How is the milsurp market these days?

[bulletpaluza]

Markings look legit to me... the Germans did use three proof marks side by side

These would be the real markings that would be on the rifle.

 

[Hayata]

I've got some questions fellas regarding swiss k31,
1)Has anyone shot K31 with diopter optics? Some people say that it makes harder to see the target ???
2)is it worth paying over $300 for it?
3)I am looking for a really clean Swiss bayonet with minimal or no pitting etc. What would be a fair price with sheath and everything?
Thanks!

1 - no, but I'd kill for a set of those sights...haven't heard anything negative about them and since they were used in competition I would think they would be desirable. YMMV

2 - yes, although I'm not sure I'd go over $600, but that's just me. I forget who recently had them listed at $399 w/o a magazine...I almost bought another. Some folks say to reproduce the rifle today it would be north of a grand.

3 - they used to go for $65-$85. I'm guessing up to a hunnert bucks? Haven't checked online in a while. One of my K31's has the matching numbers bayonet. alleycat had a bayonet for my 1896/11. I call him the bayonet whisperer...

I have a scope mount for one of my K31's - I don't think you can find them anymore - and the drawback is they use a 3/8" dovetail mount like old .22 rifles.

I posted in a for sale post by Brown556 that you can still get bolt on scope mounts for the 1896/11 and 1911 but they, too, use the 3/8" dovetail mount so your ring selection will be limited.

The worst thing about Swiss rifles is that the GP11 ammo has all but dried up. PPU still makes factory ammo if you don't roll your own. Hard to find and not cheap. For example: https://www.sgammo.com/product/prvi...iss-174-grain-soft-point-prvi-partizan-ammo-p

But I will say these are some of the best made milsurps out there. The Swiss weren't at war and they made each rifle to shoot and to last. I love the straight-pull action. And the triggers are impeccable.

Everyone should own at least one to enjoy the craftmanship.

 

[tk1987]

1 - no, but I'd kill for a set of those sights...haven't heard anything negative about them and since they were used in competition I would think they would be desirable. YMMV

2 - yes, although I'm not sure I'd go over $600, but that's just me. I forget who recently had them listed at $399 w/o a magazine...I almost bought another. Some folks say to reproduce the rifle today it would be north of a grand.

3 - they used to go for $65-$85. I'm guessing up to a hunnert bucks? Haven't checked online in a while. One of my K31's has the matching numbers bayonet. alleycat had a bayonet for my 1896/11. I call him the bayonet whisperer...

I have a scope mount for one of my K31's - I don't think you can find them anymore - and the drawback is they use a 3/8" dovetail mount like old .22 rifles.

I posted in a for sale post by Brown556 that you can still get bolt on scope mounts for the 1896/11 and 1911 but they, too, use the 3/8" dovetail mount so your ring selection will be limited.

The worst thing about Swiss rifles is that the GP11 ammo has all but dried up. PPU still makes factory ammo if you don't roll your own. Hard to find and not cheap. For example: https://www.sgammo.com/product/prvi...iss-174-grain-soft-point-prvi-partizan-ammo-p

But I will say these are some of the best made milsurps out there. The Swiss weren't at war and they made each rifle to shoot and to last. I love the straight-pull action. And the triggers are impeccable.

Everyone should own at least one to enjoy the craftmanship.

Thank you Sir !

 

[EMC45]

1 - no, but I'd kill for a set of those sights...haven't heard anything negative about them and since they were used in competition I would think they would be desirable. YMMV

2 - yes, although I'm not sure I'd go over $600, but that's just me. I forget who recently had them listed at $399 w/o a magazine...I almost bought another. Some folks say to reproduce the rifle today it would be north of a grand.

3 - they used to go for $65-$85. I'm guessing up to a hunnert bucks? Haven't checked online in a while. One of my K31's has the matching numbers bayonet. alleycat had a bayonet for my 1896/11. I call him the bayonet whisperer...

I have a scope mount for one of my K31's - I don't think you can find them anymore - and the drawback is they use a 3/8" dovetail mount like old .22 rifles.

I posted in a for sale post by Brown556 that you can still get bolt on scope mounts for the 1896/11 and 1911 but they, too, use the 3/8" dovetail mount so your ring selection will be limited.

The worst thing about Swiss rifles is that the GP11 ammo has all but dried up. PPU still makes factory ammo if you don't roll your own. Hard to find and not cheap. For example: https://www.sgammo.com/product/prvi...iss-174-grain-soft-point-prvi-partizan-ammo-p

But I will say these are some of the best made milsurps out there. The Swiss weren't at war and they made each rifle to shoot and to last. I love the straight-pull action. And the triggers are impeccable.

Everyone should own at least one to enjoy the craftmanship.

They are great rifles. When I got mine the bayonet and sling cost more than the rifle did. I put the idea of getting the whole kit out of my head for that reason. Mine does have the soldier tag and a buddy and I actually tracked down his family and corresponded with them about their Dad's rifle. The stock is kind of beat up due to the snow and from the hobnails of the soldiers boots.

I do have dies and brass and it does shoot very well. The trigger is pretty amazing. The throats on these are pretty short, so you have to load accordingly. This is one of the first rifles (as a civilian) that I shot open sights at 100y. It didn't dissapoint.

 

[tk1987]

I have an unissued K31 but missing bayonet. I found some bayonets online but their prices vary between $125 and up to $165.
edelweissarms

 

[EugenFJR]

Those look like fake waffen marks to me. My rule of thumb with nazi markings on rifles is 1) if there are more then one per part it's fake and 2) if it has swastikas all over it its likely fake.

They would not have stamped 3 consecutive stamps on the receiver like that and then 1 on the other side for good measure? It's the most faked marking in the milsurp world. This is just my rule of thumb and its always treated me right. Your rifles value is $550 ish range maybe less maybe Slightly more would have to hold it to really know.

Wrong...
From the book "Backbone of the Wehrmacht" this shows clearly that my rifle is marked like the other 250,000 thousand rifles produced by Mauser/Oberndorf.

There is no set hard rule for the spacing of the eagles, nor the numeric code under the eagles. Another example from the same company of a receiver made earlier in the same year.

 

[EugenFJR]

No significant difference between your picture of the 3 eagles on the side of the rifle, (with a laminated stock) BTW.

My rifles Waffenampt markings

 

[EugenFJR]

My rifle...

Example given in the book.

 

[EugenFJR]

Also, there is a debate that laminated rifle stocks were only issued with cupped butt plates. That is also wrong.

My rifle with a laminated wood stock, flat butt plate.

 

[EugenFJR]

And the final "issue" with my rifle saying that it's so mismatched that it would never be reissued to go back to front line service. That is totally incorrect, Germany was a more or less a cottage industry by 1944, due to heavy allied bombing. What the Germans didn't have time to do during the war was remark every single part to have it match the numbers on the receiver. As a matter of fact, in all likelihood the rifle was fixed/refurbished at the unit level, and sent back into service.

I assure you that they didn't give a damn, if the numbers matched or not.