You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
For those that want a K31
- Thread starter Geezerbiker
- Start date
One last comment from me. The K31 would have been a great rifle in WWI, bayonet and all. They also have excellent triggers. By the time they were invented John Garand had made the bolt battle rifle obsolete. Many GI’s preferred the little M1 carbine due to weight and inside 200 yds they are deadly. I did not think the workmanship of my K31’s were any better than my Smith Corona or my H&R. I liked my Swiss rifles but they are a bit quirky and not as practical as several others. I’d rather hunt with a Ruger #1 or a Winchester and if I went to war I would prefer plastic.
Not that I like Rumsfeldt, but up to a point he was right, you go to war with what you have, not what you like.
Where he failed (miserably as all of his ilk do) is that once we see its not working, the American Public wants them to do their damndest to correct it.
The K31 would have been fine in WWII, it certainly vastly exceeded the MN, and was better than the Mausers and the Japanese rifles.
If I was a grunt I would be happy for a tactical Nuke over an M4. That really solves the problem of you dying or maimed.
A grunt would beyond belief prefer and M1 Abrahams tank over a Sherman. Kind of so what? They did not have them, Shermans served and served well.
While the K-31 is different, its not quirky.
And an M-16 badly executed (Vietnam with the powder change debacle and cleaning issues) is beyond worse than an M1 that works. It was a junk design that took a lot of lives to correct. Many dyeing with screwed up weapons.
Giving drafted infantry a machine gun is and was a recipes for disaster.
I have corresponded with a grunt out of the Sand pits. His comment is that they almost never use full auto.
I love the comment about if the Germans had invaded Switzerland (and it was very possible as it was a route into France in that corner of German, Switzerland and closely adjacent France)
We would shoot twice and go home.
To compare a K-31 of its era with an M4? hmmm.
Quality wise the 1903s were up there with the K-31. The 1903A3 while still good is not that level. K-31 and 1903 were hand built, the 1903A3 mass produced (and rightfully so as was the M1 - weapons in your hands is vastly more important than a higher but not needed quality)
Russia went back to the MN from the SVT-40 for the same reason. They needed guns, you could mass produce the MN, not nearly so the SVT
Where he failed (miserably as all of his ilk do) is that once we see its not working, the American Public wants them to do their damndest to correct it.
The K31 would have been fine in WWII, it certainly vastly exceeded the MN, and was better than the Mausers and the Japanese rifles.
If I was a grunt I would be happy for a tactical Nuke over an M4. That really solves the problem of you dying or maimed.
A grunt would beyond belief prefer and M1 Abrahams tank over a Sherman. Kind of so what? They did not have them, Shermans served and served well.
While the K-31 is different, its not quirky.
And an M-16 badly executed (Vietnam with the powder change debacle and cleaning issues) is beyond worse than an M1 that works. It was a junk design that took a lot of lives to correct. Many dyeing with screwed up weapons.
Giving drafted infantry a machine gun is and was a recipes for disaster.
I have corresponded with a grunt out of the Sand pits. His comment is that they almost never use full auto.
I love the comment about if the Germans had invaded Switzerland (and it was very possible as it was a route into France in that corner of German, Switzerland and closely adjacent France)
We would shoot twice and go home.
To compare a K-31 of its era with an M4? hmmm.
Quality wise the 1903s were up there with the K-31. The 1903A3 while still good is not that level. K-31 and 1903 were hand built, the 1903A3 mass produced (and rightfully so as was the M1 - weapons in your hands is vastly more important than a higher but not needed quality)
Russia went back to the MN from the SVT-40 for the same reason. They needed guns, you could mass produce the MN, not nearly so the SVT
Model12Win
Moderator
I think the Marines on Iwo would have preferred AC-130s and SCAR-Hs...
One bad thing about the K31s is the stripper clips are mostly cardboard and were designed to be disposable. Originals are hard to find and expensive, and if you use them more than a few times, they'll wear out. Not a big deal to many people but I always like to feed these old bolt guns with clips, it's fun.
One bad thing about the K31s is the stripper clips are mostly cardboard and were designed to be disposable. Originals are hard to find and expensive, and if you use them more than a few times, they'll wear out. Not a big deal to many people but I always like to feed these old bolt guns with clips, it's fun.
I was at my (not so) local Cabela's last week in East Hartford, CT and was surprised to see a combo of about 20+ K31s and the longer/older variant on the racks outside the "library". Cheapest ones I saw (if I recall correctly) were $565 and a few were in the $600s. Conditions seemed to be average to above average for milsurps. Didn't look for long as I didn't want to be tempted, even at those prices. Plus, my frame of reference was my buddy who bought one in really nice condition 2 years ago at a small shop for $375 (I knew little about them at that time and wasn't in the market for another long gun).
Got mine to shoot today. One 1 1/4 group and one 7/8 (5 shot each and a nasty 20 degree with wind and no sunlight!)
Pretty tickled. A nice guy sent me some GP11 to try, my loads were better than it was.
I do have the clamp on scope mount so I can max it out accuracy wise.
That was fun to see that rifle reach its listed capability (1 MOA seems to be doable with it from all the reports but that assumes hand loads unless the GP11 is liked by the gun) .
Pretty tickled. A nice guy sent me some GP11 to try, my loads were better than it was.
I do have the clamp on scope mount so I can max it out accuracy wise.
That was fun to see that rifle reach its listed capability (1 MOA seems to be doable with it from all the reports but that assumes hand loads unless the GP11 is liked by the gun) .
Last edited: