Any advice on reloading the 7.5x55 for the K31?

The Redding die set is the one you should get as it was made for the K31 chamber that is different than the other 7.5x55 rifles. Uses 308 bullets and they must be seated deeper than you would think as the throat is cut for militry ammo with a very pointed bullet. Re 15 and 4895 is the powder range and bullets of 150 to 175gr. My gun liked Seirra 168gr HPBT. Do a internet search of "Swiss Rifle" and you will get 2 or 3 sites with info on the gun and reloding.Ps: Did you look under the butt plate? If you find a piece of paper that was the last person that was issused the gun before it was turned in.

Albert,
I was just lucky to buy two for $100 each a few years ago, one birch one walnut. One of my two K31's had the paper in the butt plate.
Both shoot great and to think I bought one as a parts gun so if one had a issue I could find a part. Not only are both well made strong auctioned guns. They don't fail to shoot on the mark with out a hitch and that's with open sights. I may quest for a front sight pusher and bayonet

Graff & Son sells parts and sights for them.

DO NOT buy RCBS dies they are cut for the old chamber size and will screw up your brass !!!!!
S&K makes a high quality scout scope mount that works very well if you add a cheek pad to get your line of sight up.
Privi ammo and brass is excellent and reasonable.
Loosen up the band screws and it will probably shoot better.
There is an excellent site dedicated to Swiss military rifles.
http://theswissriflesdotcommes...rectory#.UF3fskKfMUU

Neat fun rifles !

I conducted some load development for the 7.5 Swiss. I have never purchased Swiss ball, but a bud gave me a chance to shoot some across my screens.

AA4350 gave excellent accuracy and just about duplicates Ball velocities with 51.0 grains and a 168 Nosler Match bullet. As you can see 52.0 grains produced velocities over Ball, so I do not recommend that load. It is here for reference.

Instead of AA4350 I am shooting surplus WC852 in the 7.5 Swiss. This is a ball powder, and I purchased my lot from Jeff Barlett at GIBrass.com . It turns out Accurate Arms purchased a 90,000 pound lot of WC852, faster burning than Jeff’s lot, and now it is labeled as 2700. My lot of WC852 shoots extremely well, was dirt cheap, and I am using that up. But if I did not have the surplus powder, I would give IMR4350 or AA4350 a go as it shot very well.

7.5 x 55 Swiss Model K-31

AP11 Swiss Ball headstamp DA 78
24 Mar 04 T = 70 ° F
Ave Vel = 2565
Std Dev = 11
ES = 23
Low = 2551
High = 2574
N= 4

168 gr Nosler Match 51.0 gr AA4350 INDEP brass and primer OAL 2.850
22 Dec 01 T = 58 ° F
Ave Vel = 2536
Std Dev = 17
ES = 45
Low = 2510
High = 2555
N= 9


168 gr Nosler Match 52.0 gr AA4350 INDEP brass and primer OAL 2.850
22 Dec 01 T = 58 ° F
Ave Vel = 2624
Std Dev = 31
ES = 72
Low = 2588
High = 2660
N=5


I think it is interesting that for decades the Swiss shot ammunition with a grease ring around the bullet and case neck. According to Hatcher's Notebook, grease "dangerously" raises the pressure, but the whole theory was a coverup designed to blame shift the bore obstruction the Ordnance Department created, by tin coating their bullets, to a practice shooters were following at the time: greasing their bullets.

Swiss target shooters liked the grease ring so much, that when it was discontinued in the 80's, aftermarket kits became available. The grease ring was discontinued for service rifle ammunition because it made extraction difficult in cold weather.

As anyone who has shot Swiss ball knows, it is wonderfully accurate.



Incidentally, dipping cartridges in oil does not raise combustion pressures, neither does dipping them in water.

As the other posters have said, use the K31 specific dies. It save brass big time. I shoot a Swiss Rifle league every summer and I have found a really nice accurate load in all 4 of my K31's. 44.0 gr of IMR 4064, PRVI or 284 Win (necked up) brass, Win LR primer. It is mild, but work up to it.
We shoot at 300 meters and if I don't screw it up, they will all go into the "4" ring on the swiss target which is about 5" or so. That's with the St. Marie diopter iron sights. At 100 they are at about 1-1.5" with the same sights. I figure that should work out of these cool old rifles!!

quote:

Originally posted by SlamFire:

According to Hatcher's Notebook, grease "dangerously" raises the pressure....

that is incorrect. Hatcher did not write that.