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Old June 27, 2014, 10:01 PM   #1
kilimanjaro
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SAMCO K31s

At the risk of cutting my own throat, just got an email from Samco Arms about their new shipment of Swiss K31s. Beech and Walnut stocks, in conditions ranging from NEW UNISSUED ! to Very Good.

Certainly is a price difference between Excellent and New.

I feel a bit silly ordering a new unissued Walnut stock specimen, but I want it. So there. Contrition will follow at the local milsurp addiction chapter meeting.
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Old June 27, 2014, 11:08 PM   #2
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While I have not seen SAMCO's rifles, I handled enough K31's to know that if you love precision metal objects, you will love the K31. From what I read the Swiss took their rifles home and had periodic inspection of the things. If the rifle required repair because of neglect, as I understand, it was at the Soldier's cost. This may be one reason why none of the K31’s I ever saw were in all that bad of shape, generally some finish wear, stock dings, but excellent barrels and in good operating condition.

One of the most amazing darn things I heard about these rifles was that all bolts, throughout production, are interchangeable in all K31’s. How the Swiss controlled the manufacturing tolerances so that all bolts would headspace in any K31 receiver over a 30 year production span is beyond my comprehension. But, I think it is true.
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Old June 27, 2014, 11:48 PM   #3
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I have a M41 I ordered from them. they aren't the friendliest of people and I'm still a bit stumped on a couple features my rifle has but all in all it's a beautiful specimen. interesting though. due to the number of K31 related threads on here I was checking them out only a couple days ago, all they listed were beech stocks with cracks.
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Old June 28, 2014, 11:52 AM   #4
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Samco sent out an email at 7:00 PM last night about the new K31 stock.

This will be my second K31, bought one two years ago at a local pawn shop, it's nice and minty, and a great shooter. I am totally impressed with the workmanship.

Now, if the Swiss had adopted the M1 Garand in 1936, and bought the tooling to make them, like they did with their Swiss Luger, you can bet it would be the top of the line milsurp today.
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Old June 28, 2014, 04:12 PM   #5
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http://www.samcoglobal.com/1-k31.html
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Old June 28, 2014, 04:25 PM   #6
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If unissued means what it says. Don't get an unissued one. Get one that has so it will have a nametag. That little slip of paper makes all the difference.

Edit: DO NOT BUY. $559-600 is WAY overpriced. Get one from AIM. Aim has beech for 2/3 the price and in the same Condition. No offense but I think you got ripped off here, G.
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Old June 28, 2014, 06:32 PM   #7
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I just got one from Aim a few weeks back when they still had the walnut stock version.

I paid the extra for the hand picked and I have to say if mine was hand picked I would hate to see the ones they didn't pick.

If I had it to do again I would probably get from samco or http://www.classicfirearms.com/swiss-k-31-carbine-rifle but at the time nether had the rifles they do now.
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Old June 28, 2014, 06:40 PM   #8
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I wanted Walnut, not Beech. Unissued means unissued. I'll let you know when it arrives how ripped off I feel.

You don't do wrong buying the best condition you can find. I already have a $300 issued specimen, good shooter.

As far as troop tags go, some have them, some don't. The premium for a tag is exactly $20.00, no more.
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Old June 28, 2014, 06:43 PM   #9
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hey, as long as you keep unissued in unissued condition then eventually it will become a profitable purchase...

if you're like me and have to stuff it in a safe with 25 other old warhorses in a safe that was never meant to hold that many guns of that size...unissued is a wasted investment... they all get dinged up eventually.
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Old June 28, 2014, 06:51 PM   #10
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Paying $200-300 extra for an "unissued" version is getting ripped off when you can find one you want, like, and approve in person. I'm not trying to knock you. But Samco is charging too much. I got a great condition K-31 with tag in beech as well as 90 rounds of ammo, 5 stripper clips, and a pouch for $300.

I just feel that a step up from great condition isn't worth $600.
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Old June 28, 2014, 07:00 PM   #11
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although I agree that it is way overpriced, M-M you need to understand that the deal you got was absolutely amazing. you ended up with $50 worth of ammo, $10, accessory and a rifle that could easily fetch $350 all for $300. the fact that you got it for that deal at a gun show makes it even more impressive but it is what it is, an impressive deal. real world, an unissued would be worth $450 or so and that's a deal that only a non-collector looking solely for a shooter would normally be interested in but as the OP already owns a K31 with all the history and oddities of an issued rifle so it's really not all that unrealistic to be looking for a rifle that has never been fired(outside of test phase) and no possible dings, dents, or defects beside minor storage marks.
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Old June 28, 2014, 07:02 PM   #12
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On one hand I agree that I would have probably got one of the rifles listed as Excellent Condition for around half the price but on the other hand I can see how an unissued would be worth it because a new rifle today made to the same standards would likely cost you a lot more than $600.

Last edited by Surp; June 28, 2014 at 07:12 PM.
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Old June 28, 2014, 07:06 PM   #13
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Yeah, I guess so, ta, sorry kilamanjaro.

The guy that sold it to me, I'm not exactly sure why he sold it to me like that. Maybe because I was a kid and I kept asking so many questions about it. I don't know.

Anyway, kilamanjaro, enjoy your rifle I sure have enjoyed mine.
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Old June 28, 2014, 09:21 PM   #14
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Quote:
I have a M41 I ordered from them. they aren't the friendliest of people
The owners are two Pakistani muslims.
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Old June 28, 2014, 09:22 PM   #15
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Well, wouldn't you know that's why!

(That's kinda racist)
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Old June 28, 2014, 09:33 PM   #16
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kindof is... my algebra professor was pakistani muslim... sure he's a stickler for grading but he was always friendly enough.
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Old June 28, 2014, 10:31 PM   #17
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No offense taken, M-N.

I've still a couple of those unissued Lee-Enfield rifles that were discovered some years back. Still in the cosmoline wrap. At the time, they were 33% costlier than a standard SMLE. Today, the standard SMLE is 175% costlier, the unissued ones have made me 350%.
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Old June 29, 2014, 09:26 AM   #18
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These actually are unissued. There were 4,000 of these rifles located last year. My Distributor in Europe bought 15 of them. All are post war production and showing nothing more than very few minor stock storage dings.
Barrels are all as manufactured with no more than the traditional 3 proofing rounds fired and stored with Waffenfett.
Whether of not they're worth $XXX.00 is a judgment call, but be aware that a brand new k31 ordered from Haemmerli as a new manufacture in 7.5x55, .308, 300 Winmag or 30-06 is a cool $1,850 US Dollars.
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Old June 29, 2014, 10:49 AM   #19
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Good information. 4,000 rifles will disappear into the American gun market in about two weeks. Values should start rising in a little while.
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Old June 29, 2014, 11:08 AM   #20
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If prices start to rise...I feel in about 5 years my rifle will be worth a lot more. I won't sell it though. I might want to buy another just for an investment. Who knows.
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Old June 29, 2014, 12:12 PM   #21
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gun appreciation can be a funny thing to work with.

5 years ago an enfield could be found easily for $100, now they are usually advertized for $300+

5 years ago, US Model 1917s were $450, now they can scarcely be found for $700

5 years ago a carcano was worth about $150, now... about $175.

depending on the model and demand they can be a very good investment or a very slow investment.
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Old June 29, 2014, 12:26 PM   #22
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Tahunua, this is a bit off topic, but would a bayonet affect M91/30 accuracy? I want to know because if I buy a range membership I might not be able to affix it. Also, do you know if ranges don't allow magnetize rounds? Sorry for going off topic, didn't want to start a new thread.
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Old June 29, 2014, 01:51 PM   #23
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The bayonet will not affect your accuracy, just the point of impact. It will shift a couple of inches. It's deflecting one side of the gas stream at the muzzle, this causes unequal forces around the bullet for the length of the bayonet. The additional weight added also affects muzzle jump.
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Old June 29, 2014, 01:54 PM   #24
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So it won't affect POI by alot? It can be adjusted with sights?
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Old June 29, 2014, 02:00 PM   #25
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If your sights adjust that finely, yes. Should only be an inch or two at 100 yards, if you need to do it, get a front sight adjustment tool for the Mosin on EBay for $20 and shift the front sight a couple of thousandths.
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