Translation on K31

SKS Ray

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This is a picture taken from a site selling this K31. Its a picture of something carved in the butt stock. I'm not buying it but am curious to know what it means. The seller has no idea but said: IN CASE YOU CAN'T MAKE IT OUT IN THE PHOTO, IT SAY'S :SCHWOGOLP 3M SCHNEE 15o MIN HOCHALP.


ROD2.jpg


I know some of you here must be able to translate that.
 
I think "SCHWOGOLP" is really "Schwagalp" which is a mountain in Switzerland, as is Hochalp.

Schnee is either snow, or it could be a person's name. 15 could be 15 degrees.
 
Seems, like a Swiss Infantryman scratched his adventures into the
stock of his K31. The area is used for FTX's by the Swiss Army, and known for heavy snow at unexpected times.

Here's what I've got from a fellow Swiss gun collector:

"Die "Schwägalp" ist ein berüchtigter WK Standort der schweizer Hochgebirgsmarine (für Ausländer = Infanterie). Die S. ist eine Alp unterhalb des Säntis. Da diese Alpe im späten Frühjahr bis zum Spätsommer als Viehalpe genutzt wird, finden die WK's dort in den "Randzeiten" statt, d. h. im späten Frühling oder im Spätherbst. An diesen Standorten passiert es mit schöner Regelmässigkeit, dass man mit Sack und Pack bei 25°C anreist, in das höhergelegene Schiessgelände hochsteigt und dort biwakiert. Über Nacht ist ein Temperatursturz von 20° und eine Schneemenge von einem Meter gut möglich. Ich habe genau eine solche Situation in meinem ersten WK erlebt, auf der Hirschweid, 1200m oberhalb von Eutal. Ich vermute, aus solch einer Begebenheit stammt das Graffity auf diesem Karabiner.

Die Schwägalp findest Du auf der Karte leicht. Ausgangspunkt St. Gallen östlich am unteren Ende des Bodensees. Dann einen Schluck nach Süden, dort findest Du Appenzell. Südöstlich von Appenzell befindet sich der 2502m hohe Gipfel des Säntis. Zu diesem Gipfel geht eine Seilbahn hoch, die Talstation dieser Bahn ist die Schwägalp."
 
Seems, like a Swiss Infantryman scratched his adventures into the
stock of his K31. The area is used for FTX's by the Swiss Army, and known for heavy snow at unexpected times.

Here's what I've got from a fellow Swiss gun collector:

Babel Fish Translation (probably close, but not 100%):

"The Schwaegalp "is a notorious WK location that Swiss high mountain navy (for foreigners = infantry). The S. is a Alp below the Saentis. Since this Alpe is used in the late spring up to the late summer as Viehalpe, the WK's takes place there in the "edge times", i.e. in late spring or in the late autumn. At these locations it happens with beautiful regularity the fact that one with bag and luggage travel with 25°C into which high-altitude shooting areas rises and there bivouaced. Over night a temperatursturz of 20° and a snow quantity of a meter are well possible. I experienced exactly such a situation in my first WK, on which deer-feast, 1200m above Eutal. I assume, from such an occurence come the Graffity on this carbine.

You find the Schwaegalp easy on the map. Starting point pc. Gallen east at the lower end of the Bodensee. Then a sip to the south, there you find Appenzell. Southeast from Appenzell is the 2502m high summits of the Saentis. To this summit an aerial ropeway goes highly, the valley station of this course is the Schwaegalp."
 
... and now, the translation from our friendly on-line translator (with some editing help from yours truly):

The "Schwaegalp" is a notorious WK [training?] location that [is used by the] Swiss high mountain navy (for foreigners = infantry). The Schwaegalp is a Alp [mountain] below the Saentis. Since this Alp is used in the late spring up to the late summer as Viehalpe, the WK's takes place there in the "edge times", i.e. in late spring or in the late autumn. At these locations it happens with beautiful regularity the fact that one with bag and luggage travel with 25°C into which high-altitude shooting areas rises and there bivouaced. Over night a temperature of 20° and a snow quantity of a meter are well possible. I experienced exactly such a situation in my first WK, on which deer-feast, 1200m above Eutal. I assume, from such an occurence come the Graffiti on this carbine. You find the Schwaegalp easy on the map. Starting point pc. Gallen east at the lower end of the Bodensee. Then a sip [?] to the south, there you find Appenzell. Southeast from Appenzell is the 2502m high summits of the Saentis. To this summit an aerial ropeway goes highly, the valley station of this course is the "Schwaegalp."
 
WK = Wiederholungskurs (Refresher Training Course) in the Swiss Army
Temperatursturz = Drop in temp
(They arrived for the WK at 25 °C in either late spring and late fall, made their way up-hill with to the shooting rage loaded with their heavy backpacks and stayed for bivuoac. He says, that a drop by 20 °C overnight is pretty common in this region, along with approx. 40" of new snow.
He has experienced a similar situation himself and thinks, that a soldier has
carved these memories into the stock of his carbine.)
 
Too bad that rifle didn't have a tag under the butt plate. I thought about buying it because you never see markings or grafitti on a Swiss rifle. The price was pretty high though.
I'm still looking for a Yugo SKS with stock carvings. Theres a good number of them out there but people tend to grab them when they see em'.
 
Until I saw the translation of what was carved on that K-31's butt stock, I was sure that none of those rifles were ever carried by soldiers.

I guess I had been misled by a professed expert who posted a lenghty article on a web site somewhere.

Thanks for the new info!
 
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