What's your poison?

Bigbore577 said:
Those K31's are real sleepers. The world record open site rifle shot was set back in May with one at 2240 yards and the rifle was bone stock. Most turn their nose up at them. Did you check under the butt plate to see if the tag with the original Swiss issuees' information is under it? All the ones I have, have had them. Some new owners have found their originals and contacted them. They make for some interesting stories. I'm partial to Sigs as well. For those that believe a 9mm can't be a good target gun, have never shot a Sig 210. I have a couple that are on par with some of my favorite Bullseye target pistols that I've used in competition. Both made in the 50's, they keep up with my S&W 52 and Colt mid-range .38 Special target guns. The Clark long heavy slide .38 Special is another story.
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I did check under the buttplate, but there wasn't a tag. My best guess is that this rifle was never issued and was an armory gun. It's in very good condition, and doesn't bear the marks of a long wet alpine patrol, because Swiss packs had straps to secure the rifle, and those straps would retain water and damage the end of the butt and somewhere up front. In fact mine only has superficial dents and dings. Another indicator is that the front sight has multiple windage marks. The Swiss manual called for unit gunsmiths to zero the windage and then do a little hashmark in the metal. The manual specifically states that when that is done multiple times the sight is worthless and needs to be replaced, a scenario most likely to happen if multiple people have had the gun, and mine has multiple hashes. Thankfully the one that it was at currently is the correct one.

And this one isn't a K31. This is a K1911 Carbine, which looks similar on the exterior, having the same overall length but a shorter barrel. I plan on getting a K31 too in the future, but they weren't available when I got this one. One thing that still shocks me is how light the trigger is. I looked into it and it seems that it has about a 2.8 pound pull, and it is clean as can be. It has a long takeup, and the shape is strange, but neither of them makes it less usable. If anything they make it more usable than a more modern shape. The bolt is also very smooth, though it does take a good stout yank on the bolt to get it open. All in all, very good for a rifle made in 1916.

And I wish I had a P210. What I do have is a P6. I really like it, though I think I may need to have it seen to, because it keeps getting this one malfunction where it pops a round straight up out of the magazine. I think on one occasion I popped in a new mag and a full cartridge flew out the ejection port the moment I did. At other times it has done that and gotten the brand new round stuck between the barrel and the breechblock.
 
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I was lucky to jump on these when they first began to come in country. They were cheap and the $10.00 Hand Pick upgrade was well worth it. All are walnut and don't have any water damage that you speak of, I know it's prevalent on many. I did mistake yours for a K31 for sure. I also have the 1911 carbine and a full length 1911 as well. I think they'll all be some of my last to liquidate. Over many years I gambled purchasing surplus and it's turning out I could have done worse. Besides the darn amount of room they take up, they've proved better than playing the markets. I don't recall any having any extra windage marks off hand and agree with your hypothesis about them. Your P6 sounds like it might only be a magazine problem which could easily be tweaked by a good smith. I'm sure you know that already but, finding a good smith could be problematic, at least in my neck of the woods and I hate sending my stuff out.
 
Finding a good gunsmith is extremely difficult. Once I find someone I trust, who knows what they are doing I gp out of my way to keep them happy and make sure I am one of their favorite customers. It is amazing how much difference a good gunsmith who thinks well of you can make.
 
I have two friends who are smiths, both of them good. It's just one is too busy since he's moving, though quite good, and the other resides in a different state from my weapons, and traveling by air with a firearm is such a hassle.
 
+1 on the on the Schmidt Rubin! I've got 2 K31's and they're my go-to fun rifle. Save for maybe my M44.

Scara: On the barrel shank, there should be a 'P' marking if the soldier ever took his rifle with him. Then check the buttplate for the troop tag. I never got to to do this, but a buddy of mine wrote a letter and sent a photo of him with the rifle to the original owner in Switzerland and the guy wrote back! he had his son translate, but he also sent some badges AND his troop log book!

I'm partial to old bolt actions rifles myself. I'm almost done building an AK-74 from a parts kit. I just need to get it riveted together, tested, then painted.
 
kronckew said:
seems to be a preponderance of .45acp 1911 variants. no m9's yet...
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I found the M9 too fat, with too long a trigger, for my preference. That's the thing I love about personal weapons...they're personal. You're free to pick what works best for your situation.
 
kronckew said:
seems to be a preponderance of .45acp 1911 variants. no m9's yet...
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I have an Italian made 92FS. I have since polished every component that rubs together to a mirror shine... the backside of the transfer bar makes a huge difference in trigger feel. I installed a Wolf trigger return spring along with a D model hammer spring. I always mess with all my pistols except Glocks to improve the feel.

Nothing wrong with the 92FS!
 
I keep both eyes open on mine and I like the sights so I'm not sure spending a couple hundred bucks for a Scalarworks mount and quality mini red dot will have the same amount of benefit for the price paid.
 
Jackal_89 said:
+1 on the on the Schmidt Rubin! I've got 2 K31's and they're my go-to fun rifle. Save for maybe my M44.

Scara: On the barrel shank, there should be a 'P' marking if the soldier ever took his rifle with him. Then check the buttplate for the troop tag. I never got to to do this, but a buddy of mine wrote a letter and sent a photo of him with the rifle to the original owner in Switzerland and the guy wrote back! he had his son translate, but he also sent some badges AND his troop log book!

I'm partial to old bolt actions rifles myself. I'm almost done building an AK-74 from a parts kit. I just need to get it riveted together, tested, then painted.
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There is a P on the left side of the receiver, but I already checked for a tag and found none. Cool story though about your friend. I was planning to do that myself, but without a tag it's more than a little impossible.
 
A few of my favourites. I have owned all of them for many years and they all have interesting story's to tell especially the CZ.

IMG-20120507-00071.jpg


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Steven, that second one sure looks familiar...Looks completely stock issue. And the CZ-75 is another of my personal top of the class picks (though once again I tend towards the CZ-75Compact). Can't think of a single thing I can say bad about it and that includes the material they coat the black ones with. That stuff is incredible, very hard to scratch or damage. But I sure like the looks of that satiny stainless one too. Nice set of pistols.
 
Springfield 1911 .45 with a 3 1/2 lb. trigger and a spur hammer just because I like 'em.
Les Bear full size
Glock 17 .9mm slide on a CCF Robar Titanium Raceframe. Compensated Barrel. Replacement Lone Wolf barrel *threaded*
5 .9mm magazines. 5 30 round .9mm magazines. Blue back plate. Tritium night sights (green).
 
Steven65 said:
A few of my favourites. I have owned all of them for many years and they all have interesting story's to tell especially the CZ.

IMG-20120507-00071.jpg


IMG_0302_zpsqmcpizz2.jpg


IMG_0110.jpg


IMG_0108.jpg
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Nice 226. That is an old 70's navy frame SS 226 isn't it? I hate how there is no option of a tactical rail on the 226's now. I dig the old 70's navy seals frames on the sigs. I heard there was failures over 5000 rnds, but I don't believe those where properly lubed. I use crossbow lube (4 micro dots) on the 1911's and sig. (tenpoint's?) I love the spur hammer on the 1911. Classic.
 
Zemapeli, I thought the Navy 226s first came out in the 1980s? And since that one has no American style mag release button I have to admit that I am completely lost on what model and era it is from :D something that doesn't happen all that often LOL Would love to hear the story behind it if Steven would care to share.
 
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