Just picked up a very nice 1945 production Swiss K31, 7.5x55, straight-pull rifle. Shoots quite well with PPU factory FMJ target ammunition; took awhile to get used to the straight-up ejection but the straight-pull bolt is very fast to operate and the rifle has a great trigger. Should make a fun rifle for next year's "surplus rifle" deer hunt Anyone else a fan of the Swiss K31's?

Yes, one of my favorites. Very accurate, used it to win a few old military rifle competitions a few years back. Always shot the GP11 174 grain (as i recall) ammo. Delight to shoot.

I love these rifles - just like you stated they are very accurate and very well built. I have one with factory open sights, one with diopters and one with a quick detachable scope mount (of European origin) and a 4X Kahles scope. I also have the Jubilee rifle done in 1991 that was converted to .22LR - also extremely accurate. I use one every year at a local club’s military shoot and usually do pretty well with it - also shooting GP-11.

I haven’t take any animals with one yet but plan on doing so one of these years.....maybe when I finish the sporter that I’m working on?!

PennDog

BTW Oregon45 that is a nice looking piece of wood on yours!

I bought a K-31 about 15 years ago. It is a fine rifle and I still have it.

TNrifleman,

These Swiss rifles aren't nicknamed "the fine Swiss watch" W/O good reason.

yours, tex

Find some GP11 ammo to run through it. It is match grade ammo. You will really be pleased, groups should be cut in half.

I love my K31. Is a '43 issue with a beech stock and shoots the GP11 quite well.

I purchased a replacement mag and shot respectively at our service rifle matches.

It was a Cali range and the folks with registered pre-ban AR's ruled but I held my own against

Garands and Mausers and service rifles of like kind.

Was slightly bummed that the groups with the GP11 ammo were the nearly equivalent of the handloads in my favorite 30*06
that was scoped but I probably couldn't have come close in a hunting situation trying to find game in a hurry and close the deal.

Count me in as a fan ..mine are mil surp and dont look anywhere near as
nice as yours..but shoot? Hell yeah !

I've never handled one before. Are they as heavy as they look?

Yes

They feel about the same weight as M.98K in my hands but, I didn't weigh them.

For comparison:
Swiss K31 w/ empty 6 round mag - 9 lbs 1 oz
M16A4 with empty 30 round mag - 8 lbs even (an FN15 but it's a duplicate of the Colt M16A4 except semi-auto)
Swedish M96 w/ 29" barrel - 8 lbs 13.5 oz
Yugo M24/47 Mauser, fairly close to a M98 - 8 lbs 7 oz.
Montana 1999 X2 .243 w/ Leupold 3-9X40 in Talley Lightweights - 8 lbs 7.5 oz.

Fwiw, the trigger on the Swiss K31 breaks the cleanest of any of the rifles listed here.

This is mine.




It gets loaded with Hornady 150 SP over a middlin' load of IMR4895.

Count me as a fan. I work closely with and travel to Switzerland a few times a year so it seemed only fitting to get one of their rifles. One was posted on my local club’s bulletin board last year and nobody grabbed it up for several months! When I saw it I grabbed it immediately. You used to be able to pick them up for a song a few years back, but they have gotten really popular in the last few years and the price has gone up substantially. It is not uncommom to see them for $400-$600 now. GP11 ammo is definitely the way to go for accurate small groups, but it is not a hunting bullet. It is match grade ammo, very similar to Federal Gold Medal Match 308 ballistics. The Swiss never used corrosive ammo and the “waffenfett” lube/oil they used did an excellent job of preventing corrosion. Add to that the high quality steel used and almost all barrels on these old rifles are in pristine condition. MidwayUSA sells GP11 ammo on sale occasionally, around $0.50 per round. GP11 is berdan primed, so reloading is more difficult.

I used the PPU ammo for hunting last month. Didn’t see any deer but really fun to have it in the stand.

https://imgur.com/a/UdH7o

Thanks guys, I'll keep my eyes peeled for that GP11 ammunition. The PPU 174gr FMJ ammunition I have is pretty impressive in terms of concentricity and consistency in weight between loaded rounds. The limiting factor so far has been my ability to focus on the sights; may need to look into getting a set of diopter sights.

There is a Facebook group named “K31 & Schmidt Rubin” that has some good info. Good luck on finding diopter sights, they aren’t cheap! I tried one of those receiver clamp-on scope mounts for a minute, didn’t like the fit. I bought it from a small booth at the NRA show, I think it was junk. I too struggle with seeing the iron sights. I want to try an S&K scout scope mount which replaces the rear iron sight. I think a scout scope will really show the accuracy of my K31.

Steelhead,

The K31 really isn't that heavy, as it doesn't weigh much more than the average Buick.
(CHUCKLE)

Otoh, it doesn't "kick" much either, for that same reason.

yours, tex

I put a Mojo peep sight on mine, it replaces the rear sight without any mods to the rifle. It's too far forward to be a real target sight but it's about a 100% improvement over trying to line up the original open rear sight. It's adjustable for w&e so there's no problem sighting in with any ammo.

Jim in Idaho,

I've wondered WHY the Swiss, with their obsession with individual marksmanship, didn't equip their rifles with peep sights.
(One reason that I prefer the US Rifle Model of 1917 over the 1903 Springfield is the NICE peep sight.)

yours, tex

Mine is another great shooter with a wonderful bore. I found a load with reloader 19 and 150 Hornady that shoots just a little over and inch high with the standard sites at 100 yards. And pretty close to a inch if my eyes are working right.
Problem is it such a big long tank I just can't seem to want to drag it through the woods... maybe someday.

The bore on mine was surprisingly good as well, and, unique among surplus rifles I've owned over the years, the crown also was in great condition. The Swiss knew how to maintain their rifles as well as building them.