what the heck happened to the K31s? - Page 2

Gunplummer · September 10, 2016, 12:51 PM

The guns are out there, but most of you want them for nothing (And by the dozen). I went to a show not too long ago(First one in years)and the one dealer had a crate full of Chinese SKS rifles. They were loaded with grease, inside and out. I asked about that when I was waiting on a clearance and he said that they did not have time to clean them off before the show. I don't know what he was getting, I have no interest in them, but there they were. Back when the Turkish Mausers poured in, nobody wanted them. I can remember a very sad dealer sitting at a show with a couple tables of them. Yes, it is a true story. People walked up to them, saw the Turkish markings, and just walked away. If I remember correctly, he wanted under $125 for one. No, there is no shortage of military surplus rifles. The importers and dealers are not hiding them. It is the collectors hiding them.

g.willikers · September 27, 2016, 11:06 AM

The current crop of very good and low priced rifles from the major manufacturers must have an effect on the market.
Do you buy an old military rifle or a brand new bolt action in a popular caliber?

Scorch · September 27, 2016, 01:43 PM

Quote:

what the heck happened to the K31s?

In the now-famous words of Rhett Butler "Frankly, I don't give a damn"

g.willikers · September 27, 2016, 02:20 PM

^^^^
Ohh, Blasphemy!

MFitz · October 5, 2016, 02:21 PM

I got my K31 last summer for $299 while they were still readily available. The original users dogtag was still under the butt plate.

The year before I got a Mosin-Nagant with all the fixin's for $119. Now like the K31's they have almost doubled in price as the supply of surplus rifles that had been dumped on the market all at once begins to dry up.

Having missed a few opportunities because I hemmed and hawed too long I've learned that when these things come up you gotta grab em' while you can. No loitering.

BoogieMan · October 7, 2016, 11:13 AM

You may be looking at this the wrong way. A quality rifle is going to cost in the area of $500-$700. The K31s are still on the low end of that price. Everyone is looking at them as worth the $249-299. Having said that I will buy every $500 rifle I can at $249.

oldscot3 · October 10, 2016, 09:03 AM

I bought on a three-fer deal early on when they were hitting the market. I gave two away to family members and kept the one that had the best metal. Unfortunately, it also had the worst wood. I've been meaning to pick up a new stock, but it looks like I let the opportunity to get a military replacement get away from me. I guess I'll pick up one of inexpensive sporter styles for a temporary solution. There is also a nice, heavy target/varmint stock available, but it's a bit too rich for me.

Kav · October 10, 2016, 11:51 PM

A little late to this: One thing our Swiss importer told us is when he bought his last round of K31s (and K11s, K1896s, Swiss Lugers, and so on), the people he was buying from wanted to sell their rifles for what they were going for on the internet. So if a few years ago a K31 was going for $350 in the US, that's what they wanted to sell them for in Switzerland now. So you have to add in the cost of shipping to, and selling them stateside.

tobnpr · October 12, 2016, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Now like the K31's they have almost doubled in price as the supply of surplus rifles that had been dumped on the market all at once begins to dry up.

This, just isn't so.
The K-31's have been "around"- and available at inexpensive prices- for many years.

It's just been the last few years that they've become "fashionable" to collect- and the available supply (which was substantial by most people's standards) dried up.

Take the Mosin-Nagant M-39's sold by Classic and a few others recently.
Do you have any idea of how many years the rifles from that collection had been for sale from Pat Burns et al?

Not until Classic and their marketing hype ("discovered" a lost collection or something like that...) that their minions jumped all over- did everyone NEED to have an M-39. Now, an M39 is a wonderful rifle- don't get me wrong. Just making the point that, they'd been around for many, many years at lower prices than market now.

Milsurps are the current craze. I've stated here many times before that those bought by the true collectors are a wise purchase. Those bought by speculators for "investment"- or as a "first rifle" cheap shooter when surplus ammo was cheap and plentiful- will likely be putting them back on the market in short order as prices have already begun to stabilize.

Gunplummer · October 12, 2016, 04:27 PM

Yep. Swiss guns have been laying on the Gunshow tables for years. I remember Turkish Mausers literally piled two and three deep on tables. Nobody wanted them. Laneco, a local box store that went under, had Carcanos and Mark III rifles in plastic garbage cans. Nobody wanted them. The reason the price went up is because of all the people that are now whining. It got to the point where I could not find beaters to repair/build on. Dealers bought them up to strip for parts. How often do you see parts guns anymore at shows? I guess it is true. You reap what you sow.

tobnpr · October 12, 2016, 07:36 PM

^^ X 2

Burns emailed me about a month ago to ask me if I was still interested in buying stripped MN actions from him (I had inquired about a year ago, never heard back).

I just bought a dozen for $30 each elsewhere (which I think is still high), and told him that it depended on price. For what they're charging for parts- by the time you buy the interrupter assembly, magazine, action screws, and full bolt assembly (bolts have gotten RIDICULOUS)- I'm better off buying another rifle for $225 and parting out what's left. Just sayin'- I don't do that- but that's what's going on. There's actually people dumb enough to spend top dollar on a used MN barrel- as though they can just torque it onto an action and it'll clock and headspace correctly...

And let's not forget the Swedes....why didn't I buy a crate full of M96's when they were $250 just a couple of years ago.

It's a "thing" right now- like Colt snake guns...

MRCL · October 13, 2016, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kav

A little late to this: One thing our Swiss importer told us is when he bought his last round of K31s (and K11s, K1896s, Swiss Lugers, and so on), the people he was buying from wanted to sell their rifles for what they were going for on the internet. So if a few years ago a K31 was going for $350 in the US, that's what they wanted to sell them for in Switzerland now. So you have to add in the cost of shipping to, and selling them stateside.

As a Swiss person, I always wondered how in the hell were K31 (and especially GP11 for that matter) cheaper over the pond than here. I'm not in the gun game long enough to be able to make accurate observations of price fluctuations of K31 and the likes here around but judging from the (former) US prices I've heard and read about, you either received batches by the hundreds or someone sold his stash for peanuts.
Bureaucracy here has a high price tag and 200-300 for a K31 is normal here. RUAG GP11 costs more than 0.5 money per round.

But I can at least calm you on that one:
I've shot 001-16T GP11 mid year. Supply on that one isn't going to dry up. Not if over half of the Swiss club shooters rely on it. Which are a couple hundred thousand.

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amd6547 · October 13, 2016, 10:18 PM

Thanks for that, MRCL.
I love the k31 I bought a few years ago for $139, and the GP11 is everything an accurate rifle cartridge should be. Using a St Marie clamp on scope mount, and a cheap scope, I was getting cloverleaf's at 100yds.
Thanks for sending us these fine rifles, and please keep sending the GP11...!

Mk VII · October 16, 2016, 05:24 PM

I see heaps of them in the auctions here ... and they don't sell. At least they still have heaps in the next auction so either they ain't selling or the sellers have plenty more of them. Guess everybody who wants one has already got theirs.

September 27, 2016, 11:06 AM	#27
g.willikers Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2008 Posts: 10,442	The current crop of very good and low priced rifles from the major manufacturers must have an effect on the market. Do you buy an old military rifle or a brand new bolt action in a popular caliber? __________________ Walt Kelly, alias Pogo, sez: “Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent.”

September 27, 2016, 02:20 PM	#29
g.willikers Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2008 Posts: 10,442	^^^^ Ohh, Blasphemy! __________________ Walt Kelly, alias Pogo, sez: “Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent.”

October 7, 2016, 11:13 AM	#31
BoogieMan Senior Member Join Date: April 4, 2012 Location: South Jersey Posts: 2,217	You may be looking at this the wrong way. A quality rifle is going to cost in the area of $500-$700. The K31s are still on the low end of that price. Everyone is looking at them as worth the $249-299. Having said that I will buy every $500 rifle I can at $249. __________________ Concentrated power is not rendered harmless by the good intentions of those who create it. Milton Freidman "If you find yourself in a fair fight,,, Your tactics suck"- Unknown

October 12, 2016, 07:36 PM	#36
tobnpr Senior Member Join Date: August 1, 2010 Location: Tampa Bay Posts: 4,556	^^ X 2 Burns emailed me about a month ago to ask me if I was still interested in buying stripped MN actions from him (I had inquired about a year ago, never heard back). I just bought a dozen for $30 each elsewhere (which I think is still high), and told him that it depended on price. For what they're charging for parts- by the time you buy the interrupter assembly, magazine, action screws, and full bolt assembly (bolts have gotten RIDICULOUS)- I'm better off buying another rifle for $225 and parting out what's left. Just sayin'- I don't do that- but that's what's going on. There's actually people dumb enough to spend top dollar on a used MN barrel- as though they can just torque it onto an action and it'll clock and headspace correctly... And let's not forget the Swedes....why didn't I buy a crate full of M96's when they were $250 just a couple of years ago. It's a "thing" right now- like Colt snake guns... __________________ Remington 700/Savage Rebarreling /Action Blueprinting 07 FFL /Mosin-Nagant Custom Shop/Bent Bolts Genuine Cerakote Applicator www.biggorillagunworks.com

October 13, 2016, 10:18 PM	#38
amd6547 Senior Member Join Date: May 27, 2006 Posts: 2,313	Thanks for that, MRCL. I love the k31 I bought a few years ago for $139, and the GP11 is everything an accurate rifle cartridge should be. Using a St Marie clamp on scope mount, and a cheap scope, I was getting cloverleaf's at 100yds. Thanks for sending us these fine rifles, and please keep sending the GP11...! __________________ The past is gone...the future may never happen. Be Here Now.

September 10, 2016, 12:51 PM	#26
Gunplummer Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2010 Location: South East Pa. Posts: 3,364	The guns are out there, but most of you want them for nothing (And by the dozen). I went to a show not too long ago(First one in years)and the one dealer had a crate full of Chinese SKS rifles. They were loaded with grease, inside and out. I asked about that when I was waiting on a clearance and he said that they did not have time to clean them off before the show. I don't know what he was getting, I have no interest in them, but there they were. Back when the Turkish Mausers poured in, nobody wanted them. I can remember a very sad dealer sitting at a show with a couple tables of them. Yes, it is a true story. People walked up to them, saw the Turkish markings, and just walked away. If I remember correctly, he wanted under $125 for one. No, there is no shortage of military surplus rifles. The importers and dealers are not hiding them. It is the collectors hiding them.

October 5, 2016, 02:21 PM	#30
MFitz Senior Member Join Date: April 11, 2015 Posts: 150	I got my K31 last summer for $299 while they were still readily available. The original users dogtag was still under the butt plate. The year before I got a Mosin-Nagant with all the fixin's for $119. Now like the K31's they have almost doubled in price as the supply of surplus rifles that had been dumped on the market all at once begins to dry up. Having missed a few opportunities because I hemmed and hawed too long I've learned that when these things come up you gotta grab em' while you can. No loitering.

October 10, 2016, 09:03 AM	#32
oldscot3 Senior Member Join Date: July 1, 2007 Location: texas Posts: 997	I bought on a three-fer deal early on when they were hitting the market. I gave two away to family members and kept the one that had the best metal. Unfortunately, it also had the worst wood. I've been meaning to pick up a new stock, but it looks like I let the opportunity to get a military replacement get away from me. I guess I'll pick up one of inexpensive sporter styles for a temporary solution. There is also a nice, heavy target/varmint stock available, but it's a bit too rich for me.

October 10, 2016, 11:51 PM	#33
Kav Junior Member Join Date: May 17, 2016 Posts: 1	A little late to this: One thing our Swiss importer told us is when he bought his last round of K31s (and K11s, K1896s, Swiss Lugers, and so on), the people he was buying from wanted to sell their rifles for what they were going for on the internet. So if a few years ago a K31 was going for $350 in the US, that's what they wanted to sell them for in Switzerland now. So you have to add in the cost of shipping to, and selling them stateside.

October 12, 2016, 04:27 PM	#35
Gunplummer Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2010 Location: South East Pa. Posts: 3,364	Yep. Swiss guns have been laying on the Gunshow tables for years. I remember Turkish Mausers literally piled two and three deep on tables. Nobody wanted them. Laneco, a local box store that went under, had Carcanos and Mark III rifles in plastic garbage cans. Nobody wanted them. The reason the price went up is because of all the people that are now whining. It got to the point where I could not find beaters to repair/build on. Dealers bought them up to strip for parts. How often do you see parts guns anymore at shows? I guess it is true. You reap what you sow.

October 16, 2016, 05:24 PM	#39
Mk VII Senior Member Join Date: November 23, 2000 Location: England Posts: 455	I see heaps of them in the auctions here ... and they don't sell. At least they still have heaps in the next auction so either they ain't selling or the sellers have plenty more of them. Guess everybody who wants one has already got theirs.