Mad Minute Series: Swiss K31 Straight Pull 

Owning a K31 from my grand father, I don´t agree with you, on two points. First you can shoot it without moving your head. Maybe it´s just a matter of how far you move your face forward, or my swiss face is different to yours ;) Second, i can shot it using my middle finger. I never used it on 300m shooting ranges, but i gonna try that one this year. All in all nice vids you produce and share with us.

6:49 "In the action, up to the knuckle" Just where I like to be.

I got my first K31 years ago when it was a cheap Curio and Relic oddity. I brought it home and imagined using it in the alps at would-be Nazi invaders. And when I worked the bolt that first time with my cheek on the stock, I learned that the throw brought it directly into my face. For such a well-engineered machine, this seemed like a tremendous oversight. I still love my K31s.

If I had the money I would have bought the K31 that was at the range I was at recently. They are such beautiful shooting guns and that are gorgeous to look at too. They also aren't as expensive in TX as the SMLE I really want is.

These videos are very interesting. The geeky bit is fascinating. I have pondered upon the rate of fire with stripper clips and wondered (and pondered!!) on how fast the rate would be if several loaded magazines were used. If you imagine a section, platoon or even a company firing a mad minute, I wonder what the beaten zone would look like. Your videos provoke much thought.........and pondering!

I love the geeky analysis.

Could you maybe do a mad hour video? That would be great. Thanks! But seriously, I know that in switzerland a lot of these rifles get scraped because people hand them in. Is it possible for me as a german to get one of these and export it?

I’d be interested

I can tell he is British he tried to run it like an Enfield on the second shot. Maybe a genuine swiss would be faster operating the rifle.

Why don't you ever see a swiss sporter (professionally done and in Switzerland) with a suppressor?

Should anybody be interested. Ive got a video mud testing one of these. The results were unexpected.

Late to the show sorry. Serious question. I love the k-31 and all swiss rifles. I also Love sporter rifles. But i hate poorly done sporters that destroy a rifle. That being said I found that GRS make their laminate models in BLANKS. Which theoretically means I can have a GRS Stock for a k31! I don't believe in cutting up a perfectly good k31 so I would do this to a rifle that bubba already got his hands on but how cool does that sound?

Not as fast as a lee enfield.... but I think if you had a lot of other guys shooting at a similar rate, that would be a terrifying amount of in coming fire to be receiving

Do you have a good source for k31 chargers in America they are not common.

M134 mad minute pls

Swiss GP11 is also the absolute best milsurp ammunition ever made..303 ammunition is complete shite.

How common are the charges and how much to they usually run?

have you seen stang shooting from norway? ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-PhMW_bodQVo.html not 300 yards and not 1minute but damn these guys have got it down I don't know what the record for them is but maybe 15-16 shots in 25sec on a target 250 meters away is awesome

Why is it that there are no more imports of k31s or k11s to the USA if theyre still so plentiful and cheap in Switzerland?

I hate the term "geeky"....as if any study of scientific, technical, Engineering or mathematical things is deviant. It's almost as if it's a given these days anyone interested in such matters is Asperger's. Well no.... The reality is if you are not interested in such matters you are a possibly a fucking dunce. Political correctness gone mad. Nice shooting by the way. I am tempted by the K31. It's Swiss and the straight pull thing seems logical and well executed

Let's ban semi autos said every government ever, i'd be more scare being shot with a full bore rifle than i would with modern ammunition

So the Swiss were smaller hence the short stock. Maybe they also had longer thumbs so easier reloading 👍

If the problem with reloading is getting the 6th round in, you ever tried only loading 5? Sure, less capacity, but if it results in faster reloads...?

Ironically, the first time I ever used a K31 charger, I did it without issue and removed the magazine instantly afterward to show someone how they worked. It took me a while after that to figure out how I did it. You need to rotate your thumb 90 degrees and it's much easier. Have your palm kind of above the rifle and press them in with one movement using your forearm. Using your thumb lengthwise makes it a lot easier to put consistent force on the cartridges. While prone, it would probably make it easier if you tilted the rifle. I wouldn't know, I've never been prone, this is just theory. Granted, I've fired less than a hundred rounds from mine, but I've found that you can learn a lot in life from people who are doing something for the first time. The K31 was the first firearm I ever owned or fired, so I learned things very differently with it.

Please save them from scrap! I need to add more of those Swiss beauties to my collection.

This series is bloody interesting, alright. I know it's not purely scientific, but it does give a raw estimation based on a single shooter, and could be considered representative. Obviously a K31 master who's only ever shot K31s might be faster, but you represent the 'average' very well as you're well versed in all these rifles. I'm perhaps most interested to see the eventual Mosin tests, to see how much slower it is than its contemporaries. Reloads will likely be a bit slower, and I'd be willing to be you'll slow down over the course of fire as the bolt, even on a clean, non-sticky rifle, can be a bit of a bear to work on. I'm also very interested to see how the Austrian straight-pulls compare to the Swiss ones, as well as stripper vs en bloc loading. This standardized testing for old-school rifles is very entertaining at the very least, and I'd argue it's educational...so far, it seems most rifles are pretty comparable and the differences aren't huge. Really enjoying the videos thus far, and congrats on getting near enough 50k! I'm sure by next week's video, you'll be there so I'm congratulating you in advance!

A really helpful video for someone such as myself how’s trying to choose a classic military rifle for U.K. shooting.

Maybe there's a Swiss Champion Mad Minute Meister, who grew up with these rifles and could better that effort with his highly developed right thumb, but that was still a devastating rate of fire !! Well done. I am off to see if these rifles are prone to clogging in muddy conditions having seen pictures of the stripped action. (The Swiss fighting over rocks and avoiding low ground would not be so prone to this problem perhaps ?? ) Anyway, all rifles, like most beers, are very good !! Cheers !! I am posting this again, slightly altered, as something weird happened with you tube moving my reply to the past year. Let's see what happens this time.

Maybe there's a Swiss Champion Mad Minute Meister, who grew up with these rifles who could better that effort with his highly developed right thumb, but that was still a devastating rate of fire !! Well done. I am off to see if these rifles are prone to clogging in muddy conditions having seen pictures of the stripped action. (The Swiss fighting over rocks and avoiding low ground would not be so prone to this problem perhaps ?? ) Anyway, all rifles, like most beers, are very good !! Cheers !!

This has me really wondering about the Italian M1891, which also has a 6 round reload but potentially faster reload due to the en-bloc clip. If it could average a 2.1 sec split-time and 6 second reload you could get a 24 shot mad minute. I know a 2.1 sec split is a bit much for the M1891 which is hardly known as a smooth or short action but it's got less recoil and if it's a turn down bolt it might be just about as good as a Mauser 98.

a good trick with the K31: you can actually fit 7.5 Swiss pretty easily on stripper clips for Swedish mausers or Mosin stripper clips, but of course you can only load 5 instead of 6. but at the same time, they are a lot easier to load into the magazine, plus both stripper clips are cheaper (at least here in the US).

More please!!!! I’d love to see some mannlichers and the enbloc issues!

You should try this with the 1914/1917 Enfield,...amazingly slick bolt.

Trackball FTW (also Open Office, too!)

Need to sweep up some empties Bloke! ha ha Love the rapid fire with this beautiful K31. I am currently trying to get some stripper clips for mine (rocking horse poo comes to mind) :) And trying to get a spare magazine! I think Lucky 13 need to make a 10 shot magazine for these.

Ive heard of steel mauser-esque stripper clips for the K31. Any idea if those are really around or would help?

Are you going to do the 1893 Cavalry carbine?

I know why hitler did not dare to invade switzerland in ww2, because swiss has a great country's militia system, higher ratio of gun-owner population, and of course this great K31 rifle.

My family scrapped one years ago... was sad... was under an L permit so I couldn`t take it...

Yeah you /really/ gotta shove the rounds in with your thumb, like, no matter how far down you think you need to go, go one further. Also, it'll work a little better if you fiddle with the clips, they get bent over time, and don't feed the rounds perfectly. They were meant to be used once then thrown out, so they aren't very sturdy. And modern plastic repros don't feed the 6th round properly at all. It also helps to put on a big winter coat or put a limbsaver on the end to get the butt out to modern ergonomics.

Very nerdy, but interesting. Good job. Love ya Bloke:)

I would be curious to watch a mad minute with this rifle without all the flubs!!! 🤠👍🇨🇭

Is it possible to only load 5 rounds in the charger? If so, would that help the reloads? Thank you. ; )

I can hear Alex from TFB TV a couple of years ago blathering about the inefficient bolt placement of the K31

Lee Harvey Oswald should have picked this critter??

if you find a 10 round magazine for sale let me know and I will buy it, and let you borrow it for a video...

Where do you get the chargers ?

Next time just redo from the start of you have a bad start. No point going through with it.

In the action up to the knuckle?

Would it not be better to then load 5 rounds into clips after the first one?

Interesting comparison

You mention getting hold of a ten-round magazine for the K31. What about getting hold of one of the 20 round magazines for the Lee-Enfield? There were not many issued, but they were used in WWI, so actually a military tool, not a range tool.

Will the Ross make an appearance?

Ergonomics of the K11 I would agree are better. The balance of the rifle, easier reloads, etc. I think I prefer the K11 for certain types of shooting. However the 300 m zero creates an issue on small targets 100 yards or less.

Do you think your firing rate could be improved by starting with 6 and then loading only 5? If it's only the last round giving you the problems, do you think this would give you more time firing instead of reloading?

I really enjoy the channel. You guys have a laid back approach to shooting, which i appreciate it. What's the going price for a K31 in Switzerland?

I wonder if a K11 would be faster based on the consistency of reloads alone, since the magazine presents higher

Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.

Have you ever seen a Matchstutzer Model 47?

Mad Minute 33...;)

Is that M for Bloke and L for Lloyd in your spreadsheet tabs there?

K31's go for the $1k range in Canada. One would think that with the potential market, bulk surplus exports are still a thing?

Bonjour, je possède un k11 et je suis à la recherche de stripper ou éventuellement de magasins. Pouvez vous me dire où vous avez trouvé les votres ?

K-11 or 12 mag Mad Minutes?

Straight-Pull’s are usually superior when prone since there’s more wrist movement than arm movement.

I'm not sure if this was ever asked, but the target is what size and at what range?

Such a great bolt.

Lebel mad minute when?

I may know your problem bloke as i use OBS as well for my recording. You need to make sure that if you are using a separate microphone that your webcam mic is turned off or muted within OBS. Otherwise you get this "double Mic" issue that you are having. Try muting your webcam mic in your source window.

Lovely. Ta.

Dead man

I love my K31. Could be because it's my only bolt action, but unlikely. As far as straight pull bolt rifles go, I wonder what the difference would be between say the K11 and the allegedly fast , though problematic, Ross Rifle.

Wooowie that looks like a sweet-shootin' action. It looks and sounds decidedly, well, Swiss. I've been watching some of your stuff and I might be catching the bolt-action bug. I only own semis and have had limited experience with 1903s and shot a Mosin.Wasn't too impressed then but now I think I'm starting to see the beauty in them and the skill and technique utilized in operating them.

Where do you find these rifles "for free" in Switzerland ? I'm Swiss, and I wouldn't know where to look if I wanted one.

1883

what would happen if you had an unlimited amount of loaded magazines as opposed to the stripper clips?

The K31 Eidgenoss would be cool to be in a mad Minute

Trackball supremacy btw. :-)

I saw down in the comments someone asking about K31 clip availability. Is it possible to have some shipped from there to here if they are plentiful? I would like to have several for my K31 and K11. Both exceptional firearms. Keep up the great work by the way!

lol on that second round bloke tried to do the enfield middle finger trick

Can you put the previous results in the text - makes for an easy comparison that way.....

how about not fully emptying the strpper clip and not be so greedy.......just have several clips that already have a round left in them?

Wonder how a Ross or Mannlicher compares?

03:23 hahahahaha infinite replay

is the mad minute only for bolt actions if not the m-1 mad minute whould be interesting to see

I notice that you did not comment on the difference between you and lindy. This coming up in a seperat vid? Besides that gj

Hello, I have a question but hope i can my problem explain in German. Also ich hab mir einen K31 gekauft, aber in .308 ausführung. Diese Karabiner wurden von Lizensierten Büchsenmachern umgebaut. Also neuer Lauf. Mir ist nun aufgefallen, dass ich mit billiger munition aus der schuttpackung, nach 4 schuss die leere hülse aus dem patronenlager mit sehr viel kraft rausgezogen bekomme. Mit markenmunition von Remington war das nicht so schlimm, aber trotzdem funktioniert der Verschluss nicht so leichtgängig wie in deinen videos. Wodran liegts ? Hast du vielleicht eine Idee ?

Do you think the softer recoil of a Langgewehr would make a difference?

It would be interesting to see if you start with 6 rounds in the magazine but only fire 5 (leaving always a round in) would result in a shorter reload as you would not have to press so deep.

.303 for the wiiiiiiiin. And we know the mauserfanboiz are gonna hate that test *evil chortle* Do you have an opinion on which is faster the SMLE or the no 4?

How many meter away from the target ?

The K/G11 is faster than the K31 due to shorter bolt travel as a result of rear locking lugs.

Can you even own guns in England? Wtf is this

Are you ever going to try this with a Mosin-Nagant or do you not yet hate yourself enough?

Bloke hi, what about a 1889 with 12 rounds? Now that would be a turn up for the books if that were fastest?

I have a Williams peep sight mounted on my 1911 carbine. As a youth in the late 1960's I fell in love with the Schmidt Rubins that my father and I saw in the Southern Cal gun stores. I got one for a birthday present (in 1971, I think). I was jealous of the Swiss diplomats who shot their K-31's at the Fish Canyon (In Azusa, Ca. , closed now) rifle range, they seemed so much sleeker. We reloaded resized 284 win brass at first. Later we found some Norma brass, but it was expensive. One the first gun things I did as an adult was pay a gunsmith to mount a Williams peep sight on the receiver. At that time they made a sight that could be mounted on the Schmidt Rubin without too much trouble. The sight has served me well. It was of their "F-P" line, not the same as their modern FP sights, I'm afraid. Still it might be worth contacting Williams to see if they still have a sight that they recommend. I have photos of the sight and even the box, as I have kept it all this time (since ~1978) but it doesn't seem that I can post photos in the comment. The sight cost $20.50 and the labor was $12.50, I have the receipt to prove it! The receiver did have to be drilled and there was a minor amount wood removal on the stock.

Are you familiar with the Merkel rx Helix? I know it‘s not a military rifle but it should be one of the fastest ones

Cant wait to see the Nagant mad minute with stripper clips.

if I could go back in time and redesign the k31 I probably would make it middle fingerable. I know that kind of rapid fire is a British thing, but I can't help but think a straight pull that you could middle finger would be a fantastic idea.

What I dislike about that system is having to take your head away from the sights. That pretty much negates the advantage of the straight pull. Why it wasn't designed to give the best of both worlds is beyond me.