First centerfire ever! / K31 questions...

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Cowled_Wolfe

New member
Today I went to my first gunshow ever, and got my first centerfire ever. It's a K31 with a stock so pretty, I want to cry. Bluing's at 60 to 80% (I'm not the best judge). All matching serial numbers. As far as I know, the only modification is a chopped down stock (dealer said it's documented on a piece of paper behind the buttplate) which was done in '47. Still original caliber.

I paid $140 for the rifle, and the dealer made arrangements to give me some ammo later on (he didn't have it with him).

As a side note... The dealer was very friendly, very informative, and pleasent to talk to. He didn't seem to be lying either.

All-in-all, was this a decent haul? Are K31s good rifles? Was I ripped off?

TIA for any info,
A very happy Wolfe...
 
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Pthfndr

New member
If by a "chopped down" stock you mean it has sporterized, then the deal wasn't that great. Replacement original type stocks aren't cheap. Are you sure it's a K31 and in the original caliber? There were quite a few K11 Swiss rifles that were sporterized and rechambered to .308 Winchester. I'd have a competent gun smith check it for you before you shoot it.

That being said, the Swiss K31 is a great rifle. I have 4. All of them are MOA or better shooters with handloads and some do MOA with the surplus GP11 ammo. Very smooth and quick bolt action and one of the best triggers ever made. They can be addictive. I have one Swiss rifle I've even shot in a 1000 yard match!

If the tag under the butt plate is in a foreign language, it's not the "documentation" for the cut stock. It's the name and address of the Swiss soldier the rifle was issued to. A VERY big deal among Swiss rifle collectors.

For better info you can check out these forums dedicated to the Swiss rifle:
http://p223.ezboard.com/fcurioandrelicfirearmsforumfrm9

http://pub18.ezboard.com/btheswissriflesdotcommessageboard
 
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Cowled_Wolfe

New member
The tag under the buttplate is roughly like this... Btw, BOLD text = handwritten, the rest is printed:
Rudin Max 33
Mot. Drag. Schw. III/18
XXXXXX
Click to expand...

I replaced the serial number with Xs...

The dealer has shot the rifle, and said it was a 7.5x55 Swiss... And it looks very much like the K31s shown at surplusrifle.com...

Photos as soon as I can find the camera and learn how to post them here...
 
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Cowled_Wolfe

New member
Thanks for the links guys, they've been VERY useful.

According to my dad the stock is made of 'curling maple' (he's not a gun expert, but he works with wood alot). This, combined with the total lack of blemishes, scratches, signs of human contact, etc lead me to believe that this stock's not original afterall.

The "Mot. Drag. Schw. III/18" line appears to mean "3rd Motorized Dragoon Heavy 18th Battalion"... Just guessing on it, though. All I know for sure is the "Motorized Dragoon Heavy" bit...
 
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DrDremel

New member
I did not see any pictures showing a cut down stock but the quality of the stock and the rippling in the wood makes it easily worth the money paid. Finding a Swiss with nice metal is easy. Finding a military rifle with a piece of wood like that is rare.
 
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Tom2

New member
Fine piece

Definitely an unusual rifle to start out on centerfire with, but I suppose alot of Swiss did! Looks real nice and clean for the money. Would not worry about blueing wear as long as there is no rust. Keep a film of oil on the metal. These rifles were made to very high standards, like Swiss watches! I had one a few years ago when they first came in. Ammo was a bit of a problem getting, and my front sight was too tight and I could not tweek in the windage. With the ammo they had at that time the accuracy was just blahh, but now there is alot more good ammo for them and most people report fine accuracy. Odd to learn on a straight pull but you have a fine gun, good deal. Hope the guy comes thru with the ammo. Maybe he was referring to the earlier Swiss straight pull rifles when he talked about it being shortened. I think the older models had longer barrels??
Do a Google or yahoo search, bet there are websites around for those guns. And info.
 
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wudjalike2no

New member
i cant remember who did it, but someone who had manufacturing capabilities figured up the cost to make k31s now and it would cost over $2000 each
k31right.jpg

i think i need to change my pants. i would have paid 2x for that
 
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Cowled_Wolfe

New member
Wudjalike2no...

You know what the sad part is? It was the second cheapest centerfire I saw at the show (the others being $100 beat up Mosins)...

Everyone, thanks for the input... All of yesterday, I was sitting here thinking I'd possibly been ripped off or whatnot, but all of the positive comments are making me smile.

Btw, the dealer only has 4 rounds of live ammo, but he's got a buncha brass. He called earlier about it, but we're gonna have to wait a bit to go pick it up... *Looks at the white ground...*

Anyways, I'm glad to see I wasn't ripped off... :)
 
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Dave R

New member
So you're getting some bass for it? Does that mean you'll be reloading for it?

There are plenty of sources of data for 7.5 Swiss (7.5 X 55). And that means you'll be able to shoot it for the same cost as any other rifle.

You did well on that rifle. Its beautiful.
 
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Pthfndr

New member
That is a great looking "Tiger Striped" stock. Many K31 collectors would kill for one that good. You need to post some pics of the front end of the stock so we can see if it was sporterized or still in original configuration. If it is original, you got a GREAT deal.

Like one of the earlier posters mentioned, the early Swiss rifles, the 96/11 and 1911 had very long barrels. The K11 was a carbine version of the 1911. The K31 was sort of new. The bolt lugs were moved from the rear of the bolt to the front, allowing a shorter bolt and overall shorter rifle. The barrel was also shorter. K31s are known for their accuracy. The 1911 is frequently found to be even more accurate.
 
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FirstFreedom

Moderator
Congratulations

on a fine rifle and not too shabby of a price. The stock, although original, has been refinished in all likelihood. Check out those links provided above - you may want to try to correspond ASAP with the soldier listed there - do it now before he passes away, or if he's already passed away, while his friends and family may still have some recollection of his old .mil stories. Get yourself some P11 ammo, and it'll go to work!
 
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Lonestar.45

New member
Beautiful gun, congrats! I think you got a heck of a deal. Where else can you get a gun so pretty, with so much history, for $140? You can't even get a cheap Marlin Model 60 for that anymore probably.
 
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