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Posted: 9/2/2007 9:36:38 AM EDT
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Where the best place to pick up a good K31? Thanks |
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I recall that AIM and Classic Arms are good places. They will run $170-200 depending on whether it's a walnut or beech stock and you select the handpick option. If you would like try your hand at refinishing (this is blasphemy to most but I wanted to try it), you can pick on up for $130 from FSG Inc. Stdsnb16 |
One's walnut and the other is beech Seriously, the walnut stocks are on older rifles from the 30's to the early 50's the Swiss then went to beech stocks..Generally, the older walnut stocked rifles show more use/abuse, as they were probably issued and reissued and carried more often than the newer beech stocked ones..
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The walnut ones are in worse shape but the wood is prettier. If you can get a good condition walnut stock, it's worth it. The metal on almost all of them is the same (Swiss are as good at maintaining rifles as they are at building them) so if it's just for shooting, get beech. |
Whether it's just for shooting or not, get both... Problem solved...  Forrest |
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder my friend! ETA: I'd say that the Walnut have a much wider threshold with which they look attractive, whereas with the Beech, if it has more than a few dings or dark spots it can get ugly fast. Unless of course you appreciate the weathered look. |
I agree... Beauty is in the eye of the beholder... I have a couple of both. I have one with a beech stock that wasn't discolored too bad from being kicked in the butt with hobnailed boots (or whatever). With some careful work, I managed to refinish it to a state nearly back to original. It's, by far (to my eye), the prettiest K31 that I've seen with it's very, very light stock contrasted against the nice blueing... The other beech stocked K31 that I have had a stock that was worked over (bruised and banged up) much more. The metal and bore looked/look new. On that one, I ended up staining the stock to look like a walnut one, which helped covere up the discolored bruises and dings in the beech quite well. I also have a walnut one with a figured stock. The wood is very nice, and I like walnut very much. However, I have to admit that a light colored beech stock that was originally sawed at the 'right' angle produces about the prettiest stock that can be found. Forrest |
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