K31 rechambered

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Hello folks,

I see some k31 go for 500 to 1000+ and was wondering if one rechambered in 30-30 would annihilate is value. I pretty damn know that there's more than that to evaluate a value...

I'm not very knowledgeable in milsurp but have been offered this as a trade, so thanks for your time fellaws.
 
Are you sure its a K31? Pretty well all the 30-30 conversions I've seen are built on 1889's, and they aren't worth much, couple hundred bucks tops.
 
Is it a K31 or one of the previous models? 1889s, 1896s and 1911s. Some of these were altered to .30-30 and .308. They were not rechambered. The 7.5x55 Swiss cartridge is larger in diameter than the .30-30 or .308. Instead, a sleeve was put into the chamber to make the conversion to the other cartridges. The original barrels were retained, and not set back.
I have not heard of a K31 converted to .30-30.
Sleeving a chamber is not a common conversion, but these altered rifles seem to shoot OK. I have not heard of one failing. They do not seem to sell for other than nominal prices.
Take a $800 - $1000 K31, put the cost of gunsmithing into it, and wind up with a rifle that might bring $150, if that.
 
I have yet to see the pictures and digging.
Couple hundred bucks like the sporting enfields ?
 
tiriaq said:
Is it a K31 or one of the previous models? 1889s, 1896s and 1911s. Some of these were altered to .30-30 and .308. They were not rechambered. The 7.5x55 Swiss cartridge is larger in diameter than the .30-30 or .308. Instead, a sleeve was put into the chamber to make the conversion to the other cartridges. The original barrels were retained, and not set back.
I have not heard of a K31 converted to .30-30.
Sleeving a chamber is not a common conversion, but these altered rifles seem to shoot OK. I have not heard of one failing. They do not seem to sell for other than nominal prices.
Take a $800 - $1000 K31, put the cost of gunsmithing into it, and wind up with a rifle that might bring $150, if that.
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Wow
 
The easiest way to tell the difference between the k31 and earlier models is to look at the bolt, the k31 has an aluminum bolt handle while the older models are Bakelite plastic. The .30-30 conversions usually shoot quite well however my experience is they sometimes don't feed well from the magazine. Value of a g11, 1889, 1911, k11 is less than a k31 (probably around $500 in nice military configuration) and the .30-30 conversion is $250 at best. These were done when there was a surplus of these cheap rifles on the market and the 7.5x55 Swiss ammunition was not commonly available. I wouldn't hesitate to shoot or hunt with one of these conversions to .30-30 but I may question a .308 conversion of an older model if I came across it.
 
The .308 conversions were probably K11s. Any rifle that can handle the G11 cartridge should be able to handle .308.
It is the sleeved chamber that could be a concern. But I have never heard of a failure.
 
tiriaq said:
The .308 conversions were probably K11s. Any rifle that can handle the G11 cartridge should be able to handle .308.
It is the sleeved chamber that could be a concern. But I have never heard of a failure.
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There are also factory chambered and converted k31s in .308 as far as I'm aware - those would be worth some money IMO.
 
I have seen one K31 308 forsale and it was a 308. Not sure who are when it was rechambered but it looked good, unlike the bubba 30-30 1889s out there.
 
99.9% it would be an 1889 with a 30-30 chamber sleeve.
30-30 is same rim size as the 7,5x55 family , weaker, and popular for North American hunters.

96/11, and 1911 converted to .308 due to higher action strength.

Read the visual differences between the various models. Most sellers either do not know squat or can be dishonest.
http://www.swissrifles.com/sr/detail/
 
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gyates93 said:
There are also factory chambered and converted k31s in .308 as far as I'm aware - those would be worth some money IMO.
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Dsiwy said:
I have seen one K31 308 forsale and it was a 308. Not sure who are when it was rechambered but it looked good, unlike the bubba 30-30 1889s out there.
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Some K31s were made in .308. Maybe for the export market. I recall a US firm offering them. These were not surplus. They were new commercial rifles made for retail sale - and priced accordingly.
 
Hammerli, Grunig & Elmiger, Tanner and others made them up for shooters who wanted to compete in Palma style or other Nato military matches. Some have Milspec stocks and other had target stocks.
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tiriaq said:
Some K31s were made in .308. Maybe for the export market. I recall a US firm offering them. These were not surplus. They were new commercial rifles made for retail sale - and priced accordingly.
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Calgary Shooting Centre had some a couple years ago, I should've got one. I don't recall them being advertised widely but they were offered to me over the phone. Completely military config just a new barrel.
 
You have a typical Gew 1889 conversion to .30-30. It has the mag which is often missing however value shouldn't be over $225 at most based on ones I've seen. The screw retaining the mag cutoff is not original just looking at it btw.
 
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