My first K31

I've been watching buddies enjoy their K31's for close to a decade now since they first started comming into Canada in any numbers, but until I bought my Swiss 1906/29 Luger they never interested me the least bit as a collectible - though I always knew their reputation for being competent shooting irons.

Well getting the Luger finally prompted me to accessorize it by buying one of the readily available K31's on the market - though I believe that supply to now be drying up, at least in Canada. they last few imports have been of fewer guns and generally the condition is starting to be lower on average.

I wasn;t willing to get a post-war example because I wanted something from the same era as my Luger (a 1944 piece) and because I'm not a fan of the beech-stocked K31s from an aesthetics perspective.

Of those I could still find on the market, this was the best one I could find that was matching (wood is matching as well) with a nice bore and that did not have cracks in the stock. Here are three small repairs to the stock, but they are Swiss military in origin and very well done with walnut.

Rifle is 1941 production with a oil finish, presumably linseed and bee's wax from what I've read. I also have a crate of GP11 en-route.

Here she is:

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...DSCN4173-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...DSCN4183-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...DSCN4182-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...DSCN4181-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...DSCN4179-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...DSCN4178-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...DSCN4177-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...DSCN4180-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...DSCN4186-1.jpg

To go along with this guy:
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...DSCN4162-1.jpg

Both very nice indeed.
Get some S&B 9mm ammo from Anthony at Tradeex when you get a chance. Very nice in Lugers and 210's
If you reload 9mm, load a bit on the hot side.

Enjoy the GP11 when it comes in. I assume you shot it already in your friends K31s?

Yeah, I've tried GP11 before. The Luger is .30 Luger though, not 9mm. I have a few boxes of .30 Luger on-hand from other guns, but I doubt I will shoot the Luger - it's too valuable to potentially break.

My slip, all the Swiss issue Lugers were 7.65 Luger and all the issue P47/8 & P49 (210s) were 9mm.
Have too many 210 to justify spending $ on the Lugers. for now anyway.

Most Swiss consider the .30 Luger more accurate than the 9mm.
Worth trying it, believe me on this one.
Can replace most standard Luger parts for anything that might break.

I think the finish is from the yellow goo in the cleaning kit. Get one of them while you still can. They are getting harder to come by than the rifles I think.

Now you need the matching K11 and 1911 to go with it, along with the bayonets.

I have one of the cleaning kits, but for some reason mine came with two containers of the graphite-based lubricant? I'm not planning on getting into the K11's though - I'm primarily a Mauser collector and I have too many of those already!!!

As for shooting the Luger, I would not want to have to replace a serialized part. If I break one of those, I've significantly de-valued the entire pistol :(

PS: I also have that weird stamped steel sling clip, but the thing is impossible to get on/off the sling bar so I simply removed it - I like the sling better just looped through the bar without it.

The black Automatenfett(Automatic-grease) took over from the Amber vegetable based grease with the issuing of the Stgw57 (synthetic based).
Similar to Jet engines needing synthetic oil for long term bearing durability. Yellow grease just stopped being supplied.

Does take a while to figure out best way to press in the spring before moving the clip away from the sling bar.

Your choice on shooting the Luger, but highly unlikely a few test rounds will hurt it.

One appeared at my local gun shop today although it is the highest priced one I've ever seen at $559. Apparently comes with a bayonet and some ammo for that price but very high considering someone seriously damaged the end of the stock in what was an apparent attempt to knock the front barrel band off rather than loosen it first. All the wood on the end of the main stock is missing and is a bright clean color, really detracts from the rifle. Bayonet doesn't match the rifle either, right type, wrong serial number.

I am in Canada as well and have been looking recently to put a k31 in my collection, always wanted one but now i really have to put it next on my list. i have seen the ones on tradeex i was just wondering if there is any other places you have seen them? if you wouldnt mind sharing, cause those are the only ones ive seen. They are good prices and in good shape but just wondering if they have any anywhere else.
thank you

Maverick.

P&S Militaria, also in Quebec.
http://psmilitaria.50megs.com/guns.html

Midway USA has the Swiss bayonets on sale $59 with free shipping.