A K31 cost less than a vz24? I was basing my comment on what things cost (or rather, what I think things cost). However, I realize that retail costs of any given surplus model changes, through rarely do they go down. And then there's the ammunition. It hasn't been all that long that 7.62x54r was scarce and expensive. In any case, I admit the Mosin Nagant rifle and carbine have a certain charm but working the bolt is about the same as a Mauser, at least the ones I actually own at the moment. They all seem stiff and awkward after having used about a dozen different Lee-Enfields, however. But chiefly, cost is the real consideration.
SKS carbines were good buys for a while, the ones that came in crates marked "farm implements." What are they going for these days?