K31 in .308

[spatin]

I was over to the shoot'n range the other day and I spotted a guy with what looked like a K31 so I went over to talk to him. His was a .308, modified years ago by someone he didn't remember. He let me fire off a couple of rounds just to see how it goes. It sure was a nice shooter. Kicked like a mule, but I think I would like to add one of those to my collection and maybe add on the diopter peep sights for better optics. Does anyone here happen to know where I might be able to find a K31 modified for .308? - Sidney

[vmtz]

Yovinny posted some time ago a gunsmith in NJ, if I recall correctly, who does the conversion. It was not cheap.

Vince

[spatin]

I don't think I would want to spend the money to get the conversion done on an already existng K31. K31s are cheap, I'm cheap, and I would be doing it so I could shoot cheap ammo. If it costs too much, I'll just shoot and reload the Swiss 7.5x55 round. I just thought there might be some used ones laying about and I happen to have a few .308 rounds that I could use. :-)
Sidney

[bykerhd]

There is a bit more information about the .308 conversions in the FAQ section over at swissrifles.com. Nothing that will make you happy. Better off working up a handload for 7.5 x 55. There is information on that too over at swissrifles.com.

[CZ-75a]

I think the Swiss actually made some in .308 for commercial sale, but good luck finding one here or cheap when you do.

[izaakb]

There were some K31s in .308 but a tiny few. I can't remember the name of the company, but one of the barrel guys made a barrel for them.

The guy at swissrifles.com (Swiss Dagger?) knows all, he even occasionally posts rifles for sale and yes the K31 can be imported.

Awesome gun.

[Skilter]

get some of the swiss 7.5 surplus... more accurate than I can shoot.

[spatin]

I meant to ask this last time, but I forgot (senility strikes again).

Where can I get 7.5x55 Swiss milsurp at a good (cheap) price?

What is a good price for the stuff? I see some big deal sales on the internet but those work out to about .35 a round or thereabouts. Is that supposed to be a good price for Swiss?

Sidney

[bykerhd]

Dan's had the best price around. He was also including some of the usually expensive stripper clips. AIM surplus had it and others too. Dan's price listed is $159 for 480 rounds. The others seem to start around $ 170 and go up. All the same stuff. Super high quality Swiss GP 11, Berdan primed, non-corrosive ammo.

[Rifleman 7.62 NATO]

Keep in mind also that Wolf has released its Gold line of calibers. One of those calibers is 7.5 Swiss. Not sure what the pricing is yet, but I'm sure it will be cheaper than the GP11.

[spatin]

I wonder how that will shoot in the K31s. Are you referring to the Wolf steel case ammo? Not reloadable that is?

Originally posted by Rifleman 7.62 NATO
Keep in mind also that Wolf has released its Gold line of calibers. One of those calibers is 7.5 Swiss. Not sure what the pricing is yet, but I'm sure it will be cheaper than the GP11.

[bykerhd]

The Wolf 7.5 x 55 will actually be manufactured in the former Yugoslavia. Brass cased and boxer primed I think. Privi Partisan ?

[ftierson]

Originally posted by bykerhd
The Wolf 7.5 x 55 will actually be manufactured in the former Yugoslavia. Brass cased and boxer primed I think. Privi Partisan ?

Cole Distributing already has this ammo (at least, I'm assuming that it's the same ammo) in the blue and white FNM boxes for $9.95/box of 20 (174gr Soft Point, boxer primed, non-corrosive).

Cole's (http://www.coledistributing.com)

When you enter their website, select product information, then new production ammo. You'll then select the highest page number (14). Then, when that page comes up, hit "next" a couple of times until you get to the FNM 7.5x55mm.

Forrest

[spatin]

Wow, that's still .48 per round, even buying a case of 500 rounds. Pretty pricey stuff. At least it is reloadable.
Question - I have read that one can reload .308 bullets for the 7.5x55 Swiss cases. If .308 is 7.62 mm, isn't that kind of a tight fit? (high pressure and all that)

Sidney

[odin75]

7.5 Swiss uses regular old .308 projectiles. Not sure but maybe they measure off the rifleing whereas we measure off the groove, thereby the apparent difference.

Greg in FL

[spatin]

Well, then at least it would not be that expensive to reload those rounds, since I have lots of .308 stuff.
Sidney

[Blood of Tyrants]

I think that I am going to buy one just to see if I can convert it to .308 without destroying it. It seems straighforward enough. Remove the barrel, shortend the breech by 4 mm, shorten the shoulder and then relocate the sights. No prob, right? :rofl:

[ftierson]

Originally posted by Blood of Tyrants
No prob, right? :rofl:

:)

Piece of cake, which is why everyone does it, of course :) ...

Kind of like converting the M91/30 Mosin Nagant to .30-06. Just run that chambering reamer in there and, if the original cartridge (7.62x54mmR) was a little fatter at the base, well, that just leaves more room for the base to expand (with 60,000 psi doing it)...

Although BoT's comment was meant "tongue-in-cheek," keep in mind that you can blow your head off with "simple" conversions. The main problem with the 7.5x55mm converted to .308 Win. is that the diameter of the 7.5x55mm case at the base is greater than the .308 Win, and it remains greater in diameter fairly far down the length of the case. Thus, to provide a sufficiently tight chamber, you must set the barrel back a couple of inches, which really screws with the reassembling...

Or, you can just set it back a little and live (or die) with the really sloppy chamber (although you'll still have sight problems, of course). Many people bought those M91/30s converted to .30-06 and didn't die or blow their heads off... Personally, I like trusting less to luck when it comes to high pressures just in front of my face... I wouldn't want to lose my boyish good looks :) (oh, wait, boyish was many decades ago. Too late...) Plus, it would suck to have to wash around that bolt body sticking out of your forehead...

Forrest

[dougjones31]

Can't you use a bull barrel and cut it to fit the k-31?

[Prototype Services]

Now THIS would be interesting!:bow:

[Shootability]

I have heard that you use the original barrel cut off as a stub then thread it for a .308 barrel.

[owlcreekok]

keep in mind that you can blow your head off with "simple" conversions.

:bow:

That needed said, IMO. NO patronization intended, I am sure, and NONE taken here. I won't post the details, because they are irrelevant to the point. BE CAREFUL what you try to "whump up". A fellow on the IHMSA shooting circuit back East played around a bit too much with a 7mm Wildcat. He started with a 7mm - 08. I guess the '06 cases were more temptation than he could bear. One shot from the Creedmore position in his T/C left him with half a right hand and a bionic knee.

:sad:

[izaakb]

This discussion has been rehashed on the Swissrifles forum several times.

The 7.5 Swiss cartridge is remarkably similar to the .308/7.62 nato in many ways, however the pressure rating for GP11 ranges between 36,000 and 45,500 psi whereas we all know .308 goes to 60,000 and 7.62 up to 52,000 psi.

There is significant discussion regarding the precision of Swiss design and manufacturing and while the metallurgy for the SR barrels has never been questioned when using the GP11 ammo, one might be taking a chance if rechambering to .308 is attempted.

The later K31s definitely have some margin for error, so to speak, since they werew designed to use the higher pressured GP11 (45,500psi average) but there is still a greater than 10% difference when using 7.62 NATO.

That being said, the Swiss ammo is pretty plentify and is EXTREMELY high quality and several companies (including WOLF) are making commercial loads.

Tread carefully!