K-31 Schmidt-Rubin ………………………(f 514) SOLD

One of the best Swiss K-31 Rifles By Sword & Musket has had to offer

It is a rare thing when a rifle stops you in your tracks, unless you happen to be some several hundred yards away and trespassing in an aggressive manner, with a couple of thousand of your mates, in someone elses country.  Well, this one does and luckily not in that way; one glance and you know you are looking at something a little above the average in military rifle collecting terms.   The woodwork is a silky walnut and the finish over the receiver an equally smooth velvet charcoal black.  With this example the possibility of selective stocks comes to mind.  Is it possible that the better examples were put aside and reserved for Officers weapons?  If not, then some lucky trooper drew the long straw.  This rifle is in fabulous condition and the main stock benefits from being made out of a particularly pleasing timber blank.  It has a strong brown streak running through the grain from the action back to the butt-plate, and the quality of the rest of the timber is very high and in good condition with a smooth finish.  The timber seems to be a light walnut as opposed to the beech on most later  rifles.  The number of dents or dings can be counted on one hand and none are serious.

The rifle is chambered in the Swiss 7.5 x 55 standard military cartridge.  This design of Carbine benefits from a detachable 6-shot box magazine and the superb “straight pull” mechanism.  Overall, the rifle measures 43.1/2″ in length.  The barrel is 25.3/4″ long, round and blued.  It is possible to determine that the barrel is the original as the last three numbers of the serial number are stamped into the shoulder just in front of the receiver ring.  The serial number is 753031 which puts production sometime in 1943!  The current condition on the receiver is about as good as it gets.  There are no dents, dings or scratches and no high edge wear – it appears unused. The bore is the same with clear sharp rifling, no pitting or misting.

This K-31 rifle is fully matching except for one component which I believe may have been replaced after the date of manufacture.  The bolt cap shows a manufacturers’ code and a date “33” this means 1933, we can only assume it was replaced in a refit when the previous component became unserviceable.  The magazine bolt and action all bear the serial number.   The top of the receiver shows the Swiss shield clearly.  The rifle has a single barrel band attached to which is a genuine sling.  The sling is attached at the rear by the conventional Swiss spring loaded clip onto the sling bar set into the LHS of the butt-stock.  The sling is in good useable condition.

Being the later designed bolt system the bolt handle is made of dull aluminium.  The sights are polished on the top face and are graduated from 100 to 1500 in meters.  There is no windage adjustment in the rear sights but there is an ingenious sliding compensation built into the front sights which are also clearly marked with a “+ and -” sign on the upward facing base.  The front sight slides across on a 45 degree angled slide to factor in adjustment.  This apparatus is protected by “ears” similar to the British SMLE.  Beneath the muzzle is a stacking hook.  There is a front stock or noseband which has a bayonet lug on the underside with a clear triangle stamping.  The butt-plate is nicely blued and in good condition.

A very good example with a super action and a fine bore.  UK proofed 2015.

Stock No’  f 514

£ 715.oo (SOLD)

Comments Off on K-31 Schmidt-Rubin ………………………(f 514) SOLD