Does anyone want to take a swag as to whether we'll ever see ammo for these beauties at surplus prices?  Are there warehouses full of it that they'll eventually liquidate?

My 1st C&R purchase was a K31.  ~10 guns later I've still never fired it.  If I thought ammo was coming, I'd buy 5 more!

Thoughts?

No FN way. Only one small nation ever used this, and the surp IS out now.

Reload

Quoted: Reload

My thought as well.  I think SOG's ad had some commercial ammo for sale.

GRAF has 7.5x55 Swiss brass, their name on the head stamp, for $125 / 500. That's a REALLY good price. I bought some and it worked well.  Even if you have to buy bullets, powder, primers, and a die set, that means you'd be able to reload about 1000 rounds for around $250. And the brass should be good for at least 10 reloads.

dogcaller:

At .35/round from a 480 round case of 7.5x55 vs. .15/round from a 1000 round case of Port. .308 plinking ammo, I can see your point.  However, the GP11 ammo is match grade.  Trust me.  (Above prices are from aimsurplus.com.  I haven't been able to find cheaper prices for quality ammo on the net)

Now for  a comparison, Federal Gold Match 168gr BTHP run about $21.00 for a box of 20.  

Personally, I like the challenge of knocking holes in the x ring at 100 yds. with a match grade military rifle from the 40's almost as much as I like doing the same with a match grade scoped .308.  Considering the cost comparison, I can do a lot of shooting with the Schmidt-Rubin for the same money as a few rounds of .308.

Still though, I agree.   It would be nice if some mil-surp Boxer primed ammo were laying around in quantity that nobody wanted.  

IM me for accuracy stories that I don't care to repeat to bore the rest of the board.  Please.  Get out and shoot your K31 from the bench on a nice, still day.  You won't regret it.

-White Horse

FNM of Portugaul makes this round, and is about the cheapest non-military round you will find.

You will never see much more surplus.

Thanks for the good info, guys.  

I'm going to break down and buy some of the loaded ammo.  I've been waiting for boatloads of it to hit th eshores and flood the market.  Thanks for pointing out that, "hey dummy, it was only Switzerland!"

So do I understand correctly that the loaded ammo is Berdan primed, and therefore I'll need to buy commercial brass in order to reload?

Thanks again.


Edited to ask:  Is AIM still the best bet re: price?

Quoted: Thanks for the good info, guys.   I'm going to break down and buy some of the loaded ammo.  I've been waiting for boatloads of it to hit th eshores and flood the market.  Thanks for pointing out that, "hey dummy, it was only Switzerland!" So do I understand correctly that the loaded ammo is Berdan primed, and therefore I'll need to buy commercial brass in order to reload? Thanks again. Edited to ask:  Is AIM still the best bet re: price?

Dogcaller:

Yes, the GP11 brass is Berdan, so I throw it away.  You can buy new (very expensive, but nice Norma) brass here:
http://www.grafs.com/bulkByVendor.cfm/startItem/1

The best price that I have found on the web for ammo is still aimsurplus.  If anyone has beaten it, I haven't found it yet.

For your viewing pleasure, here is a pic of my two beauties:



-White Horse

Those are damn nice.  Did you refinish the stocks or is that how they came?

Quoted: Those are damn nice.  Did you refinish the stocks or is that how they came?

Dan:

They came that way, but I figured out the technique (after much trial and error) and now use it to restore other stocks.

For a small fee of nothing, I will share it with you if you are interested.

-White Horse

The following was entirely too large for an IM, so I cut and paste it here.  Please forgive me dogcaller, I am not trying to hijack your thread.

Dan:

After several stock refinishes I went back to the fellow who did the K31's you see in the picture.  All that I could get out of him was a mumbled reply about "...a light coat of polyurathane."

Here is his simple secret and my experience together:

First, buy a boatload of sandpaper in 250, 400, 600, and 800.  

1.  Cover any cartouches with masking tape or a sticker to remind you not to buff them out.  

2.  Degrease the stock as much as you can. (I have found that simple green foaming organic grill cleaner works great on grease and cosmo, but with K31's cosmoline doesn't seem to be a problem.  Be sure to rinse well and let it dry before sanding.

3.  Steam out the bumps and scratches by using your iron (on high) and a wet washcloth.  Put the washcloth over the wood and press firmly with the iron, moving it back and forth.  Don't be shy with the water.  The steam will help lift out the scratches.  It helps, but can't work miracles.  Let it dry overnight.

4.  Sand the wood with the 250 until smooth.  Spend more time with the 400 and 600, then finally "polish" it with the 800.  Feel free to wipe the wood with a damp cloth between sandings, this will raise the grain and ready it for the next round of sanding.  Do not do this toward the final sandings.  Don't be tempted to use steel wool like some folks suggest.  You will get miniscule slivers of metal in the wood grain that will be there forever.  Some have suggested using the 3M scrub pads to avoid this, but I have not tried that.  The 800 sandpaper puts on a nice polish.  This step can take several days of hanging out alone the garage breathing sawdust and catbox fumes.  Relish the quality alone time.  

5.  Once you are done sanding, wipe the wood clean with a dry terry cloth or cotton rag.  Don't worry about the little bit of sawdust still left in the grain of the wood.

6.  Use a quality polyurathane like Minwax Fast Drying Satin (hint).  DO NOT FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS, they are probably for furniture finishing or something.  Start at one end of the stock and use a clean rag to wipe the finish on a section with a light coat.  Rub well to get the sawdust from the grain.  When you are done wiping it into a 4 inch section, wipe it off immediately using a dry part of the cloth.  Move on until the whole stock or part is done.  Do not apply a second coat like the directions say.

I have used this to refinish an old A2 Springfield stock.  It turned out just as stunning as the two K31's.  This after some somewhat less than stunning stock refinishing projects for some relatives.

Enjoy.

-White Horse

Much appreciated.  Sounds like I have a weekend project while my wife is gone to her parents next week.

White_horse,

Where did you purchase these items? The blue still looks to be in great condition.

Quoted: White_horse, Where did you purchase these items? The blue still looks to be in great condition.

I just ordered mine from SOG.  Other than the stock being a little rough, the rest of the rifle was in beautiful shape.  I would definitely recommend them.  I think I paid $84.95 plus shipping for it.

WHAT?!?!!  Those CAME that way?

Most likely refinished.

Looks good.  I have one that I paid $225 for that is not that nice.

Dennis Jenkins

Quoted: WHAT?!?!!  Those CAME that way?

Well I quess Im going to order one, probaly Friday.

I placed an order with Classic Arms yesterday. I sure hope it comes close to yours.

Quoted: White_horse, Where did you purchase these items? The blue still looks to be in great condition.

Heya:

The bluing is in near perfect condition and yes, the stocks were redone, but not heavily.  I paid 3 bills each for them, but considering how they look AND how they shoot, it was a bargain.  If I could buy new stocks from Boyd's and old rifles from SOG or Aimsurplus, I could have a new job making beautiful rifles for new owners.

To answer your original question, I got those two beauties from a local guy named Frank. (DeLand military collectibles)

-White Horse

Any contact information on "DeLand military collectibles". I may have to take a ride up there.

Hey:

Frank's number is 386-736-3849, please tell him Ryan sent you.  He doesn't give kickbacks or anything, but I like to build rapport whenever possible.  He is not usually too good about returning phone calls, so good luck.  If you are patient, you will be rewarded with one of the finest selections of old military rifles available.  Be warned though, his prices are fair, so don't expect a bargain.  He once had a Chinese SKS (chromed barrel in 90% plus condition).  $300, but I never thought an SKS could look that nice.

The best place to find him is at the Orlando gun show at the fairgrounds.  He should be there next weekend and he always brings a sizable collection.  He is the guy with lots of old military rifles with pieces of paper on the stocks held on by rubberbands.  The papers describle the rifles in detail: year, bore condition, price, etc.

-White Horse

Update:  He called and left a vm for me.  He will be at the Melbourne show Saturday only and currently has two pristine beech stock K31's with mint bores like the one in the pic.   He will be busy Sunday since it is Mother's day.  The price is $300.00 plus call-in.