Swiss K31 vs Sweden M38 or M96

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georgeski

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I’m deciding between a Swiss K31 and a Swedish Mauser (M38 or M96) for long-term ownership.
Both seem accurate and well-built, but I’m mainly considering durability, shootability over time, parts and ammo availability, and long-term value.

For those who have owned either (or both), which platform do you feel makes more sense to keep long term, and why?
 
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I have a K31 and at one point owned a M96 (have also used M38s). The fact I still own the K31 should indicate where my vote is.

I just prefer the feel of the K31, I am also left handed and straight pulls have always been my preference.

Durability wise they are all quite durable. Parts wise I wouldn’t be worried about parts breaking on either system. Ammo availability gives a edge to 6.5x55 but if your a buy in bulk guy or reloader both are fine.
 
IMO they are not comparable, completely different systems.

If you are serious about Milsurp rifles you MUST get both, or at l east one good example of each.

Ammo is not a problem, despite a huge price increase over the last five years, but still available, and much cheaper if you reload.
 
georgeski said:
I’m deciding between a Swiss K31 and a Swedish Mauser (M38 or M96) for long-term ownership.
Both seem accurate and well-built, but I’m mainly considering durability, shootability over time, parts and ammo availability, and long-term value.

For those who have owned either (or both), which platform do you feel makes more sense to keep long term, and why?
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I have an M38 and a couple sportered M96's along with a K31. They are all excellent rifles and will last for centuries with care. My M38 is a Swede converted M96 with a receiver date of 1899. Still shoots very well and runs like a top. I carried it for hunting a fair number of days this season.

While the Swedes are nicely made, the K31 is a jewel. It is made as only the Swiss do, with beautiful machining everywhere and superb build quality. The K31 also has the better trigger by a fair bit. Sights are good on both for my eyes.

Ammo is a bit of a toss up, but at the moment 6.5x55 seems more available than 7.5x55. Maybe slightly cheaper, too? I reload for everything I have, so I don't pay attention to pricing much. Learn to reload and you will never have a supply problem and will save vast amounts of $$ over time if you shoot much.

I can't say on long term value, because I never buy a rifle with that in mind. The K31 is probably better on that front, but that is trying to predict the future, which is often a fool's errand. Based on history neither will ever go down in value, but one might appreciate more than the other.

Like mephisto002 says, just get both and enjoy two different flavours of great milsurp rifle.


Mark
 
6.5 x 55 sold me. I'm in Southern Ontario so we can not hunt here with anything over .270, I have an Obendorf M96 built in 1900; M38 built in 1943, and a Zastava M70 in the same caliber I bought new. Load light bullets up to 100 gr for varmints or 160 gr for moose. Now, the Swiss actions are amazing! I thought about one a few times, but get more use out of my 6.5s
 
I have owned a couple 96's in the past. Still have 2 M38's and a K31.
My first 38 was purchased at LeBaron's for 85 bucks. It was in very good condition at best. The bore shows some wear. BUT I worked up a mid range load of 4064 and 140 gr Hornady SP's. The thing shot under an inch and a half and to point of aim at 100yds. At that time ( 80's) many small towns and clubs held turkey shoots in the fall. Target was the standard black bulls eye with the 2" white center. That M38 would keep them in the white center everytime if I did my part. That flat topped blade and square rear sight which showed a silver of light on each side just seemed to work. I shot it against open sighted center fire sporting rifles. Lots of shooters made jokes about my old army rifle but changed their attitude when I took home the turkeys!!

I bought my second 38 about 20 years ago at a local gunshop. It is in mint condition but I could not shoot it as well as the other one. I did not spend any time with load development. Maybe (at least in part) to my eyes being 20 yrs older.

The K-31 I bought about the same time as the2nd 38. Shot it a little and played around with cast bullets. Couldn't shoot it as well as the original 38.

So as to which one to buy I have a soft spot for the Swedes. Ammo is probably easier to find . Loading 30 caliber provides a very wide selection of bullets although Swiss brass might be harder to find. If shooting cast there is a much wider selection of moulds and loading data available.

If I was still an active shooter and could keep only one it would be my original M38. It impressed a lot of people including me over the years!
 
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mmattockx said:
I have an M38 and a couple sportered M96's along with a K31. They are all excellent rifles and will last for centuries with care. My M38 is a Swede converted M96 with a receiver date of 1899. Still shoots very well and runs like a top. I carried it for hunting a fair number of days this season.

While the Swedes are nicely made, the K31 is a jewel. It is made as only the Swiss do, with beautiful machining everywhere and superb build quality. The K31 also has the better trigger by a fair bit. Sights are good on both for my eyes.

Ammo is a bit of a toss up, but at the moment 6.5x55 seems more available than 7.5x55. Maybe slightly cheaper, too? I reload for everything I have, so I don't pay attention to pricing much. Learn to reload and you will never have a supply problem and will save vast amounts of $$ over time if you shoot much.

I can't say on long term value, because I never buy a rifle with that in mind. The K31 is probably better on that front, but that is trying to predict the future, which is often a fool's errand. Based on history neither will ever go down in value, but one might appreciate more than the other.

Like mephisto002 says, just get both and enjoy two different flavours of great milsurp rifle.


Mark
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I am curious whether you run a scope on your M96 or M38 when hunting, or if you stick with iron sights. If you do use a scope, what setup are you running? I’ve seen mounts online that replace the original tangent rear sight and screw into place, allowing a scope to be mounted without drilling, but I’m not sure how well they work in practice.

It also seems that Swedish Mausers are still a bit more affordable compared to the Swiss K31. Since the last round of firearm restrictions, K31 prices have noticeably climbed, at least from what I’ve seen.
 
Eaglelord17 said:
I have a K31 and at one point owned a M96 (have also used M38s). The fact I still own the K31 should indicate where my vote is.

I just prefer the feel of the K31, I am also left handed and straight pulls have always been my preference.

Durability wise they are all quite durable. Parts wise I wouldn’t be worried about parts breaking on either system. Ammo availability gives a edge to 6.5x55 but if your a buy in bulk guy or reloader both are fine.
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Do you take it out hunting, or do you mainly use it at the range?
 
mephisto002 said:
IMO they are not comparable, completely different systems.

If you are serious about Milsurp rifles you MUST get both, or at l east one good example of each.

Ammo is not a problem, despite a huge price increase over the last five years, but still available, and much cheaper if you reload.
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I’ve been watching both since the end of last year, and Swedish Mausers seem fairly stable in price, but K31 prices have jumped quite a bit.
 
Meroh said:
6.5 x 55 sold me. I'm in Southern Ontario so we can not hunt here with anything over .270, I have an Obendorf M96 built in 1900; M38 built in 1943, and a Zastava M70 in the same caliber I bought new. Load light bullets up to 100 gr for varmints or 160 gr for moose. Now, the Swiss actions are amazing! I thought about one a few times, but get more use out of my 6.5s
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What game do you usually hunt with the 6.5×55 Swedish Mauser, and which do you find more accurate between the M96 and the M38?
 
Old Ranger said:
I have owned a couple 96's in the past. Still have 2 M38's and a K31.
My first 38 was purchased at LeBaron's for 85 bucks. It was in very good condition at best. The bore shows some wear. BUT I worked up a mid range load of 4064 and 140 gr Hornady SP's. The thing shot under an inch and a half and to point of aim at 100yds. At that time ( 80's) many small towns and clubs held turkey shoots in the fall. Target was the standard black bulls eye with the 2" white center. That M38 would keep them in the white center everytime if I did my part. That flat topped blade and square rear sight which showed a silver of light on each side just seemed to work. I shot it against open sighted center fire sporting rifles. Lots of shooters made jokes about my old army rifle but changed their attitude when I took home the turkeys!!

I bought my second 38 about 20 years ago at a local gunshop. It is in mint condition but I could not shoot it as well as the other one. I did not spend any time with load development. Maybe (at least in part) to my eyes being 20 yrs older.

The K-31 I bought about the same time as the2nd 38. Shot it a little and played around with cast bullets. Couldn't shoot it as well as the original 38.

So as to which one to buy I have a soft spot for the Swedes. Ammo is probably easier to find . Loading 30 caliber provides a very wide selection of bullets although Swiss brass might be harder to find. If shooting cast there is a much wider selection of moulds and loading data available.

If I was still an active shooter and could keep only one it would be my original M38. It impressed a lot of people including me over the years!
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I tried looking up LeBaron’s online but couldn’t find much information. From what I can tell on internet, it seems the company closed down sometime before 2010. However, I did come across some old LeBaron’s catalog ads online, and judging by the prices listed, they line up very well with the time period you mentioned. It really feels like a golden era for shooters — everything was so affordable compared to today. Sadly, wages have not kept up with the rise in prices at all. As someone still learning, I really appreciate your advice. If you ever decide one of those old rifles needs a new home, I’d be glad to give it one.
 

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georgeski said:
I know sir, I posted it wrong, sorry and thank you
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No, it doesn't belong in the "equipment exchange"

You aren't advertising to sell or purchase either rifle, just querying the merits of one over the other. There is a difference.

All of the rifles you list are made of excellent quality materials, using top notch manufacturing processes over the time periods they were built.

They are both very accurate, if they are in excellent condition, as far as the bores are concerned, and if the stocks are solid, with unmolested bedding.

Both rifles have a lot of positives.

The Swede Mausers have become collectible since they first started coming into the country, so prices have risen accordingly.

Same goes for the Swiss K31s and its predecessors.

Your biggest issue will be finding ammunition for the K31 in the future. The 7.5x55 was mostly chambered in military rifles, but there were a few sporters made up.

Not enough to encourage any large commercial manufacturers to chamber rifles for the cartridge. Some European manufacturers will build them on special order, as will smiths here, but I've only seen two sporting rifles chambered for the cartridge, since it came to Canada.

The surplus GP11 is still available, but not every gun shop or big box store carries it. Norma makes hunting ammunition, but it's hard to find.

Your best option would be picking up several hundred cases and reloading. If you don't reload????????????

Now, the Swede Mausers are chambered in what has become a very popular cartridge in North America, the 6.5x55.

It's been quite popular in Europe since it's pre 1900 inception and almost all major European/North American commercial ammunition manufacturers make it both fmj, and soft point.

The Swede Mausers are much more prevalent than the Swiss K31s, but very similar in price, when they are in similar condition.

I like both of them very much, both for the engineering, quality, and accuracy.

They both have the same length of pull for the triggers, which is fine if you're of average height, but if you're tall, you may find the butts short, and if you're short, the LOP may be too long.

You should get your hands and eyes on both of them, bring them up onto your shoulder, in a standing offhand position, and whichever comes up easily, and the sights align quickly, should be your choice.

Try the actions as well. Some folks just don't like straight pull bolts, and others love them.

I find the balance and feel of the Swiss rifles to be a bit awkward, but that's just me.
 
Right place for this post ✔️

K31: it is a jewel, I reload so ammo easy... I use it for long range shooting, Milsurp and have hunted with it. However, it is heavy for hunting and I have my other specific hunting rifles.This is an accurate fun gun for me.

It is my favorite milsurp. It is scoped - I have two separate QD scopes for it: 1 for long range, 1 for plinking around. Also has great military sights, the 2 stage trigger is perfect for me.

I have K31 posts on this subject so will leave it there, you can read them.
 
georgeski said:
What game do you usually hunt with the 6.5×55 Swedish Mauser, and which do you find more accurate between the M96 and the M38?
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Presently, none; I am older with some mobility issues, so they are range toys; I do hunt with my Zastava M70 in 6.5 x 55, but only ground hogs and the odd coyote as varmint remediation. I have a good stock of 85 gr Sierra flat base jacked hollow points which I load for varmints.

I used to hunt for deer in an adjoining county which has a Rifle season, with a sporterized M38. I loaded a traditional 158 gr round nose soft point; always got the job done, likewise the same 85 gr Sierras for varmints. I use this same load (PPU bullets now) for the M96 and M30.

IMO, a universal caliber for Canada. In my Zastava designated 6.5 x 55 SE, one can load to modern pressures, and performance wise, blow both the 260 Remington and 6.5 Creed out of the water with heavy hunting bullets.
 
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