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- Thread starter EL34/6L6
- Start date
Beauty! I'm surprised to hear about your bore - the bores on these things are usually pristine. Interesting how your wood and metal seems to be next to perfect, but the bore is a little worn. It's usually the opposite way around!
Mine's a 1934 and I'm very happy with it, too. These rifles are stupid accurate and GP11 is a wonderful little load.
Mine's a 1934 and I'm very happy with it, too. These rifles are stupid accurate and GP11 is a wonderful little load.
samsplacci71
Regular
- Location
- Toronto area
Nice K31, I wouldn't worry about the surface rust. Feed it some ammo and take it to the range. Your rust will disappear. When she is still warm at the range, give it a clean it as usual. Once done light coat of oil in and out. I use Mobil 1 synthetic motor oil on and in all my firearms, light coat. The Swiss have historically used Waffenfett, that ugly grease that comes with the firearm cleaning kit. It is a cleaner,lubricant and preservative agent for metal.
Use nylon bore and grease to coat the bore for a few days.
Use a cloth patch and a jag to remove the grease at the range.
Shoot it, and while barrel is still hot, apply more grease with the nylon brush before taking it home.
Wait a few days then clean it and re-grease.
Use a cloth patch and a jag to remove the grease at the range.
Shoot it, and while barrel is still hot, apply more grease with the nylon brush before taking it home.
Wait a few days then clean it and re-grease.
@OP - Ditto this. It's the best cleaning advice you'll ever get for the K31 and the other Swiss straight-pulls. As for dissing the waffenfett schtuff, why do you imagine that 100-year old bores still look like new? ANY modern light yellow-ish grease will do the same thing, but nix that oil. Between us, Carlos and I have over sixty years shooting Swiss schtuff, and we are noobs compared to many of our our Swiss friends. If the other poster is talking about the black stuff, that, Sir, is called 'automatenfett' and was designed to be used with the StG57 self-loader, not the manually-operated K31 or its predecessors.
BTW, that K31 is a private carbine, as shown by the P stamped on the tang. Great to have the competition stickers ,too!
tac
www.swissrifles.com
PS - you have a mismatched magazine. Just like Lee-Enfields, magazines were issued with the arm on a one-to-one basis, and in the case of the Swiss, matching serial-numbered, too. No biggy, just a meh.
EL34/6L6
Please re-read my post, #6, GREASE the bore with the Nylon brush, let the grease in the bore for some time, days at least, then patch it out at the range just before shooting it. The shooting is PART of the cleaning/de-rusting process. Grease again while barrel is still hot before casing it up for the return trip home. Grease gets into the pores of the metal and softens the crud and rust.
Swiss methology is to have grease protecting the bore at all times, beside actual shooting and more serious cleaning.
Previous custodian of your rifle did not adhere to that methology, and thereby allowed the rust to form.
The nylon brush is to coat the bore with the grease, not plug it up entirely, as like cosmoline.
Dip the brush into the grease or coat it from a grease tube. Pass it back and forth a few time to ensure even coat.
Prevents oxygen forming rust on steel and sulphur dioxide forming tarnish on copper.
Please re-read my post, #6, GREASE the bore with the Nylon brush, let the grease in the bore for some time, days at least, then patch it out at the range just before shooting it. The shooting is PART of the cleaning/de-rusting process. Grease again while barrel is still hot before casing it up for the return trip home. Grease gets into the pores of the metal and softens the crud and rust.
Swiss methology is to have grease protecting the bore at all times, beside actual shooting and more serious cleaning.
Previous custodian of your rifle did not adhere to that methology, and thereby allowed the rust to form.
The nylon brush is to coat the bore with the grease, not plug it up entirely, as like cosmoline.
Dip the brush into the grease or coat it from a grease tube. Pass it back and forth a few time to ensure even coat.
Prevents oxygen forming rust on steel and sulphur dioxide forming tarnish on copper.
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- Location
- Southern Vancouver Island
This sounds like a good method to use.....in 1889! I pity the shooter who leaves a tad too much grease in the bore, then takes a shot with a factory or warmer handload using jacketed bullets. A ring bulge in the barrel would be likely or worse due to a high pressure spike.
Grease should only be used in the bore for long term storage, not for rifles that see regular use. On a Swiss straight-pull, a thin coating of Rig grease is ok for the action parts such as the bolt body and guide plate.(Not on the locking lugs or sear)
There are many good lubricant/cleaners out there such as Militech-1, Wipe Out & Frog lube that are far superior to the older cleaners and preservatives. Sure, I grew up using Hoppes #9 for general gun cleaning, followed with a coating with 3 in 1 oil or Rig, but the goodies available to shooters now are light years ahead in performance. Grease will not clean a bore, only coat it.
Here's a good link to proper bore care from folks that set the records for accuracy and well maintained rifles.
I use this method to keep my guns shooting true.
www.6mmbr.com/borecleaning.html
Good luck. Once softened with the grease and shot a few times, it should be easy to get a bright bore again.
I used up close to half a can of Wipeout Foam cleaner on a 6.5x58 1904 Vergueiro so it's would be decently carbon free.
I wish the Portuguese amry and South African U.D.F used grease, that barrel wouldn't be in the sewer pipe condition it arrived in.
I used up close to half a can of Wipeout Foam cleaner on a 6.5x58 1904 Vergueiro so it's would be decently carbon free.
I wish the Portuguese amry and South African U.D.F used grease, that barrel wouldn't be in the sewer pipe condition it arrived in.
Shell Shucker
The Swiss have a term "fettshuss". Literally translates as "greaseshot"
Used for when a Swiss shooter forgets to de-grease their bore before their first shot.
A cloud of smoke resembling a black powder shot eminates from the poor sod's rifle, signifing all the other shooters on the range will be getting a free beer paid by the forgetful shooter. Only harm and damage done is to the unfortunate one's wallet, who will never forget the ribbing and always clean out the grease henceforth.
I got two free beers since I start shooting with the Swiss Rifle Clubs back in 1991.
The Swiss have a term "fettshuss". Literally translates as "greaseshot"
Used for when a Swiss shooter forgets to de-grease their bore before their first shot.
A cloud of smoke resembling a black powder shot eminates from the poor sod's rifle, signifing all the other shooters on the range will be getting a free beer paid by the forgetful shooter. Only harm and damage done is to the unfortunate one's wallet, who will never forget the ribbing and always clean out the grease henceforth.
I got two free beers since I start shooting with the Swiss Rifle Clubs back in 1991.
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