1940 k31 pics

[fintowin]

I had the camera out and ready, so I thought I would take some pics of the K31. It is all matching and original, including the stocks. Bore is bright and shiny.

IMG_9631.JPG

[awesomeinforensics]

All I can say is she is a beauty

[desdem12]

WOW that is way nice. Has a walnut stock to go with it. NEATO

[Junk Yard Dog]

[jeremyb]

that's cool.. I need to get me one of those.. Does the mag come out on that one?

jb

[desdem12]

Yes it does. It holds 6 also. You feed it like the mosin though with paper charger clips.

[jeremyb]

Yes it does. It holds 6 also. You feed it like the mosin though with paper charger clips.

Paper Charger Clips?

[desdem12]

Yes. Well maybe cardboard (thin) and tinfoil http://www.swissrifles.com/sr/sclip/index.html

[Greasemonkey]

Nice, stock looks good, I've seen some stocks beat to death, heck, I own one thats beat to death but shoots like a champ . Did you check under the butt plate?? There may still be a troop tag with the last solders info on it.

Sadly, the chargers don't last like the rifles, you might get a dozen loadings, if your lucky out of one. They tend to bend and flex more and more with each use. I've still got a few I keep for just collecting.

[fintowin]

I never took the butt plate off. I will check it after work tonight. Speaking of stock condition, this rifle came from some guys collection of 15 k31's. Four or five were like the day they were made. He kept those.

[fintowin]

WOW that is way nice. Has a walnut stock to go with it. NEATO

You may know this already but many of the k31s were re fitted with beach stocks because of the dings the original ones received from spiked boots. The original walnut stocks have matching serial # inside both halves.

Thats the story I heard anyway. You do see alot of them with the lighter colored stock.

[Greasemonkey]

On the K31 stock wood, from what I understand from other Swiss collectors, the K31 carbine serial 868901 built in April 1946 is frequently the referred to date/serial when the change over to beech stocks occurred. At the time there were still walnut stocks floating around that were made prior to the beech and they were used on and off till exhausted. Most K31 stocks have the date the stock was made stamped under the butt plate(also common to find some roman numerals), that would allow you to match serial date against stock date. A replacement stock/hand guard was also commonly serialized to match the receiver.

Some K31s were refurbished at Waffenfabrik Bern, there would be a small two digit number stamped on the tang behind the receiver, at that time some may have received a better condition or a newer stock due to constant abuse by troops. Others, will have two letters with two numbers which is the abbreviation of the Canton in Switzerland and year that a refurb was done. A Canton replaced stock most likely will also have a circle with a number in it also, the number is the Canton number.

So basically, if under the butt plate is '46 and the rifle serial dates it as '40, at some point work was performed by the Swiss(if numbers match) or somebody wanted a walnut stock on their K31(if numbers don't match) .

My beaver chewed K31 stock in the middle. Heck, beech or walnut, it makes no difference, they shoot great either way

[fintowin]

Nice looking lineup. Thanks for the info. Now I really want to take a peek under the buttplate.

[desdem12]

I have a 46 stock and a 46-7 serial number on mine, which is beech

[graphic914]

The best riffle I ever shot

[fintowin]

I removed the buttplate and did not find any soldier info. I did find the number 37 (1937). Mine is 1940 so the rifle was built with a stock made 3 years earlier. Or was the stock replaced by the Swiss with an old new stock.

[Greasemonkey]

Does the stock/hand guard serial match the receiver? Is there a stamp on the rear receiver tang? Is there a stock stamp circle with a number in it?

This is a typical refurb stamp done at Waffenfabrik Bern, a smaller canton based arsenal refurb would also have the year and have 2 letters also, indicating the canton.

[fintowin]

No mark on tang.

[Greasemonkey]

What about stock stampings/marking and the wood serial number?

[fintowin]

Wood serial matches everything else. Only stock stamp is the very small crest with the + in it.