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SWISS K31 or 1911
CHEVELLE427
Member Posts: 6,750
IM not sure now witch one it is, it has the red bolt handle and the groves cut on the top of receiver for a scope. Will have to run the numbers tomorrow when I get them.
what do you all think about this gun,
i found one local in ex cond but it has been lightly modified (just wood work)
They want $250.00 for it, comes with 100 rounds ammo and reloading dies. all numbers match, dies say 7.55
what do you all think about this gun,
i found one local in ex cond but it has been lightly modified (just wood work)
They want $250.00 for it, comes with 100 rounds ammo and reloading dies. all numbers match, dies say 7.55
Comments
One very incredibly accurate battle rifle. The price you mention is pretty good considering they've been going for between $150 and $200 on auction and then it takes shipping and transfer fee. So, with 100 rds thrown in I'd say you would have a decent deal.
Let me know if you plan to reload for this.
Edit:
Chevelle,
Sorry I didn't see the "red handles" part. Are they phenolic(cloth reinforced fabric)? or red painted metal? I don't think the phenolic's were on the 1911's. Half of the K-31's had phenolic/other half had aluminum bolt pull handles.
If the dies are not REDDING brand, they are NOT the correct dies for the K31 chamber...I don't care WHAT anybody says. Lee - wrong. RCBS - wrong. There is two different sizes of 7.5x55 Swiss chambers - K31 and K11.
What ammo? If it is the original Swiss, those are berdan primed and cannot easily be reloaded (pain to get the old primer out).
Almost forgot - check for all matching serial numbers AND the possibility of a troop tag under the butt plate. Swiss government issued the rifles to the servicemen and they took them home.
Check on www.swissrifles.com/ for specific info about your rifle. You need the serial number to get specific build info.
Excellent rifle.
If the dies are not REDDING brand, they are NOT the correct dies for the K31 chamber...I don't care WHAT anybody says. Lee - wrong. RCBS - wrong. There is two different sizes of 7.5x55 Swiss chambers - K31 and K11.
What ammo? If it is the original Swiss, those are berdan primed and cannot easily be reloaded (pain to get the old primer out).
Almost forgot - check for all matching serial numbers AND the possibility of a troop tag under the butt plate. Swiss government issued the rifles to the servicemen and they took them home.
Check on www.swissrifles.com/ for specific info about your rifle. You need the serial number to get specific build info.
as far as numbers all i found matched.the dies r lee says 7.55 Swiss, the seller has had this for some time and didn't really want to sell it to this shop (so IM told) money trouble. i buy a lot from this old shop and its been here for 30+ years. all the rounds are new 284win brass necked to 7.55. i got some info from
http://www.swissrifles.com/ammo/reload1.htm
All the rounds r reloads looks like detailed info on each pack of load work ups. I will pull some bullets to see just what is in them before I shoot them as they are not my reloads. I thought I had the ser # but cant find it, will get it in the AM and post it. what caught my eye was how nice it looks and clean the gun is.
None of these had rails for scope mounts. They do have some grooves in the receiver but they weren't meant for scope mounts; I suspect they are just cosmetic or for bolt travel. If it does have cuts for a scope, that's a further modification.
...These guns were cared for, and never beat up, except for parade use. The rear of the stock and and buttplate are often a bit rough. The metal is usually excelllent, as is the bore. You won't be sorry!
One is modified for the 505 Kemp cartridge and the action handles it superbly.
The other is even sweeter (nicer trigger and stock) so I will not be modifying that one.
As of now I need (not to hijack the thread) 2 more barrled K31 actions so I can make 2 more 505 Kemp elephant bangers.
Stan
So if I were you, I'd take it and then sell it for a K31 which is a safer and better rifle to use.
I have 3, and they are among my most accurate high powers.
I also have hit steel gongs at 1200 yards 3 in a row with the iron sights after a spotter helped me get the range setting.
http://www.classicarms.us/
See, the previous model Swiss rifle was the model 1889, which had locking lugs at the rear of the bolt, and was designed for the lower pressure GP90 round, aka the 7.5X53.5, which developed something akin to the US 30/40 in power and performance- a max working pressure of around 35k psi. Whereas the GP11 was designed for something similar to our .308 from day one, around 45k psi, with the locking lugs moved forward on the bolt. The notable visual difference is that the 1889 had a large protruding 10 round box magazine whereas all the later models have a more compact 6 round mag, just slightly protruding from the gun.
Any and all of these models are safe if loads are kept to the design specs. The 1911 series is worth a fair penny more than the K31 series, though in that this one has been modified it has less value.
A K31 unaltered runs $125 to $200 from various online dealers right now. A 1911 runs $250 and up. A K11 (the 1911 carbine) is worth more yet. The 1889 is all over the place; I paid $300 for mine.
My 1911 is more accurate than my K31. Longer sight radius, plus a barrel bushing that essentially free floats the barrel minus two contact points- the bushing and the receiver.
So I would say that which is better is a matter of preference. The K31 might handle a ruptured case a bit better, but none of these has the gas venting of a Mauser, for instance.
In any case, all are great top notch rifles.
The red bolt knobs ended with the 1911 series. I have not seen a single K31 with anything but aluminum knobs. Of what they were made I'm not sure- some early plastic substitute; Bakelite or similar.