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New to Me K31

wkdickinson

Gold $$ Contributor
I have been looking to purchase a K31, to shooting in our local "classic' Military matches, for a really long time. I've heard stories about 20-30 years ago you could buy them for $150 from discount sporting goods stores. Well, I started looking about 10-15 years ago and all of the ones I found were so 'ratty" I wouldn't have taken them home, let alone paid $350-$400 for them.

A week ago an ad came up in a local FB group (that is not a "selling" group, but it really is) for a K31. The pictures looked really good and the price was right too ($600). I contacted the guy and bought it, contingent on it being as nice as it appeared. Well it was, and more, this rifle looks like it came from the factory in 1950 (aged by SN). So of course I bought it. After getting it home I bore scoped it and found some dark areas toward the middle of the barrel, but very little pitting. I spent a week or so cleaning the barrel. Many cycle of solvent and bronze brush, then a few cycles of Iosso. The bore looks better, not pristine, but then again it is 73 years old.

I orders some new Prvi brass, 175 SMK bullets and I had some H4350 and Fed 210M primers. I put together 25 rounds with 45.8gr of powder and shot them today at 100 yds. It took about 10 shot to season the barrel, but after that it started to shoot pretty well, for what it is (15 shots, 11 - 10's and 4 - 9's) on the 100yd NRA Military target and I am not at all accomplished at shooting a post front sight.

I intend to try loading some 155gr Palma bullets and trying some other powders. I would really appreciate any guidance, anyone might have!

Thanks!

Wayne
 
Cool, glad you found one. I can't help out other than to encourage you. Even if you had to rebarrel it, it wouldn't be the end of the world, don't give up!
 
GPalman said:
If you really want to see how good your rifle is try and find some Swiss GP 11 ammo. None better.
Click to expand...
That stuff is so good. I have a couple of cases in the leather-ish boxes with the strap. IIRC, I remember reading somewhere you could replicate it with a 175 and RL-17 with .284 brass. It's a 174 grain projectile in the GP11, I think. I've got it written down somewhere. I haven't been able to grab any 17 at the right time or thought about it, though. I've gotten close with some 4350.
 
Great old rifles. I bought mine 12 years ago from the Classic Arms guys in Maryland. It still had the original owners info under the butt plate. The stock was a little beat up but it’s a shooter. The GP 11 ammo was so cheap at the time, I bought 3 cases. I still have a full one left. I did a bunch of research on reloading for it and most sources said it was hard (near impossible) to beat the GP 11.
Have fun with it! Neat guns!
 
I had one for a couple years probably 20 years ago. Never found any ammo for it and sold it. Should've kept it. Very neat rifle
 
Great rifles and hard to beat for accuracy. If I recall, the sights zero at 300 meters.

Years ago at a club I belonged to we had monthly "old soldiers" matches - rifles had to be Korean War or older - shot prone at 200 yards. When the match began it was mostly Springfield 03's and Garands. When I moved away it was mostly K31's. Along with one diehard who shot a black powder Trapdoor in .45-70. He always had the downwind firing position...
 
I didn't mention one word about Swiss ammo, what exactly are you talking about? The rifle is 73 years old maybe its been shot many thousands of times . The Swiss rifles are great, I told him not to give up on it.
 
Great rifles, mine is actually a rare factory 308 version. Shoots just as good as the 7.5 Swiss version that I had before, but now of course I was able to just stick with 308 dies
 
Several years ago I bought a "P" marked K31 from Century Arms. It is an absolute hammer with the GP11 ammo. I believe it came from a competitive shooter from over there, but I can't prove it. It also has, in my mind anyway, one of the best triggers I have ever felt.
 
Thanks to everyone for you help. With some development work and practice (not being a "post" shooter), I think this is going to be a fine rifle.
 
I like using 284win brass better than the actual 7.5 swiss brass. Make sure you get the right dies. Lee dies are not meant for the k31 chamber.

I hand picked mine from Simpton Unlimited back when they had them. I went through at least a hundred of them before I got one I liked. I paid $170 out the door there. They had a bunch of brand new stocks that were the same price as the rifles there at the time. I got a walnut stock one. It is sitting in the back of the safe. I have not shot it in over 10 years.
 
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