Of the two, the k31/43 is the most valuable from a collectors' standpoint, primarily because the k31/43's scope is removable and there were only some 200+ rifles ever made. That one can sometimes approach the $4,000+ category, however..................
Is there truly a difference between those two designated Sniper rifles and a standard issue k31? Actually........... no. Only the scope puts it in that category. A large number of the k31 barrels, particularly in the latter years were made by Haemmerli. All of them were hammered barrels with the RH factor with which we're familiar. VERY hard. When the k31/42 and k31/43 barrels were selected for those rifles, they were chosen from the standard issue barrels, and finding any real difference was difficult to say the least.
Replacing a barrel for those two rifles was actually no more expensive than an issue k31 barrel, but........... We're still talking about big, Big, BIG Vanna White bucks to get one here. Typically in the $1,400.oo range. I'll explain why on a later post, but I do have a sad tale for you with this one.
A gent contacted us asking that we remove a projectile from the barrel of his k31/42. He had read about "slugging the bore", and his "slug" was a .30 caliber FMJ projectile. Yep. He had tried to drive it through from the breech end, and then tried to remove it from the muzzle end with first, a wooden dowel, then a steel rod and then... gave up. We typically never work on anyone else's rifles other than those belonging to our Swiss Products crew, but this one being a k31/42, I opted to do it for him and he shipped it.
We have a Hawkeye Pro Borescope here that works with cameras and videos, so we checked the bore before doing anything else. Remember that RH factor being around 38?? Well...... his particular steel rod apparently had not heard about that. These are a few photos of that bore before we did the removal. They're indicative of the entire barrel right down to within 2" of the throat.
And this is the rifle concerned
So, we removed the projectile and a new Haemmerli barrel came from Switzerland. That one cost the gent $1,580.oo
Lets assume that the barrel had not been destroyed. How would you have removed that projectile without harming the barrel?
Is there truly a difference between those two designated Sniper rifles and a standard issue k31? Actually........... no. Only the scope puts it in that category. A large number of the k31 barrels, particularly in the latter years were made by Haemmerli. All of them were hammered barrels with the RH factor with which we're familiar. VERY hard. When the k31/42 and k31/43 barrels were selected for those rifles, they were chosen from the standard issue barrels, and finding any real difference was difficult to say the least.
Replacing a barrel for those two rifles was actually no more expensive than an issue k31 barrel, but........... We're still talking about big, Big, BIG Vanna White bucks to get one here. Typically in the $1,400.oo range. I'll explain why on a later post, but I do have a sad tale for you with this one.
A gent contacted us asking that we remove a projectile from the barrel of his k31/42. He had read about "slugging the bore", and his "slug" was a .30 caliber FMJ projectile. Yep. He had tried to drive it through from the breech end, and then tried to remove it from the muzzle end with first, a wooden dowel, then a steel rod and then... gave up. We typically never work on anyone else's rifles other than those belonging to our Swiss Products crew, but this one being a k31/42, I opted to do it for him and he shipped it.
We have a Hawkeye Pro Borescope here that works with cameras and videos, so we checked the bore before doing anything else. Remember that RH factor being around 38?? Well...... his particular steel rod apparently had not heard about that. These are a few photos of that bore before we did the removal. They're indicative of the entire barrel right down to within 2" of the throat.
And this is the rifle concerned
So, we removed the projectile and a new Haemmerli barrel came from Switzerland. That one cost the gent $1,580.oo
Lets assume that the barrel had not been destroyed. How would you have removed that projectile without harming the barrel?
