Review: Swiss K31

[crimsonspade308]

I saw one at gander mountain today and tried to cycle the action, but as I pulled back the bolt it only moved about a quarter inch. I didn't want to try very hard to get it to cycle because I didn't want to damage this fine piece of history but I'm unsure of what I did wrong. Help?

[Nolano386]

Bought one of these the other day! Can't wait to bring it home..

[MrByronodmon]

man I just found one of these on the internet for like just under $600 dollars that was basically in mint condition inside and out! Too bad it had already sold! I totally would have bought it! I might just get a beat up but very functional one for $375! That supposedly has %90 bluing and a bright shiny bore! These are just awesome looking guns and I think the straight throw bolt is super awesome too!

[Allante715]

@MrByronodmon

This can still easily be had for 200-300 in very good condition. Try Gunbroker!

Just purchased a Beech K31 for 280 shipped.

[Liberty4Ever]

Great K31 review. I don't shoot my K31 much but it's great. I'm getting older and my eyes aren't as good for open sights, but as an engineer, I have a great appreciation for the ingenious design and the remarkable craftsmanship that went into the K31. The trigger is by far the best of all WWII era rifles.

There were no grunts in the Swiss service. It was essentially a sniper militia. That's how you have a thriving economy next to Germany and are never invaded.

[1joshjosh1]

This folks is how a great gun review is done!!!

[Beamos12]

iv never shot one ov these, what would you compare the recoil to?

[MaximusRightAngle]

Great Review. Very patient and thoughtful. I haven't checked really if all the historical facts are correct, but I don't think I'll need to. I just didn't hear any red flags. Thanks!!

[Iamtherealjerkfreak]

k31? wtf im swiss and this rifle is amazing but only whit new barrel old ones are trash! you can buy them für 10bucks! new ones whit a scope 800m kill shots, no problem! swiss power!

[ferdin12]

I rather buy a mosin nagant or a sks is fine

[Stray03]

@ferdin12 Have an sks, Fun to shoot but can't compare it to a K-31. As for a nagant, never would I use that over my K-31. Makes no sense.

[jonnyaguilera]

Nice video, picked up mine about 2 years ago, has the soldier tag under the butt plate, also was able to pick up a matching, clamp on, waffenfabrik diopter set for mine. Barrel is mint.

[chuckb666]

Beautiful gun and a lot of fun to shoot. I own 4 of them.

[rayd408]

i shot this rifle one time and it has a lot of kick more than a mosin nagant..

[zaw92]

I love my swiss k31!!! Good information thanks for your work.

[GrizzlyRecoveryZone1]

Somehow this clip gives the impression that it was made for some community college course project. But no matter, the K31 is AWSOME!

[trumpetman961]

that has got to be one of the coolest bolt systems i've ever seen!!!

[MrJMPierce]

I have many military surplus rifles from around the world and my K31 is my favorite of all of them.

[iena71]

Good review! I have the pleasure to have a K31 too! Historical....and still accurate after all these years. Thanks for posting.

[HarlequinBuckeye]

@ThePwnzord The Arms Depot in Dayton,OH literally has crates of these things. They also pretty much have a monopoly on the ammo for them around here. Maybe that is the reason they sell them cheap.

[HarlequinBuckeye]

One of my all time favorite hunting rifles. Why spend hundreds on a modern rifle? A typical K-31 can be purchased for $100-150, but the ammo is a bit pricey and can be fairly difficult to find. Not a good rifle for plinking at the range, but excellent for hunting.

[ThePwnzord]

@HarlequinBuckeye Where are you buying? (Or how long ago), there going for $250 and up where I live.

[Marlever357]

Excellent review and very well presented.

[norwalkzozo]

I thought it was very interesting GREAT review thank you

[caseyreavis]

how's the recoil on a k31 compared to a german K98? im guessing about the same, but i've never shot a k31 so i dont know for sure...

[TheMango121]

@caseyreavis

About the same...

All these old millsurp rifles seem to kick like a mule. I suggest getting a slipon recoil pad if you are shooting for prolonged periods of time.

[MrBobert121]

How much would one of these cost? And is there any bulk/surplus ammo for sale?

[BYLRPhil]

@MrBobert121; Simpson's armory will charge you $350 for one with matching numbers, a matching bayonet, a sling, and a muzzle cover.

[Gloomshadow100]

great review, I love it when guys talk about the history and not just the features.. good job.

[JagdtygerII]

In early WWII, the Australians made a machinegun out of the Lee Enfield Bolt Action Rifle. Looks like the K-31 would be a much better choice for such a conversion in a WROL situation. The biggest problem with such an action would be logistical and not technical. How the hell would you ever feed the silly thing, that round is not all that common.

[troopcom]

@JagdtygerII That's why I chose the Mosin Nagant. Not as smooth, but ammo is more prevelant.

[BrianWilsonJacob]

very well made!

[dieHoelzer]

do you think i should get this as my first rifle or the sig 510?

[ConstableRobin]

Im so happy to have 1at home :).

[PADSCALE]

i just want to know what caliber it is!

[RabeHK]

@PADSCALE The K31 fires a 7.5x55mm Round called GP11, Produced bei the Munitionswerke Thun, Ruag, PPU, Norma and hundrets of swiss shooters ;)

[PADSCALE]

@RabeHK i hope i can find it at canadian tire :P well now i know what caliber it is. thank you

[2mnyshp]

the firing pin was often used to defend oneself against vampires

[DIRTNAPPIN222]

A good voice you have there... but unfortunately not cut out for video productions.

Good try though & nice rifle.... I have 2.

[PPPatrickWWW]

with the rotating bolt, it is a lot like a... manual semi auto? Haha, it reminds me of the rotating bolt in an AK.

[spetznaz1337]

Sir, this is quite possibly the greatest video review of the K31 or any milsurp rifle I have had the pleasure to watch. It had history, technical information, and demonstration. 

[GrizzlyRecoveryZone1]

Can Gaico really save you money on car insurance...?

[afd09u4vmn]

Greetings, Thanks for your nice video on the K31. What brand is that scope mount that's on your K31?

[RedRider913]

Hello, I'm looking into purchasing a Finnish M39 or a Swiss K31, I was wondering on if you had any experience with the M39 and on how it compares to the Swiss K31. I see that ammunition for the M39 seems to be cheaper, but I'm looking for an accurate mil-surp rifle that be used at extended ranges (well past 300 yds). I was considering adding a reproduction military scope to have a "sort of" historically accurate mil surp rifle.

[MakoDefense]

@RedRider913 For long-range shooting the K31 probably has the edge over the M39, their accuracy is legendary and there is better ammo available. You will have an easier time with finding and setting up an historically accurate scope and mount on the M39, though. The sniper with probably the most kills in history was Finnish . . .

[RedRider913]

@MakoDefense Thanks for the info! I have heard great things about both rifles, don't think I would be unhappy with either. Both seem to be accurate enough for me, i.e. won't be doing any serious bench shooting. I'm leaning toward the M39, only due to already owning an AK-47 and AK-74, kinda want to keep the Soviet (I know the M39 is finnish, but it's built off the Mosin Nagant) theme. Also I'd like to eventually get a PSL rifle, so it would be the same ammo. Thanks again.

[MakoDefense]

@RedRider913 Your solution is simple: get both! It's a disease and you have all the symptoms. You can't cure it, you can only keep it under control with repeated doses. I prescribe a double dose of M39 and K31, and if that wears off, you will probably have to try PSL.

[snuffygg]

@MakoDefense Simo Hiya used a mosin nagant

[MakoDefense]

@snuffygg Yes, Simo Häyhä used an M28 Civil Guard rifle and iron sights. Also a Soumi KP/-31 with which he killed even more Soviets than with the M28.

[hammertimevice]

great review. you gave me confidence that the bolt probably isnt going to blow back into my face when i shoot mine for the first time lol

[Sturmgewehre]

@hammertimevice

I'm 99.99% sure the bolt won't fly back and hit you in the face. :) Once you see the action work, you'll see that it actually rotates and locks into place like a normal bolt action. The only difference is the cam system that allows you to pull straight back to unlock it vs. manually rotating it.

[coozy100]

@hammertimevice dude one thing you need to make sure. when you close it..make sure its closed.. its a good system but if its not closed and the *serial isnt pointing ass up* then dont pull that trigger. thats all. have fun :D

[tacfoley]

@coozy100 - Sir - if it isn't locked, then it won't fire - simple. Try it on an empty chamber and see what I mean.

tac

[AIRFORCEVET1988]

Great video! Thanks!

[jetfuel545]

Very informative review. Thanks for all the info and time you put in making this. I was surprised to see just how accurate this rifle was.

[butzel101]

4:08 to see it shoot

[phonebone69]

I just picked up a K31. Have not had a chance to put rounds thru it as 7.5 swiss ammo is somewhat scarce here in the communist state of Ma. Would like to see a follow vid for the K31. Great mil-surp rifle for the money.

Thanks, great vid.

Phonebone

[joshuamsu]

Driest review ever. Wrong job for this guy.

[99364375287629482837]

no way in hell that i would go to war with that rifle!

[Transporter1022]

Awsome video! The information and content in this video is above and beyond any other video on the K31!

[SlaughterOtter]

How hard is it to find the surplus for these nowadays?

[24GordonFan223]

gotta add, while the rifle may be an "old" mil-surp many are actually still viable and accurate rifles, don't believe me ask the deer I got with my m44, lol

[vonwolly2]

excellent job very informative.

[wildcatactual]

Great seeing a vid on classic arms. My K31 dates from 1934 and never ceases to impress me with its accuracy. It's no problem to shoot 2" groups off sandbags at 100 yards with surplus ammo. That may not sound so great until you understand I have an astigmatism plus age-related presbyopia. The K31's small iron sights are less than crystal clear for me. But the rifle still delivers. In a younger man's hands these truly are 1 MOA battle rifles.

I hope you'll be doing more classic arms videos.

[lskw1]

great review!!

[burgerboy13]

It would interesting if they used that same bolt design in a modern bolt gun, say REM 700.

[fab006]

Ahhhhhh, this beauty! Patriotic feelings there :)

[Thirsty4stalin]

I feel like ammo would be pretty expensive for that, but then again .308 ammo is expensive too

[MakoDefense]

@Thirsty4stalin Commercial ammo is no more expensive than .308, GP11 can still be found for less.

[EquipaPatriot]

@Sturmgewehre What is meant when the guy in the video uses the term "hot" to describe the round?

[Sturmgewehre]

@EquipaPatriot

It was one of the first high pressure (or "hot") military rifle cartridges. The original cartridge (GP90) was designed in 1889 which is during the era where black powder was still the primary propellent. Smokeless high pressure rifles firing jacketed bullets at high velocity (previously not possible with lead bullets) were new to the scene. By 1911 the GP11 (what this rifle fires) was adopted which was an evolution of the original GP90 cartridge.

[vocalistofthe4rum]

I just want to know why the swiss made weapons at that time when they weren't a part of WW1 and they didn't take part in WW2, so unless they were trying to make money from selling their guns to other countries [like britain after dunkirk would have been a good time] I see the only other reason was that they were afraid of an invasion which never came... and now they hold an absolute ton of the worlds money and people still don't invade them.

[903lew]

@vocalistofthe4rum

Small and neutral nations (Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Czechoslovakia etc) tended to have domestic producers of weapons anyways, lest they be at the mercy of the great powers. Also, this was back in the days when labour was cheap and customs were high. If you do your research you'll find that more or less every nation made their own firearms back then, most still do.

[MakoDefense]

@vocalistofthe4rum The Swiss recognized what many can't - to be neutral and free takes strength and an armed populace. Almost all men served in the military, and were then reserves, with their issued rifle kept in their homes. Hitler wanted badly to invade, but felt the cost of defeating a armed and prepared Switzerland would be too high. Had Switzerland's entire populace not been armed, they would have been invaded. Today, they are still armed, as they were then, but with more modern rifles.

[WillieD7]

@MakoDefense So 37 million Mosin Nagants couldn't keep Hitler out of Russia but 500,000 k31s kept him out of Switzerland? Don't suppose it could have had anything to do with the Swiss being (mostly) German speaking Aryans who were incredibly useful for laundering gold that Germany stole from other countries? I love my k31 but it sure as shit wasn't what kept Hitler from invading Switzerland.

[MakoDefense]

@WillieD7 No, the hands that held them, resolve to fight to the end and destroy infrastructure, and fortified terrain did. The entire populace was the Swiss defense. Shooting was a national sport, and Swiss youth trained to be marksmen out to 300 meters (100 for German kids). The Swiss government believed it could not surrender, since the military power was held by the citizens. Other nations had standing armies. When they fell, the population capitulated. The Swiss population was the military.

[MakoDefense]

@WillieD7 It wasn't the rifles - it was the people. Germany estimated it would cost 200,00 german casualties in the initial invasion of Switzerland. Research operation Tannenbaum.

[WillieD7]

@MakoDefense That casualty figure is surely too high. That's more than the Germans lost in France with a 3mil+ force. Germany's plans for Tannebaum only ever called for <500,000 troops. I'll grant you that an armed populace, willing to fight, kept Germany from waltzing in - but only because killing German speaking Swiss would have been unpopular in Germany, not because invasion would have been so costly to the German army. That and the fact that even Hitler needed banks was their reprieve.

[mrtlsimon]

I've liked the K31 since the first time I saw it,unfortunately I had already moved to a state that makes it difficult to purchase a firearm.You did a good job of relaying information even though you sounded very nervous.I thank you for your effort and I would like to see this rifle verses another classic rifle or even a modern bolt action at 100 or 200 yards.

[DudeNumberOnePlus]

Stg, how about renaming the channel to "Military Arms Channel Open"? You know, it makes no much sense, but the acronym changes to MACHO.

[makun16]

Puts the nagant to shame...Would make a great hunting rifle.

[MakoDefense]

One of my favorite rifles. Two of mine have killed caribou, and one moose.

Hornady now makes some great factory 7.5x55 loads. They are exclusive to Grafs, I believe.

[sacamelo]

great job!!! i want more!!!

[LIAMBOBBI]

how much is ammo

[prometheus77777]

@LIAMBOBBI

Commercial ammunition, such as Privi Partisan, is on par with other similar like 7.62x51/.308nato and other similar calibers. The surplus ammo that I was shooting is match grade GP11 ammo. It was about 25 cents a round 3~ years ago. Today it's about the same price as the commercial stuff.

[djg4lyfe]

Does the K31 rate a C&R? So one can order without FFL?

[shishiromura]

whoever your friend is should make his own channel and do some reviews.

[Glockster42]

Great video, cool rifle. Too bad ammo is virtually non-existent up here. Keep up the great work guys.

[vicospriteg]

ingo sponsor deal at the end reminded me of the intro of a 7:00 movie on HBO in the late '80s early 90's

[DuckDitch]

Very cool and interesting piece of history. God bless the swiss.

[DuckDitch]

Very cool and interesting piece of history.

[enscribe]

Well as long as your taking requests, I want to see a review of an SVT 40.

Nice rifle, I've always been annoyed by the safety ring though. I just think it's ugly.

[thefishmerchant]

@enscribe I second this...

[GuyKeefer]

I'm assuming that's your aid bag on the fence post? I've seen it in a few other videos. What do you guys carry in it and what bag type/brand of bag is it?

[prometheus77777]

@GuyKeefer

Yes it is. In addition to doing most of the camera work, I also function as the team medic. I'll do a quick review of the bag and what I have in it.

[RugerFanRyan]

Cool looking rifle.

Question though, is it at all possible for that bolt to just come back on its own? I myself have never heard of or seen a bolt action where it comes straight back.

Great video by the way!

[BigSean1992]

nice rifle, especially the stock on that one, they are usually jacked up.

[rem0709]

What about scope mounting? Are there adapter mount for that carbine?

[prometheus77777]

@rem0709

Yes there are. In the pictures you can actually see the mount I have attached to it on the right hand side. There are two screw holes to attach the rings. I had planned on putting a nice piece of glass on it but I moved 2 years ago to a new house and I lost the rings and sort of forgot about it until last weekend. I meant to mention it, but there was so much I wanted to talk about that one of the things I forgot to bring up. I'll try and remember who made the mount. It is a bolt on.

[MakoDefense]

@prometheus77777 Swiss Products makes the only decent clamp-on scope mount in the US, and a drill and tap mount too. Grafs & Sons and Brownells carry them.

[prometheus77777]

@MakoDefense

That's the one I have, the bolt on, it attaches quite securely. Now if I could find that tiny little package with the rings and screws I miss placed in the move I'd be all set, lol. Thank you!

[MakoDefense]

@prometheus77777 It uses 11mm rings. A lot of people get them from Millett, Warne, or B-Square. It is best to use a 1" optic for clearance of the ejection port, and not to large an objective lens, so you don't have to mount the optic high to clear the rear sight.

[prometheus77777]

@MakoDefense

Yep, that's why I originally didn't put an optic on it after I got the mount and rings, I didn't have anything that would work and then with the move, it fell by the wayside. I'm going to try and pick them up over the next month or two and report back on it. Thank you, I appreciate your help, I think quite highly of your group. - Joe

[kalliste23]

@prometheus77777 it would be nice if you showed us a supplementary vid with that mount removed - especially since it's not actually doing anything useful.

[rustlerbadass]

i like the other guy better... sorry this guy.

[032125]

@rustlerbadass I think it's just nerves. He'll get more comfortable in front of the camera, I'm sure.

[prometheus77777]

@032125

Thank you, It's quite intimidating being on the other side of the camera ;)

[rustlerbadass]

@032125 hopefully

[SavageArms357]

Fantastic review.

Will you be doing a review of the Mauser 98k?

[labartic]

@SavageArms357 vintage gun porn right there lol

[SavageArms357]

@labartic The best kind. :P

[TxSoldier77]

Is that one of the models that has the name of the soldier it was issued to on a piece of paper in the buttstock or something like that? I've seen others talk about it, but didn't know if it was another Swiss model.

[prometheus77777]

@TxSoldier77

Yes, it did have a name and some information under the butt plate. Some people go so far as to try and contact that person and wind up with a pen pal. I didn't try to contact the gentleman who had mine.

[wildcatactual]

@prometheus77777

Unfortunately mine didn't come with the i.d. note. I was disappointed...until I took the rifle to the range for the first time. :-)

[Oaktree406]

Well that's a unique design.

[Mraje94]

Where can I get one of these?

[Mraje94]

(.Y.)

[TMHonfire102]

!(O)(O)!