Swiss K-31 novice - what to look for, where to buy

[twinhairdryers]

I am now hooked on purchasing a K-31. I see them range in price from 100.00 to 600.00 and really don't know where to buy one or what to look for. I think I should be able to get a decent shooter for under 300. Not looking for a collector, premium peice, just a nice range shooter. I have a Mosin M44 that I am really in love with as a nice range driver, but looking at the K-31 swiss round and accuracy makes me jones a bit for one more old military shorty to add to the collection.

Where do you get a decent shape bore for not too many bucks?

 

[PotatoJudge]

Good thing is, pretty much all of them have great bores. Best places are the for sale sections of forums, gun shows, and a couple of surplus vendors.

As far as what to look for, get the nicest one you're willing to pay for. They're going up in price and yours will never be in better shape than when you buy it. For this reason, try to find one with a clean walnut stock, good blueing, matching numbers, and a tag under the buttplate. You should decide what year(s) of manufacture you'd prefer (got a birthday between 1931 and 55ish?) Lastly, figured walnut brings a premium (and looks nice), so if you find one at a decent price go for it.

$150 seems to be the base price for good shooters with chewed up stocks. Around $200 should get you a nice clean walnut stocked rifle. Check swissrifles.com in particular for info and rifles for sale.

Figure in another $100 if you want a bayonet (non-matching) for it.

 

[siskiyou3]

I bought one a few months ago with 120 rounds of GP11 for 185$, id look to spend around 200 depending on where you are. The swiss didnt shoot corrosive ammo so the bores of these are normally sparkling.
Normally the stocks, are a little beat up and the bluing might be slightly worn but the internals are normally in great shape. I love it, the straight pull bolt is fantastic. There are a couple of them up for sale on the arfcom equipment exchange last time i checked if you are interested. Check under the metal buttplate to see if there is a soldier's ID tag on yours when you get it, there are on many of them.

Here are some pictures of mine, I touched up the bluing, and stripped, lightly sanded, and restained the stock with linseed oil. Half of the fun of milsurp is restoring these guys.
A couple before and afters:



after:

 

[browningguy]

Samco Global has Excellent Beech stocked for $160 and Excellent Walnut stocked for $180, lower grades (VG) for $130. I'd spring the extra for the top condition.

 

[SaMx]

The walnut stocks are supposed to be in better condition.

 

[twinhairdryers]

Samco was just featured on American Rifleman or shooting USA

Thanks for the tip on Samco. Just last weekend one of the cable outdoor channels had a shooting show that featured the Samco import business. Interesting stuff. Some of what they bring in is on the short list, meaning what they have in their warehouses may be the last we see of some of these old battlefield arms from overseas ever.

And, siskiyou3 nice job on the light refurb. that wood turned out nice! I can't wait to get into one of these now. I was amazed with my 90.00 M44 at how well it shot with the bayo extended. That 7.62x54R round seemed pretty good, and I stocked 1K rounds at 40.00/420 rounds of milsurp. Now I have read a bit more on how these K-31s can be good shooters and the nice ballistics on a 7.5x55mm is. It would be hard to believe that shooting iron sights out of these old things seems either better or easier than my other modern rifles. I guess they built them pretty good back then.

 

[siskiyou3]

Thanks, I wanted it to still look like a milsurp so I didnt do anything drastic.
Post pics if you can when you get it, I love seeing K31s.

 

[U.S.SFC_RET]

Actually the walnut stocked ones have seen more use than the beech ones. There is somewhat a timeline when they switched from walnut to beech, I have owned them both. My walnut is a 1942, beech 1951. I also have a M.1911 that is a 1918 walnut stock.