New to forum and new to Swiss rifles

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Jonesy	New to forum and new to Swiss rifles	Lead	[-]
Posts: 1 (08/27/08 17:47:43) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Tags : None Hello all. I am a rookie to Swiss rifles and this is my first day on this board--and it looks like a great forum! I checked out the "read this first" links and found a lot of helpful information. I just today brought home two K31s. These are my first foreign milsurp rifles; I've to date collected and shoot US milsurp. It is evident they are very well made rifles and I cannot wait to take them to the range. They are both in walnut stocks, one is in the 200,xxx range and the other in the 500,xxx range. Reading the production dates that means mid 1950s and early 1930s--am I reading that correctly? It appears the Swiss started with the 520,xxx range and numbered down as the years went up? My second question concerns the name tag I was very happy to find under one of the buttplates. A friend of mine tells me people on this forum can help me find contact information for this person? If so I would greatly appreciate anyone pointing me in the right direction. Once I figure out how to post pics and find time I will put some up. That might take a while. Thank you for your help and patience with a rookie. I appreciate it much!
czechmauseritis		#1	[-]
Posts: 1619 (08/27/08 18:26:22) Administrator Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Welcome to the Forum!! Browse and learn! There is a lot of information in the archive area specifically dealing with some of your questions... If you can read your tag, post it here and our well qualified membership will be sure to help you out... I think we have at LEAST a millenium in combined Swiss Rifle and general firearms experience amongst our esteemed membership an you will be greatly rewarded in your study and sharing here. Pull up a chair and enjoy!! "E Svizzeri sono armatissimi e liberissimi" "The Swiss are the most armed and the most free" N. Machiavelli, Il Principe Capitolo
Jonesy		#2	[-]
Posts: 2 (08/27/08 18:45:53) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Thanks for the welcome, Czech! I will indulge in the archives. As for the tag under the buttplate, it reads like this: Fus. Ulrich Arnold 15 Fus. k/o II 1248 Bahnarbeiter Wapgep (or maybe, "Wangen") B/O. On the other side is the serial number preceeded by the letter, K: K 543844
Jonesy		#3	[-]
Posts: 3 (08/27/08 19:35:42) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	I forgot to mention I bought these two K31s from Classic Arms. I spoke with Ben and Lisa before ordering and they were very helpful. I talked with Ben Monday morning, placed the order, and they went out that day and were here at my local FFL waiting for me at lunch Wednesday. Now that's customer service! I know I am a Swiss rifle novice but I could not help noticing something so far: Of the six walnut K31s and three beech K31s I looked at and handled, I've noticed that the beech rifles have near mint metal/blueing with heavily bruised and ding stocks, and the walnut rifles have worn metal/blueing but little worn stocks. And both have had excellent bores and muzzles. I suppose this is just coincidence concerning the handful of rifles I've handled compared with the thousands out there. Anyone have a similar experienc?
Parashooter		#4	[-]
Posts: 1663 (08/27/08 20:46:04) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	"It appears the Swiss started with the 520,xxx range and numbered down as the years went up?" This is not exactly the case. Ordinary K31 serials went from 520010 to 999999 and then re-started at 215001. There is a logical reason for this. You can figure it out by studying the numbers assigned to rifles and carbines since the Model 1889. Better mental exercise than crossword puzzles!
Guisan		#5	[-]
Posts: 10719 (08/28/08 00:05:25) Contributing Member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Welcome aboard ! I think your tag reads like this; Füsilier Ulrich, Arnold 1915 Füsiliers Kompanie II/248 Bahnarbeiter = railway worker Wangen bei (near) Olten. There is little chance that he's still alive but if you want to know I think it's best to start here; Herr Werner Ulrich Rumpelweg 28 CH-4612 Wangen b. Olten / SO Switzerland. It's a man with the same last name that might be a relative. Success ! Guisan. Fight to your last cartridge, then fight with your bayonets. No surrender. Fight to the death. Gen. Henri Guisan, Switzerland, July '40
Jonesy		#6	[-]
Posts: 4 (08/28/08 02:12:16) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Parashooter, Thanks, that clears that up. I see looking at the time/production chart what you mean. My K31 was made in 1935, then. I'll show this to my dad as he was born then Guisan, Wow! Thank you very much for translating the name tag and looking up a current address to boot. I'd guess the same: if this Mr. Ulrich is not the same perhaps it is a blood relative. Thanks again.
tacfoley	Welcome indeed!	#7	[-]
Posts: 322 (08/28/08 04:19:43) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Mornin', Jonesy - tac here in UK offering you a warm if slightly damp welcome to the best Swiss arms forum on the internet [Mods, dijja get my address right for the check?]. On a serious note, there are folks here with dozens of Swiss arms of all kinds, artisans who make usefull accessories, and dealers who find us hard-to-find stuff, both in the USA and in Europe. There are Swiss shooting clubs galore in USA and GWN, it seems - something that has not yet happened, not ever will, here in yUK, where our beloved Swiss rifles and carbines are expensive curios to both buy and feed. Here there are only ~~three~~ two sources of GP11, and the cost is ridiculous except, by good fortune, the one nearest me. The couple of UK-based posters here, me in Eastern England, and Turk over in Ulster, are so far lone voices on this site, but we do as much as we can to promote these wondrous arms in our clubs - there are certainly no shortages of folks keen to shoot my ammunition! I have a K96/11 in beautiful original condition, and a 1954-arsenal-refurbed K31 with St Marie Graphics diopter sights. I also have a pretty rare K31-actioned target rifle in .308, with Gehmann/Centra/W+F sights that was so ugly that nobody except Stevie Wonder could love it, although it has won me medals at 300m with the right ammunition and a good day. The Centra bipod cost almost as much as the rifle, and the rear sight cost more than the whole rifle... Reloading can be fun as well as a never-ending quest, as the pages on the subject will show you. One day there will be no more GP11, so try reloading now and be prepared. Best of luck with your search, BTW, and learn some German and French - you'll find it VERY useful here! tac
Jonesy		#8	[-]
Posts: 5 (08/28/08 04:45:17) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Tac, Thank you for your warm welcome, and mornin' back to you. I was in Oxford and London in 2002, seven days thereabouts and I had a wonderful time. Aside from the depth of history, the beautiful architecture, and lovely people, you folks have tremendously good beer! I spent a good amount of time touring the pubs and I loved the local ales. In Oxford I spent nearly every evening at the Mehan Ale House (I probably misspelled that, sorry) sampling both the local libations and the locals. As for GP-11, we have another large gun show coming up. I am blessed to live close to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania where the Farmshow complex hosts a large military and knife show (mostly guns of all sorts). There are two to three ammo dealers there at every show. Yesterday I called two of them and they both said they would set aside a case for me and sell it at a slight discount. This is good as one of the dealers (Dan's Ammo) is the cheapest I've seen already, roughly 40 cents a squeeze, before taxes and shipping. Since I'll be there in person I'll only have parking and entry costs which will surely be less than PA taxes and shipping. Glad to hear you enjoy your Swiss rifles at your clubs. It sounds like you get full enjoyment out of your rifles after putting much love and money into them. A good return on investment, for sure! I plan on shooting mine in next year's NRA matches at our local club, in preparation for the Vintage Military match at the national matches in Camp Perry, Ohio. Thank you again, or rather, Merci/Danka!
Calibear		#9	[-]
Posts: 1986 (08/28/08 06:09:54) Contributing Member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Jonesy, please allow me to add my salutations to that of my fellow members. Welcome to the SRDC! You should also be made aware of the dreaded 'Swiss Flu'. Very infectious! Best, Ron
Guisan		#10	[-]
Posts: 10721 (08/28/08 06:15:51) Contributing Member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	I had to look it up and learned something new again ! http://www.acronymfinder.com/Don't-Ask-Nobody-Knows-Anyway-(DANKA).html Guisan. Fight to your last cartridge, then fight with your bayonets. No surrender. Fight to the death. Gen. Henri Guisan, Switzerland, July '40
DON1937.parallaxscurioa...		#11	[-]
Posts: 37 (08/28/08 10:56:32) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Jonesy...welcome to the forum. You've chosen one of if not the best foreign rifle to collect. I have 2 arriving at my dealer today. What condition are the ones you received from Classic and where are the import markings? Classic is considerably cheaper than where I bought mine but I ordered tiger striped walnut. I buy a lot of my 7.5 ammo from AIM Surplus. $.50 per round shipped. Not cheap but AIM is reliable and they ship very fast. Again welcome to the money pit of C$Rs
Jonesy		#12	[-]
Posts: 6 (08/28/08 13:11:59) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Don, The import marks are tucked away nicely under the front of the barrel. I like them there: out of sight. Classic Arms sent me two very nice specimens. Both the walnut stocks are in very good shape, one with very little "beaver chew" at the bottom of the buttstock. The metal is a little worn on the 1935 model but, hey, the rifle is 73 years old! The bores are just beautiful as are the muzzles. It is hard to believe the barrel on the 1935 is original, it is no nice. In fact, that leads me to my next question: How does one see/tell if a K31 has gone through a Swiss rebuid? tac, you mentioned you have a rebuild. Did they put the correct serial number on the replacement barrels, for example, or are the replacement barrels different than the origninals?
czechmauseritis		#13	[-]
Posts: 1620 (08/29/08 06:48:48) Administrator Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	There might be a manufacturers serial number as well as the serial number matching the rifle on a replacement barrel if it was properly done at the arsenal. Other indicators of a re-barrel are the newer 1950's era W+F acceptance stamp (Circle-Plus-K) on the barrel shank near the serial number on a rifle clearly manufactured during the reign of another inspector (Major Hauri for instance for war era rifles, H with a cross on top) Many barrels used for replacements were made by Haemerli (little hammer stamp underneath the wood. Most SIG made barrels I've seen are not replacements, so I suspect Haemerli made most of the new barrels for well-used early K31's. Given the standard deviation on my statistical sampling methods, this might not mean much as I am sure there are some exceptions to this rule. "E Svizzeri sono armatissimi e liberissimi" "The Swiss are the most armed and the most free" N. Machiavelli, Il Principe Capitolo

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