K31, M96, or newer Bolt-Action?

K31...hands down. Triggers are near match grade. All my K31s are tack drivers. Ammo is still available, but I hand load. Very comfortable rifle. Very accurate. Straight pull is a nifty too. Actions are extremely strong. I have heard of people chambering K31s into 300win mag.

I load 150grain pulled surplus bullets and load them in formed 284 winchester cases. WLR primer, and 42 grains of BLC(2) @ 2.890" OAL....also found 37 grains works well too. But the last range session I think I found the 42 grain charge to be a bit more accurate. Nailing X ring of SR1 target at 100y with ease. With EASE. Incredible rifles.
 
I have a good supply of 7.5 Swiss brass that I got new from Graff & Son. It is an easy cartridge to load since it uses the common .30 rifle bullets readily available in the US.

That being said, again, I personally wouldn't buy one just as a general purpose rifle. I bought mine because we had a local milsurp rifle match and the K31 was an excellent rifle for this purpose. If you love milsurp rifles, OK. If you see it as a piece of history that you can shoot, again OK. But if you just want a rifle to shoot, and if you plan to scope it and all that, there are better choices out there.

I would look at a new Savage rifle that would allow you to easily mount an optic. it would be chambered in a common/readily available cartridge that has easily obtainable reloading components and equipment with good/solid easy to duplicate loading data, and would allow very easy barrel changes. Not to mention, common readily available factory ammo.

This just makes a lot more sense to me. It would be like buying a car to be a daily driver: you could buy some obscure import, or you could buy something much easier to keep on the road.
 
The StMarie clamp on mount for the k31 is about as easy to use, and with no alteration to the rifle, as any scope mount I've ever seen.
And no, with the k31, it is not just about liking old milsurps...
Sure, a nice savage or Ruger American rifle is cheap and easy...but what you get in a k31 is a quality of materials and construction that will not be repeated.
 
One solution is getting both a military historical rifle and a modern one.
Neither will break the bank unless you get carried away.
 
Sure, a nice savage or Ruger American rifle is cheap and easy...but what you get in a k31 is a quality of materials and construction that will not be repeated.
Click to expand...

You won't get the quality of a K31 for under $1,000+. When comparing to the low end modern rifles, the comparison is on price only, not on quality. I don't think anyone thinks a well used Ruger American rifle will last 50+ years or have the same character an M96 or K31 would have (I generally consider Ruger firearms well made, but low end rifles, you get what you pay for). The modern rifles will be easier to scope in a conventional manner and there's nothing wrong with having any of these low end rifles...for their price point. Some people dream of being able to drive a Posrche for their every day commuter car :).

As long as the OP knows what he's getting into, there's no reason not to get a K31 or M96, if he knows going in what the limitations are. This thread has offered a lot of good suggestions, even beyond a bolt gun solution. He's already got a .22LR, so he's not a rifle newb.

Ammo: factory new is available and ability to roll your own for the exact same costs as for .308.

Sight issues: Iron sights included with these old war horses and they can be scoped, but not in a conventional manner.

Weight: The mil surp rifles are going to weigh more than the modern rifles (bolt or semi-auto). The added weight can help tame the recoil. Adding a Pachmayr or some other buttpad will greatly tame the felt recoil and add to the short military LOP.

Accuracy: You wouldn't be asking if these weren't famous for it already.

By the way, one of my favorite things to do with people that want to shoot these .308-class military rifles (they attract a crowd at the range): make them shoot a .22LR 1st, then the big boy, then the .22LR, then the big boy. Ask them if they flinched :).
 
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