I got bit by the Swiss bug...

Well I got my Schmidt-Rubin today :). Beautiful, tall, Swiss blonde too!

The only issue I have is that the magazine is mis-matched and came off a 1911 schmidt-Rubin. It almost fits but not quite. The magazine catch does not come out enough to clip into position. The magzine lips also seem to be just slightly too tall.

Any thoughts from those Swiss shooting vets ?

I haven't stripped her down yet but the action is crisp and smooth. I can't wait to try her out :).
 
I'm assuming that you have bought a K31? You are correct - the 1911-series Schmidt-Rubin magazine is not a good fit. This is because the K31 is not a Schmidt-Rubin design, but was designed by a committee headed up by Adolf Furrer, and very skilled military fiirearms designer of the period.

Magazines for the K31 are a mite difficult to find, and are pretty spendy - figure on $70-80 or so for the real thing. Carlos will be long directly to point you at a possible supplier, but such a person may not be found in in Canada. Over here in Yoorup we are very lucky to have 'Guisan', who lives in The Netherlands, and seems to have everything you could ever possibly need right there to hand.

You'll find that Swiss Products have a range of useful acessories for the K31 - including two different types of high grade clamp-on diopter sight sets and a no-drill clamp-on scope mount to, as well as a muzzle brake that either screws on or clamps on, and a muzzle damer and bipod, too.

BTW - we don't actually use OIL on any of our Swiss long arms - the Swiss have been using a fine yellow grease [they call it waffenfett] on their bolt-action guns since around 1879, and I suggest that you do the same.

I also recommend that you join the rest of us over on swissrifles.com - the world's largest site dedicated to Swiss firearms and everything that goes along with them. Tuning, reloading, scads of history and useful tips on shooting and getting the best out f these remarkable firearms is all there in hundred of pages of posts by real experts.

Lots of luck!

tac
swissrifles.com
 
Hi tac,

Actually, she is an 1896/11, made in very early 1908 according to the serial number.

The magazine came from a 1915 dated Schmidt-Rubin 1911 (serial number # 386166 if this matches anyone's rifle). I was thinking of taking the rifle and magazine to a gun smith in town and seeing if they could help fix the magazine catch issue as it is just shy of locking in.

I will be registering on the Swiss rifle forums shortly as well :).
 
Nabs said:
Hi tac,

Actually, she is an 1896/11, made in very early 1908 according to the serial number.

The magazine came from a 1915 dated Schmidt-Rubin 1911 (serial number # 386166 if this matches anyone's rifle). I was thinking of taking the rifle and magazine to a gun smith in town and seeing if they could help fix the magazine catch issue as it is just shy of locking in.

I will be registering on the Swiss rifle forums shortly as well :).
Click to expand...

Ah, right. I, too, have a M96/11 carbine [a 1914 conversion and P-stamped, too] but luckily I have the correct matching magazine. I wish you luck in your venture!

And great fun in shooting, as well.

tac
 
Can you purchase the swiss stuff from brownells since we are in canada, or who else carries the stuff locally?
I've been looking at the K31 but the only thing that has kept me from it is the lack of scope mounts or other nice things for it
but if they have a removable, non damaging scope mount I'd be all over that
 
Tradeex Canada, Calgary Shooting Center, or myself have K31 clamp-on mounts

Importing from US is a problem over $100 value from Brownel's
And minimum export order from Graf's & son's is $250.00, go figure.
Check with them in case my info is dated.
 
Hi diopter,

Thank you for the reply. The trigger guard matches the action and is the 1896/11 type. The stock does not match the rifle but is the 1896/11 type made in 1902. The trigger guard does appear to fit quite snug with the wood though I have yet to take the rifle completely apart for inspection.

I will get a close up of the trigger guard and post back soon.
 
Might just be a question of in-letted the magazine cut out a bit. or as you mentioned the lips might have been forced out a bit preventing latch from closing. There is some variation on the in-letting as Swiss Products have found out on the 89,96/11,1911 and K11.
 
Some pictures of my 96/11 mag on left and K11 mag on right.
No major differences. Camera angle can play on perspective.
Compare to yours for lips and catch.

PA030535.jpg

PA030537.jpg

PA030538.jpg

PA030540.jpg

PA030541.jpg
 
Recent convert here too....

Nothing as nice as what's been posted in this thread, but I did acquire one of the globe converts (now a 30-30).

...I love it! I'd not sampled any Swiss offerings until this one came my way. No issues (put a few boxes of commercial through it) of any sort. Actually quite a handy little rig, with a deer left in it.

I understand that it no longer is a true " 'surp", but I won't deny this action is a slick rig.
 
Thank you for the comparison pictures, Diopter. It may just be a means of simply working on the magazine catch so it can click into position and hold the magazine.

I did go through the initial pictures I took of the rifle and one picture I have is of the serial number on the magazine while it is sitting in the action but you can see the magazine catch and most of the trigger guard. I can say that slowly putting in the magazine, the magazine catch is very slighly compressed but it does not click into position. I did try putting the magazine in slowly and taking a look for anything that was binding but did not notice anything significant. I checked the screws and they are in tight.

I will take the trigger guard out and see how the magazine sits outside the stock.

Attached is one picture I have of the magazine, let me know if this helps or not.

2012-10-01-165151.jpg
 
Oh, I forgot to mention, the rifle does have a "P." under the receiver serial number, I believe this means it was taken home by a retiring soldier ?

Were rifles given back to the government after being taken home ?
 
Try loosening the floor plate screws a couple of turns and see if the mag latch holds it then. Maybe the wood has compressed between the action and the floor plate. Might need to place some shims under the floor plate.
She is over a 100 you know.
 
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