Officially adopted in 1889, the Schmidt-Rubin Model 1889 was the result of several years. On all other Schmidt-Rubins. Starting with serial number. The K31 Swiss Service Rifle. 1889 Schmidt Rubin, 1911 Infantry Rifle. I just purchased numbers matching k31 serial number 232557 on the bolt it says WC1944.
Low serial number from first year of manufacturing in 1891. Schmidt-Rubin 1889 in very good condition with 85% original finish. Stock and handguard matching serial numbers. Bolt matching serial number. Magazine matching serial number. Mild pitting in part of the bore. Furniture has some handling wear with a few rough. 7.5 X 53.5mm Model 1889 Swiss issue Schmidt Rubin service rifle.£695. 7.5 X 53.5mm Model 1889 Swiss issue Schmidt Rubin service rifle. Blued action with straight pull bolt serial numbered to the rifle. Walnut stock with finger grooves to the fore end and various Swiss military inspection marks to the butt. Serial numbers and manufacturing dates. Source: Manufacture Dates of Swiss Schmidt-Rubin Rifles. Swiss Schmidt-Rubin rifles do not have the date of manufacture stamped on any of the rifle parts, so determining when the rifle (and mismatched parts, if any) were manufactured must be determined from the serial numbers.
What is the K31? It should be no surprise to my viewers that the first write up I decide to put on my website would involve the K31 rifle, or more specifically, the Karabiner Model 1931. I'll begin by saying that they were probably the finest rifles of the era, which is saying a lot when Mausers, Mosins, Enfields and other fine firearms like the M1 Garand dominated the field of war at the time. The Swiss maintained an armed neutrality during WW2, and the K31 never received a baptism of fire. The design was developed from the famous lineage that was the Schmidt Rubin straight pull service rifle which began in 1889. The rifle fires a 7.5x55mm cartridge which is essentially a.284 WIN necked to 30 caliber. Loading was on par with rifle cartridges of the day producing around 2600 FPS from a 174 grain bullet.
Case capacity of the 7.5x55mm is closer to.30-06 than.308 WIN. The K31 uses a very unique straight pull design which has some advantages and flaws. The bolt is housed in a sleeve that serves as the locking shoulder containing the locking lugs. There is a cam machined into this sleeve that is actuated when you pull on the handle. Essentially, not too much different than a gas operated semi automatic, but without any gas, springs or tubes. The bad part is that the rifles lack primary extraction power and if not kept clean can cause fired brass to stick in the chamber.
This certainly was not a problem with the strict care Swiss soldiers gave their rifles. The K31 was the primary service rifle for Switzerland between 1931 and 1958, until it was replaced by the semi auto PE-57. The Papal guard in Vatican City ordered 100 K31 rifles for their guards as late as the early 70's. Many of the rifles remained in service with the Swiss as late as the mid 70's. Just over a half a million rifles were produced, making them considerably more rare than a Mosin or Mauser rifle, which were produced in much higher numbers. Accuracy: The K31 is likely one of the finest military rifles ever produced. Much care and detail when into their manufacture, and since they were not under the duress of war, they were able to take their time and build them right.
This equates to an extremely accurate and top notch firearm. The steel used by the Swiss is very high quality with a high nickel content. Barrels are extremely well made and I have never shot one that did not group at least 1.5' at 100 yards with GP11 ammunition. The triggers are very well thought out two stage arrangements with a nice clean 3-4 pound break. Sights are typical tangent sights that would have been found on most rifles of the era, and are adjustable for windage and elevation. The accuracy of the K31 is often attributed to Adolf Hitler's refusal to invade the Swiss during WW2. Probably the best decision he ever made, as they were all heavily trained to be expert marksmen.
Close up of rear sight and Swiss crest. Construction: As stated before, the rifles are built very professionally and with a great amount of detail. Early K31 rifles were stocked with Walnut stocks, while later rifle produced around 1943 and on were stocked with Beechwood. I own rifles from all eras of production, and I generally consider later K31s to be better made. To find out when your K31 was made refer to the chart below.
The Swiss changed the heat treating process on their receivers in the first 3-4 years of production and actually made some rolling changes that were incorporated into some of the later models. I have a 1958 K31 (last year of military production) that is extremely well made and shoots 1/3 MOA groups at 100 yards with a scope. It is common for the stock condition to be rough especially around the butt of the rifle. It is theorized that the Swiss soldiers used the stocks of their rifles to clear snow and dirt from their boots before going indoors. That and the rucksacks they used to carry the rifles up and down the mountains did not protect that area of the stock at all. Some theorize that they drilled with the rifles and that's how they got banged up, but as a former soldier, I will stick to the training and abuse theory. It should be noted however, that Swiss soldiers who neglected or abused their rifles were held culpable for the repairs at their own personal expense.
Each rifle cost approximately 42 Swiss Francs to produce. To produce a rifle today of the same quality and materials used in the K31 would be very expensive.they would likely be $2,500-3,000 each if a company like Remington produced them. The actions are very strong on the K31 and it is not common to see them fail in any way. This leads us to our next item. You can clearly see the camming cuts on both bolts. In this photo we can see the design difference between the 1911 Infantry Rifle bolt and that of the K31. The redesigned bolt of the K31 offered enhanced accuracy and more strength due to less bolt flex.
The handle was changed from Bakelite to aluminum. Personally I find the older design to be more stylish. Disassembly procedures for both bolts are nearly identical but the K31 has a slight edge due to more simplistic manufacturing. In the 1889 rifle the locking lugs are located near the rear of the bolt body making an even weaker action. Troop tag found under butt plate of my K31. Reloading the 7.5x55mm: The rifles lend themselves quite well to reloading provided you observe some basic design aspects. Full length sizing is recommend for the K31 due to the lack of strong primary extraction and the fact that some of the chambers are slightly oblong.
This does not effect accuracy but it does affect brass flow and the effectiveness of neck sizing. The chambers on the K31 are cut to a slightly different spec than the early 1911 Infantry rifle chambers. Most reloading dies are cut for the 1911 spec and while this is not an issue, it may not be the best option for prolonged brass life.
Redding makes a set of dies specifically cut for the K31 chamber and they are highly recommended. Luckily for handloaders, the 7.5x55mm uses a standard.308 diameter projectile so that is a piece of cake. They stabilize 140-200 grains bullets just fine, but best accuracy will be in the 174 range (GP11 is 174 grain and extremely accurate). My best load uses the 174 grain Matchking Projectile on H335 powder, with a BR-2 primer, and PPU brass. For obvious reasons, I will not give charges here. Some powders that work great in the cartridge are: Varget, H335, Benchmark, IMR4350, IMR4895 Brass is available, but can also be formed from.284 WIN.
Stay tuned on our YouTube channel for a full breakdown of this loading and some other things to look for. Front sight and protective 'ears'. The K31 for hunting? Besides being a blast to shoot at the range, they are also a great hunting rifles. I have personally shot two deer with a K31, and the 7.5x55mm dropped them dead in their tracks.
The load was a 180 grain Sierra Gameking projectile on h335 powder. I love that projectile because is a boat tail type and very accurate. In general, the K31 prefers boat tail projectiles to flat base, as the GP11 projectile is a very efficiently designed boat tail. With the excellent accuracy and down range power that the K31 has to its advantage, the answer is 'Hell yes, go kill a deer out to 400-500 yards using irons with your K31!' Six round charger ready to feed into rifle. Conclusion: The K31 is probably my favorite rifle. Are there better rifles you can buy that shoot better for similar money?
Anyone can buy accuracy in a rifle, but for me the K31 harkens back to a day when men were proud to stand in defense of their country and needed a first class tool for doing so. The Swiss government made a wise choice by not skimping on their service rifle. This very well could have saved them from entering a war. Patton may have deemed the M1 Garand the 'Greatest Battle implement ever devised' but the K31 to me was the rifle that was so awesome it didn't have to fire a single shot in anger. I maintain a large collection of K31 rifles, and will continue to buy every one I can get my hands on. Hopefully you found this article informative, but if you would like to see a few of my rifles in action, feel free to see the video below. Thank you all!
K31 Serial numbers and dates: Year Quantity Serial Number 1933 1193 502 1934 03-5 37-5 01-5 28-5 67-5 01-5 01-6 76-6 26-7 76-7 51-8 51-8 51-8 51-9 01-9 01-9 01-9 01-9 51-9 5549 999 1953 7450 250 1954 51-2 01-2 6400 250 1957 2950 200 1958 3130 230. Thank you for this very informative article, Eric. My grandfather (born 1927) owned several of the K31 and 1911 rifles. He actually served as a major in WWII where he and his troops had to guard and protect the Swiss borders from invasion. Your article actually makes me a bit sad because when he died we gave all the weapens he owned away. Among a lot of pistols, revolvers and bayonets. And now I suddenly realize the history and value behind all these items.
I should have kept everything. Oh yes, the social security number is the same as the service number in Switzerland. Cheers from Switzerland! Thank you for such an informative report. It was easy to follow and understand.
While I am new to guns I am torn between getting ready for the future and looking back into past guns. I want both to collect and to arm myself. Ha, Ha, I am guessing many people are torn the same way when a bit of spare cash comes available. Your article paired with my father's heritage of having been born in Switzerland have placed this gun at the top of my 'Want to Own one' list. Thank you Eric for sharing your knowledge and expertise.
From the link ( ), the following: The first model, the was 1889. An improved version of the 1889, was adopted in 1897, and was designated the Model 1896.
In 1898 a short, single shot, version of the 1896 was produced for cadets, hence the name Cadet Rifle. Two other short barrel version were produced, the 1900 Short Rifle, and the 1905 Calvary Carbine. In 1913, the Model 1911 rifle was adopted. The Model 1911 has a strengthened action to allow it to shoot the more powerful GP11 round.
In addition, nearly all of the 1896 series rifles were converted to use the 1911's action. The Model 1896 Rifles that were converted were re-designated as 1896/11s, while the 1900 Short Rifle and 1905 Carbines were designated 1911 Carbines. The only way to determine if your 1911 Carbine was initially a 1900 or 1905 is to check the serial number. At the same time the 1911 Rifle was introduced, shorter barreled 1911 carbines were also newly manufactured. While rifle production cease in 1918, carbine production continued until 1933. At which point it was replaced by the much improved K31. From a practical standpoint, the easiest way to distinguish the two is easy: the 96/11 will have a pistol grip that is grafted into the stock, whereas the Gew 1911 will have stock with the pistol grip as part of the same piece of wood.
The 96/11 will have a rounded buttplate heel; the 1911 a squared buttplate. This is because they used original Model 1896 stocks when rebuilding to 96/11 specifications. There are a few other slight differences, I believe. Many here tend to think the 96/11 has a wee-bit better trigger. Lastly, the serial range will tell you if it's a 96/11 or 1911. See here: Both are fantastic rifles.
What is the difference between the Schmidt Rubin M 1896 /11 and the K1911 Long? I have looked at several sites and dont understand what the difference is??? Considering getting one of these and reloading for it. Is there a better one between them for trying long range shooting with iron sights? The 96/11 is a conversion of an earlier rifle to the 1911 specifications which use different sights and must use GP11 ammunition. There is no such thing as a K1911 long rifle. The K means Karabiner and is the short version of the long rifle.
Schmidt Rubin 1889 Serial Nos Parts
A K11 is the carbine. A G11 is the long rifle version which was built starting in 1913 if memory serves. The 1911 and the 96/11 look similar but have some differences. They shoot very much alike though.
Schmidt Rubin 1889 Ammunition
The carbines shoot very well too and the K31 is probably the best of the bunch. The Swiss Rifles dot com site has some really good info on all the Swiss rifles from the Schmidt Rubin mod 1889 to the mods done by Vogelsgang and Rebholz like the Mod 1896 and other carbines up to the 1911 and its carbine version. The 1931 was designed by Adolf Furrer or at least under his supervision. Strictly speaking only the 1889 is a Schmidt Rubin though the others are frequently referred to that way. Hope that helps Frank.
Schmidt Rubin
Model 1889
7.5 x 53.5mm
Serial No: 108288
Date: 1892
Obsolete Calibre.
£550
This example is in Excellent Condition
Manufactured in 1891, matching numbers on the Bolt, Magazine & Action.
Excellent bore, comes with original sling, muzzle cap & magazine restrictor clip
Serial No Range for 1892: (24901 - 115000)
Officially adopted in 1889, the Schmidt-Rubin Model 1889 was the result of several years of testing.
In 1882 Eduard Rubin began testing the first small-caliber copper-jacketed bullet which could successfully withstand high velocities.
In 1885, this round was combined with Rudolf Schmidt's first straight-pull action.
The straight-pull action relied upon an actuating rod, set in a channel to the right of the breech, to rotate the bolt though a
helical channel cut in the bolt sleeve. Twin locking lugs were positioned midway through the bolt sleeve, locking the bolt into the receiver
directly above the trigger.
Over the next three years both the rifle design and cartridge were refined. The final result was adopted on June 26, 1889.
The Model 1889 was chambered for the 7.5x53.5 round (GP90) with a 213 grain paper patched round producing
a velocity of 1935fps. The cartridges were held in a detachable magazine holding 12 rounds.
Production ceased in 1897, with approximately 211,890 rifles being produced.
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Schmidt Rubin 1889 Serial Number
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