I've been bitten by the K31 bug and have started looking for one. I looked at two at a local Big 5 as they are on sale this week, but even the metal looked pretty ratty. There is another store in the area and I was going to stop in and see what their rifles looked like.

I'm not looking for the lowest price as a rifle in decent condition is more important to me. I can order one with a C&R but I'm not sure if those sold by SOG et al are in any better condition. Suggestions?

Check out the ones being sold by AIM, they are on the web. They have them for $79. Kudude

quote:

AIM

I'm not familiar with AIM. Can you post the URL?

Thanks!

Make nice with the Big-5 manager, or gun section clerk. Get into the store room and examine the rifles there. Bring a rod to puch the bores. They have a bunch that are not on display.

Well I made a visit to another Big 5 in the area and looked over their entire stock of K31 carbines and found one nice one lot. Nice dark wood with some nice figure and clean metal. The remarking of the receiver removes the rifle from the collector class, so I think I'll refinish the dinged up wood and have some fun with it. Has anyone tried to steam out some of the stock dings prior to sanding? If so, what process worked best for you?

This thread on this site has step by step instructions on refnishing a stock. I even happens to be on a K31 stock.
It has instructions for sanding and steaming the stock as well as a total refinish.
HTH,
Jim

Johnly,
Please excuse my not answering your questions. www.aimsurplus.com or google aim firearms. Kudude

I own six of them and love em. Brownells sells a clamp on scope mount that is great! If you want a nice hand picked one you can avoid getting one with a nasty stock but you pay more try this site. I have bought 3 of my six here.

http://www.allans-armory.com/aa.asp

Johnly,

Hope I'm not too late with this info:

I bid and purchased 2 from a long time seller on Auction Arms = http://www.auctionarms.com

For reference price was less than $100 each. Both had all matching serial numbers - Barrel, receiver, upper stock, lower stock, clip and name tag. Stock looked like POS. Bore was excellent. Triggers were great. Got original leather sling. Also got the brass rain/snow muzzle cap plus a few original stripper clips.

Got some reloading dies and have some brass on order. In mean time, I reformed some 284 Win. brass to have something to shoot. Have 2 groups at 50 yards just under 1"!!

Plan on refinishing the stock and glass bedding the action - My finish is some different from pepperbelly's described above. Will stay with the iron sights. Work up a suitable deer & hog load. My son already wants it for his deer rifle.

@all

I’m a fan of the K31. I own seven of those rifles. If you want to start from a chunk of wood, please read this Link:
Collani's Carbine K31 Hunt


Good shooting and good hunting

Collani

I have a couple questions about your EAW scope mount.

1. Is the scope mounted directly over the bore or to the right of the bore's center line?

2. Where did you get the EAW mount? Is it a standard production mount or did you modify it?

Thanks!

Jeff

Hi Jeff

Sorry for the delay... :-(

The EAW mount is directly over the bore so the case will not fly out propperly while loading the next cartridge. There is no modification - just mount it and then shoot...! The price for that mount is approx. 350 EUR - to expencive!

Please check out the Brownells scope mount for the K31:
Scope Mount K31

much cheaper and better...

Good shooting and good hunting
Collani

My neighbor traded his K31 to me for an old Lyman press; he couldn't get ammo for it locally. RCBS supplied the dies and Norma brass came from Midway.

I shot several 5 shot groups @ 100yds ranging from 1.8" to .80" with those funky iron sights, my rifle digesting 180gr Nosler BTs on top of H4350. What I discovered is this is one fun rifle!

This past Monday/Tuesday I took it on a nice varmint calling trip with my son and after calling in several coyotes and dispatching them with my "go to" rifle, I switched to the Schmidt for one stand. 45 yds, bang, flop.

Historical rifles and military rifles hold little attraction for me per se, but, this K31 rocks! In fact, it will probably go on the next trip, too.

quote:

Originally posted by pepperbelly:
This thread on this site has step by step instructions on refnishing a stock.

Jim, thanks for the above info.

I just bought a K31 at Big 5. $89.99. Metal is good to very good. Rifling sharp. Stock is pretty rough. So I plan to refinish it.

A couple of K31 related questions.....

Where can I get a military sling for my K31?

What is the best source for K31 strippers?

Where can I get K31 magazines?

What is a good source for match quality 7.5 Swiss ammo?

What is a good source for an original bayonet?

I think these things are screaming deals. Quite a bit of engineering for under $100!

Where can I get a military sling for my K31?
http://www.tngunparts.com/Catalogue.htm

What is the best source for K31 strippers?
http://www.dansammo.com/ammo.asp

Where can I get K31 magazines?
http://www.tngunparts.com/Catalogue.htm

What is a good source for match quality 7.5 Swiss ammo?
http://www.dansammo.com/ammo.asp

What is a good source for an original bayonet?
Ebay

Hey, thanks, Don!

I have one criticism of the K31 design.

I think the length of pull on the military stock is too short.

Try keeping the sights aligned on the target (from a standing position) when working the bolt. Wearing a T-Shirt, the cocking piece strikes my cheekbone right under the lead eye. Somewhat disconcerting if the operating handle is used with some force!

Probably not a problem when wearing winter clothes.

Something else that's unusual. The magazine is serial numbered to match the gun! So I take it that (for military use) it was meant to be reloaded with strippers (chargers) rather than using the detachable magazine.

Very crisp trigger!

I haven't fired mine yet...... but I think $90 is a screaming deal for such an interesting piece!

The short LOP is due to the Swiss wearing winter clothing for much of the time. A slip on recoil pad will take care of that as well as covering that steel buttplate.
Magazines are expensive. Most people I know who want extra mags just buy another rifle, gunsmith specials work great for this.
They were loaded using stripper clips. It wasn't a true detachable magazine for reloading quickly like we are used to today.
The whole rifle was ahead of it's time. The straight pull eliminated the need to lift your head when working the bolt. The bolt cams like a semi-auto.
The fit and finish is unbelievable for a military rifle. The rifle was designed around the ammo, which is also why the bullet is hard to duplicate. t\The ogive is very different from most .308 bullets available. The Berger VLD is a very close match though. They free floated the barrels when the rifle was made. The ammo and rifle are match grade, and you will almost never find one with a bad bore. The Swiss were religeous in cleaning and maintaining their weapons, and they never used corrosive ammo.
I'm glad you like it. They are not as common as Mausers, and I think superior to every other milsurp rifle.
An article in an old issue of Rifle magazine compared it to the writer's custom Weatherby, and the K31 beat that rifle.
Later,
Jim

quote:

The Berger VLD is a very close match though.

Thanks again, Jim!

Did you mean the Berger .308 CAL 168 GRAIN LTB
ID: 30-168 LTB?

Excellent thread!

I can safely say the $90 (plus tax) I spent on my K31 is the best deal I've made in a long time!

Went to my local BIG 5 today. K31 up to $179.95!

Same condition as the one I bought a week ago for $89.95!

I reload for my swiss jewels using Hornady 150 grains FMJ BT and Sierra 155 grains MatchKing bullets, it produces less than 4" groups @ 300 yards, closest distance to the swiss field shooting regulations.

155 grains MK give better groups @ 600 yards, less flyers.

Here are a couple of good sites for tracking the history of your K31:

CRUFFLER

Manufacture Dates K31

Mine was manufactured in 1945 but there was no "previous owner tag" under the buttplate.