Convert Swiss K31 to 7.62 NATO

Have a look at w ww.lprgunsmith.com. Gives you an idea of what is involved in changing caliber.
Years ago, there were some commercial K31s in 7.62x51 imported into the US.
 
if your talking about the 7.5x55 swiss round , i can't see how a person could recut the chamber to 308 win / 7.62 nato unless you could cut about a inch and a half off of the barrel and rechamber it ?

the swiss rounds is similar enough to the .284 winchester round , that alot of guys use the 284 brass just necked up and a bit of work to the extractor.
 
Ammo Availability

Actually I did imagine that. I understand that many guys just are neither equipped nor inclined to reload, but while GP11 7.5x55 is getting very scarce, 308 milsurp is generally not match quality and getting more scarce as well. Commercial 308 goes for about the same as commercial 7.5x55. Rebarrelling will set you back several hundred dollars.

The 7.5x55 is an excellent design. Several wildcats are built off the 284 Win, which is essentially a 7.5x55 necked down to 7mm. The 6.5-284 is a popular Bench Rest cartridge and the 30-284 - just a 7.5x55 with an American name.
 
Last edited:
I don't think it would be worth the cost or effort, seeing as cheap .308 is a thing of the past. Realistically, you're going to have to roll your own to shoot almost any centrefire in quantity.

7.5 Swiss shouldn't be too difficult to reload for. Trade Ex has brass, RCBS and Redding make dies, and it takes regular .30 calibre bullets. If you trim your brass with Lee case length gauges, they even make one for the 7.5 Swiss. I'm sure that the same powders that work well with the .308 would also work for the 7.5.
 
I routinely hunt with a K-1911 carbine that has been rechambered to .308. It was done by setting the barrel back about an inch and rechambering. It was also drilled and tapped and is fitted with a 4X scope. I bought the gun with the work already done because I wanted a piece from this particular gunsmith and the price was right, about $50. I wouldn't sporterize a Schmidt Rubin now because both ammo and brass are readily available. When I bought this one 30 years ago, any Schmidt Rubin was rare and ammo was unobtainable. It was before the Swiss had started surplusing SRs. It shoots well under minute of deer out to 250 yards, which is longer than most shots I'll ever be presented where I hunt.
 
Can 7.62 NATO brass be reshaped/fireformed the work for reloading 7.5 Swiss?

No. Too short, but mainly the case is too small diameter.

7.5 between .308 and 30'06
DSCF4345.jpg
 
IIRC some K-31 and K-11's can be found that have been rechambered to 30-30.

It was the M1889 rifles that were converted to 30-30.
M1911 and K11 have been converted to .308, easier to do than re-barrel a K31.

Reloading is the best and cheapest way to go to get the best out of them at low cost.

Hämmerli used to re-barrel K31s for Swiss target shooters with new 7.5x55 barrels. Used to be about $750USD in the 1980s Exact same profile as original barrels since they were one of the sub-contractors. They did a few in .308 for people doing Palma and 300m ISSF matches too More $$.No noticeable accuracy difference, just a question of calibers allowed for competition. Not sure they still do since they were bought by Walther-Umarex.
 
Back
Top Bottom