enjoy receiving a scanned copy of the label.

We live in a small wordl.

Take care and thanks.
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

--------------------
Regards,
Rabbit.
 
Well, if you both live in TX, I'd say you two need to get together for a range day. With pics- that would be AWESOME.

My K31 has a tag, but the person is from the French part of Switzerland, and I don't speak French. A Googling got me nowhere, so I haven't tried contacting the person.
 
Babelfish is your friend. It's on altavista.com.

I knew he speaks English because I found a small video of him on YouTube. If I were to list certain aspects regarding him, I'd say there's a 50/50 chance folks would have heard of his projects.

Regards,
Rabbit.
 
Great story.:cool:

I have 2 tags lying around that I should try making contact with before too much time passes. I have a 3rd tag where the birthdate is around 1913, but I doubt the man is still alive.
 
Cool story.

If he lives in the US, and he can legally own a firearm would you sell it to him he he made an offer?
 
I don't know if he'd be that interested in it, seeing as he'd had it 17 years in his closet. However, if he were a Texas resident, and not a prohibited person, I'd certainly be willing to return it to his posession, should he be so inclined. Of course, being Texan would trump being even a Swiss citizen.

I intend to restore the stock, as it appears to have a good bit of 'knocked around' damage, as far as dents, dings, and what appears to be water damage. I know he lived in a fairly damp part of the country, and the finish is in fairly rough shape, even for a 'bottom of the shipping container' rifle. I've yet to scan his tag and email that, but I'll get around to that this week at work.

No, I'm not going to Bubba the thing. I'll be restoring the military-grade finish and keep the stock cartouches intact.

He'll be getting a package of Texas memorabilia in the mail next month, though. I'll probably toss in a package of chili mix, a stuffed horned frog, postcards, tourist type stuff. Maybe even a plush armadillo.

Regards,
Rabbit.
 
You know? I have a troop tag on one K31, and I never bothered to try to make contact. I have a second K31, and I just realized I never looked under the buttplate.

I think I have a project for tomorrow.

Mike
 
Let me know what is a "Schmidt-Rubin Kar"??
Click to expand...

Remember that the K31 is not a Schmidt-Rubin, though many stateside make the mistake of calling it one. It's a new design with a completely different bolt and receiver. If you tell a Swiss fellow you have his Schmidt-Rubin Kar he may think you're talking about a 1911 short rifle, which of course he never had.
 
please, tell me how you went about doing so,

Because I want to thank the previous issuee of his wonderful care of the rifle. The piece of paper is dated 1939, makeing the rifle my oldest piece of history. I'm almost desperate for this.

Thanks,
LJ
 
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