My first K31

After hearing so many good things, I bought one but have yet to fire it.
By the number it was made late in 1944.
The tag under the butt plate reads:
Motrdf. Klingler Jakob
Landwirt 35
Biessenhofen, Amriswil

This decodes to Jakopb Klinger Motorcyclist - does this mean he used a cycle in the service or was a civilian with a cycle license?

LAndwert 35 I may have misread, could it be Landwehr, over 30 yr old troops? If so, what is the 35? can't be year of birth, at least I hope not iof he was the original user of a 1944 made rifle.
Biessendorf - the town?
Amriswil - the state/province???
Any clarification appreciated.

You wont regret buying the Swiss k31 they are very accurate, make sure to get GP11 ammo, to get the best results from your k31 enjoy your new carbine.

I was able to Google and find that Landwirt means farmer but I do not know what the "35" means.

I also used a Swiss search engine posted on the Swissrifle forum to get a map of Biessenhofen.
It also listed a few people with teh name but I don't understand the site.

Possibly he rode something like this with the gun onboard.

http://motorbike-search-engine.co.uk...dor-a580-1.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by technova

Motrdf. Klingler Jakob Landwirt 35 Biessenhofen, Amriswil

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Motorradfahrer = motorcycle rider
Klingler Jacob = personal name
Landwirt = farmer
35 Biessenhofen, Amriswil = house no. 35 in Biessenhofen by Amriswil

Amriswill is the small town (in Thurgau, close to the southern shore of Lake Constance) to which Biessenhofen belongs. Biessenhofen itself is just a hamlet that is so small that in those days it did not have street names. No real streets as town-dwellers would recognize, more like paths between the scattered houses and farmsteads. You would have needed a good map to find Amriswil, and for Biessenhofen you would need to ask the locals!

We used to live in such a hamlet in Bavaria, and up into the '80s the address was:
Chadwick, Petzenhausen (house no.) 18, Weil*, bei Landsberg** am Lech***.
Our family alone made the population 2% British!

Postcodes and street names are for softies!

:wave:
Patrick

*Do not confuse with Weil der Stadt
** Do not confuse with the other Landsberg near Berlin
*** That's the river. Only one of those, no confusion possible:D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by technova

Possibly he rode something like this with the gun onboard.

http://motorbike-search-engine.co.uk...dor-a580-1.jpg

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Is the rifle a substitute ignition system?

I checked my rifle and cannot find marks from the rear mount to the cycle. I cannot see the front mount to see how it contacts the rifle.
I am going to attempt a letter using the Swiss search site on the Swiss gun site.

Landwert 35 is going to be his address at the time the weapon was issued to him. Correct, Biessenhofen or Biessendorf (you used two spellings) would be the town/city and I believe Amriswil is the Canton (state). Hop over to the Swiss Rifle Forum and check these threads out

K31 ID Tags

Letter to the one on the Tag. in General Discussion Forum

Tag abbreviations military ID-numbers. in General Discussion Forum