What is the appeal of the Swiss K31?

[Steve Marshall]

Does that ring come anywhere near your face when working the bolt or do you have to lower it? By the way, 50 cents a round for that grade and power of ammunition sounds like a pretty good deal to me. What was the price of Radway Green and Portuguese surplus not so long ago? I remember seeing both for sale at 70 cents plus.

 

[Hatterasguy]

If you can't tell the difference between a Rolex and Timex than by all means buy the Timex.

I feel the Swiss make some of the finest small arms in the world, the 1911, K31, STG510 and STG90 are a few of the finest rifles ever fielded by a military. The MG51 is probably the best general purpose machine gun ever made.


No one needs to invade Switzerland, who would attack their own bank? More so since its so well armed.

Russian rifles are crude farm implements in comparison. My 1911 is coming up on 100 years old, it still shoots 100% and was in military service for probably 40 years, kind of insulting to compare it to a Savage you pull off the rack at Walmart.

 

[tkcomer]

Ya should see me shooting it with that scope. I'm left handed. And reload. And brass ain't cheap. I fire the gun then pull the firing pin ring to recock it. That makes the bolt easy to pull back. Ease the bolt back to catch the brass when it pops out. Then use my thumb on my right hand to quickly shove the bolt forward. It can pitch brass pretty far up if ya give it a hard jerk. Still, with 150gr FMJs that aren't that (3”groups at 100 yards out of a DPMS) accurate out of my other gun, it did pretty darn good.

 

[Ignition Override]

For a gun that has no aperture sights, they must be much better than similar designs.

 

[Sam1911]

Hey Sam how well do the cardboard stripper clips hold up?

Well enough. I still use the same ones I got back whenever. I'm sure they don't last forever, but long enough for my purposes.

Somewhere I saw a torture test where someone soaked one in water to see if he could disintegrate it -- but the wax-impregnated cardboard didn't give out.

The're so different from an ordinary stripper clip it's almost not fair.

 

[Float Pilot]

Float Pilot, why so loud? Bad eyes?

I don't know why it was printed so large, but is does look cool... But then again, I am old and can see my small screen prints or anything up close, all that swell.... So yes.

Oh, he was trying to say "less accurate"

 

[Afy]

I dont see the appeal of a K-31 either.. which is why I got this

 

[Hatterasguy]

Afy every time you post that picture I can feel the bile of resentment in my throat.:banghead:

So is sending a 20 round mag of 7.5 Swiss down range as fun as it sounds?

 

[desidog]

Afy, I'd need one of those Gauloises after a mag with that Stgw.57. That thing looks 7.5 flavors of awesome.

 

[krinko]

"Krinko I'm not up to speed with the K31's yet. Could you please tell me what the significance of your serial number is?"

The regular production run of the K31 begins in 1933 with rifle number 520010----which makes 520356 here the 346th rifle off the assembly line in '33.
The six digit number on the barrel, plus the Muhlmann inspection mark on the right side mean this rifle still has the original barrel----don't ask me how that could have happened.
Here is a good site for serial number/date references.
http://www.radix.net/~bbrown/schmidt_rubin.html#m31

-----krinko

 

[madcratebuilder]

Well enough. I still use the same ones I got back whenever. I'm sure they don't last forever, but long enough for my purposes.

Somewhere I saw a torture test where someone soaked one in water to see if he could disintegrate it -- but the wax-impregnated cardboard didn't give out.

The're so different from an ordinary stripper clip it's almost not fair.

When I first handled the K31 stripper clips I thought it was a throwaway design, boy was I wrong. Hot or cold, wet or dry they are the most indestructible cardboard I have seen.

 

[jdowney]

The engineering is really cool, like some of my other favorites, the roller locked semi autos and browning Hi Power pistol. Just a neat mechanism really well made is enough to do it for me.

 

[Afy]

Hatterasguy: To make you feel a little better, I will buy another one in your honor, and keep it safely for you in France. Should you ever visit I will even take you to the range to try it out.

Shooting the Stgw feels quite unlike anything else. The felt recoil is at par or slightly less than that of the Vz 58. And you dont want to try and pick the brass up for at least five minutes after shooting.

 

[offthepaper]

What is the appeal of the Swiss K31?

Best way to answer this is to go to a range with a K31 (friends, yours, whatever), place 6 rounds of GP11 into the magazine. Pick target @ 100YDS and @ 200 YDS. Fire a 3 shot group at each. Go fetch targets, Check targets.
At this point most folks will have their question answered.

 

[dc.fireman]

It was the best shooting $134 history lesson I ever bought.