Swiss K31 Craze

Thanks. Lousy pictures though. Coincidentally, my Midway order also came. That has a rifle cleaning stand. When I get that set up, I'll do some better pictures.

Of course getting dealer pricing from Midway is another benefit of a C&R.

Oh, the SN on the magazine matches too.

The more I look at this rifle, the nice it looks. Whoever owned it took very good care of it.

Gary
 
Looks like you got a good one, congrats. A lot of the early ones that came out a while back had stocks that looked horribly chewed by the butt. I heard they were used to knock down barbed wire fences during training, and some of mine look like they indeed were. [lol]
If I were you i'd still do the complete take down, bolt and all, and wipe off the storage oil. I like to spray Remington Dri Lube teflon spray on all my straight pull bolt parts before putting them back together. Keeps em protected and helps them slide smoothly w/out oil that can gum up in cold weather. The under side of the receiver, barrel, and other parts get a light coat of Break Free. A light rubbing with Simple Green or Murphy's Oil Soap will clean any ground in dirt off the stock, then a quick wipe with some Orange Glo should shine that impossible to duplicate Swiss shellac finish back to mint. [wink]
 
Thanks! My butt looks okay. Uh, let me rephrase that. The K-31's butt looks good. I seem to remember something about the troops stacking them in the snow causeing the butts to become beat, but your version makes as much sense.

I have a print out of the manual and plan to break it down as far as I dare and give it a cleaning. I'll have to get some Dri Lube and give it a try. I have Simple Green (great stuff) and will wipe down the stock as you suggest. Where do I get Orange Glo?

I'm really happy with this rifle and Samco.

Gary
 
The rifle take down itself is simple, and so is the bolt once you do it a few times. http://www.surplusrifle.com/swissk31/boltdisassembly/index.asp
Thats all ya need. I usually do my disassembly in front of the computer, then clean and lube at the gun bench, then reassemble back in front of the computer. Some bolts are tricky with certain parts that need to be put in with one side facing a certain way, etc. Complete disassembly is a good idea because it allows you to clean and inspect for any damage areas that could be on the rifle. I know i've mentioned take down a lot since posting here, but i'd rather be repetitive about it than hear about someone injuring themselves because they didn't disassemble and inspect a rifle for damaged areas be it cracks, pitting, whatever. Side note: unless you have a really greasy bolt, don't worry about removing the extractor on a bolt. They're usually very tight and hard to get out and most take down manuals will say its not necessary. Often a scrubbing with a cleaner/oil like Break Free is enough.
One other thing I think is a great idea is investing in a gun smith screwdriver set. My wife got me a B Square screwdriver and bit set for pretty cheap cash, I think they're only about $25 from most internet sites and catalogs.
http://www.riflescopes.com/products/T0045/b-quare_screwdriver_set.htm
The angled slotted bits are a big help in removing diferent sized screws found on guns both new and old, without damaging them. Once you gouge or chew up a screw on a barrel band, receiver, etc. you'll wish you'd have left the Craftsmen mechanic screwdriver alone and used the right style. I learned the hard way. :x
 
Thanks again. Midway has both the B Square and a Pachmayr equivilent screw driver sets for around $15.00. I'm putting an order together and will get one, some Dri Lube, and Break Free. I've always used Hoppes #9 bore cleaner, but that's out of habit. Is there anything better out there? I also found out about Orange Glo and will get some of that.

Not that the K31 needs it, but a friend of mine just bought a hand held steamer and will loan it to me. That should come in handy for the M44 I'm about to order.

My wife just looked at me and said, "Mid life crisis". I looked at the K31 and told her that if she preferred, I'd pick up another kind of Swiss blonde. Good thing we have a comfy couch. <G>

OTOH, my daughter wants me to take her shooting. I will, but if she decides she really wants to learn, I'm going to look for someone else to teach. Preferably a female. However, I digress.

Gary
 
Garys said:
OTOH, my daughter wants me to take her shooting. I will, but if she decides she really wants to learn, I'm going to look for someone else to teach. Preferably a female. However, I digress.

Now that is cool! How old is she Gary?
 
Bore cleaners are a matter of what suits your needs. I've found there isn't any that seem to out perform the others unless its got harsh chemicals which can damage a bore if left in too long. The fastest working ones are made up of home made ingredients like Ed's Red, but who cares if it takes 5 passes less to get yer rifle clean? Not me.
Some people, including myself, like Hoppes smell. [lol] Lately I've been using a water based cleaner called M-Pro7 because someone at Four Seasons recomended it for corrosive ammo clean up. Of course thats after I shoot corrosove ammo and pour hot water down the bore with a funnel, but thats another thread. [wink]
I've found that Break Free is also an excelent cleaner as well as a protectant. Sometimes after I think i've got a bore as clean as it'll get, a wet patch with Break Free for protectant can come out a fairly solid shade of grey. :x There are some cleaners that are more finish friendly for the rifle's stock, M-Pro 7 is one I believe. No matter what cleaner you use, just be sure to run a wet patch with a good oil like Break Free, then a few dry patches to protect the metal since some bore cleaners will strip oils from the metal leaving the bore unprotected.
 
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