Switzerland Called me 2/5/02!

[Schuetzenman]

Well the guys holding my K31 with matching serial number bayonet called me actually! ;) Anyway you regulars know I've been trying to get this rifle into the US since last March. Now it looks like it will finally happen!

They said it shipped the day before so it's already 2 days on the way here. Perhaps in another 8 to 10 it'll be to my importer in Arizona and then probably a week after that to me! Yes Yes Yes!:D

Come to Papa baby!:rockin: :yeah: :rockin: :wave: :wave: :wave: :wave:

[Richard Simmons]

Excellent. We'll be wanting pics of course.:D

[zouavexx]

Excellent news!

In a related story, my Wife called me and told me my K31 has arrived, I can't wait to get home!

[srv656s]

Good news!

On a related note, I got my Bushy AR15 today!

Shawn

[zouavexx]

Life is good again :)

[Schuetzenman]

Congrats SRV656 and Zouave.

Oh, I just remembered something during the phone conversation from Switzerland you might find interesting.

The one guy that can speak good english was translating for the store owner. He mentioned that a company was importing the GP-11 cartridges. Then he stumbled trying to say AIM's name. I recognized what he was trying to get out and said it. I then said I already had purchased a case of it.

The translator then says this back to the store owner and I hear more Swiss-German speaking with animation and verbal peaks that sound like frustration. Well that's what it was. The owner of the store was complaining that he couldn't buy and sell this ammo in Switzerland but Americans like me could! He was ticked off just a bit. Also I was able to get a price that was about on par if not better than what they have to pay for it when they go to a 300 meter range for annual qualification shoots.

Guess we aren't the only gun owning peoples that their own governments are screwing over . . . . hummmm! :( :mad:

They also mentioned that they are gathering 1918 bayonets. They have 10 so far. If . . . . I say if they can hold the price in check and postage doesn't eat my lunch I might be able to sell these for around $55 to $60 bones here in the US. We also talked stripper clips too. So maybe I'll have some of those in the next year! I'll keep all of you posted as things develop on accessories.

[J.M.SACULLA]

a year is a hell of a long time to wait for any gun.im glad youre finally getting it.today i am picking up my free argentine mauser,so im kind of happy too.:)

[aliceinchains]

Sounds like every one is getting there gun's at the same time.I gave my local gunsmith a bulgarian ak to put together last april.It should be done next week.:wave:

[neilwest]

1. Save me one of those bayonets old buddy, This old South Carolina boy needs one.:D

[zouavexx]

Originally posted by neilwest
1. Save me one of those bayonets old buddy, This old South Carolina boy needs one.:D


I would like one too, if you get enough to sell to friends. :)

[Schuetzenman]

Originally posted by zouave



I would like one too, if you get enough to sell to friends. :)

Well the goal for them is to find me 20 nice ones so yes I should be able to cover you guys. Board members will get dibs on them over locals around me at the shows. I probably will use US Priority mail to send them for the lowest cost for me. UPS which I have a hardon for anyway means a 20 to 30 minute one way trip. The PO is only 6 min. away.

[awp101]

Oh boy! Remember me for a bayo por favor!:D

[REDSTAR]

Excellent news! Good story about the irked Swiss :)

I'd like a bayo too if yoos keepin a list.

[srv656s]

Originally posted by zouave



I would like one too, if you get enough to sell to friends. :)

DITTO!!!

BTW: You mentioned a while ago that there will be lots of GP-11 coming into the country.... do you still expect more to come in? Prices to drop? Ammo availability? I want to make sure I don't run out for my twins, and would buy more, except you said a while ago that you expect the 7.5 Swiss to be abundant....

Shawn

[Schuetzenman]

Originally posted by srv656s


DITTO!!!

BTW: You mentioned a while ago that there will be lots of GP-11 coming into the country.... do you still expect more to come in? Prices to drop? Ammo availability? I want to make sure I don't run out for my twins, and would buy more, except you said a while ago that you expect the 7.5 Swiss to be abundant....

Shawn

Well Shawn I don't have crystal balls . . . . errr a Crystall Ball but the Swiss guys I know told me that shortly the 7.5 Swiss round will be discontinued as a round carried by average in service Swiss Army personnel.

This will happen when the last man carrying a STG57 hits retirement age which is something like 48 years old. All people now carry the Sig 550, (STGW90) rifle in 5.56 Nato chambering.
They are planning on keeping it as a round for their medium weight belt fed machineguns from what I understand. I am unsure why they just won't go to the 7.62 Nato, possibly because of the very sizeable stockpiles of 7.5 ammo.

Some of them talked about seeing warehouses inside the mountain military facilities that were 100's of meters deep, wide and stacked 10 meters high. Literally they have Billions and Billions of these rounds. More than they are likely to ever shoot up in training on machineguns.

So, I expect that continued shippments will come in. I'm not sure if it will get much cheaper. The damend ammo is expensive over there, at least as much as what we are paying for it, perhaps higher. I can't recall the exact figure they said they paid for it when at the 300 meter rifle ranges.

You want to feed your babies get some .284 brass and some 7.5 Swiss reloading dies and start reloading for it. You can use any good .30 caliber bullet of .308 inches diameter. Surplus ammo is great if it's cheap. 7.5 Surplus ammo isn't cheap. Therfore if you really want to enjoy your rifles reloading is going to be much better.

For example: You can get 173 gr. bullets for about a dime if you purchase them through Shot Gun News from a guy named Pat McDonald. In the January 20th edition his ad for pullets is on page 208. About 4 pages further in there is another ad for powder. Hazmat fees are a bitch on one 8 lb. jug so the only way to beat it is to get a case of 4, 8 lb. jugs of powder and he'll usually pickup the Hasmat fee. Anyway here's a reloading cost analysis of 7.5 if you reload. It only encompases the cost of the Powder, Primer and Bullet. I have not added in the UPS shipping charges to the components so probably ad 2 cent's per round for the transportation of the bullets to the cost.

150 gr. flat based M2 GI bullet with a 46 gr. load of 4895 surplus GI powder and primer = $.131 / round. Same load with new 4895 not surplus and this cost = $.146 / round.

173 gr. GI match bullet or a 147 gr. .308 AP bullet (pull downs so they may have some minor marks on them) with the same GI powder charge = $.176 / round. With the match bullet and the new 4895 powder = $.191 / round.

Did you notice the AP bullet there. Yep you could reload your own armor piercing 7.5 Swiss rounds Shawn. :cool:

Cases, .284's could cost as much as a quarter a piece but you'll probably be able to get them in bulk for about $.19 each. If you full length resize you should be able to get about 10 reloadings from a case. You will have to trim the cases about every 3 reloadings. If you Neck Size only using the Lee Collet dies you may be able to get 40 loadings provided that you anneal the case neck every 10 loadings. Trimming may not be necessary either using the collet neck sizer die. The cases don't stretch like they do during the usual neck or full length resizing process.

Lastly reloading is fun. I mean you get to build your own ammo and then go shoot it. I think it's very cool. I started reloading when I was 13 for a 12 ga. shotgun I'd been given as a Christmas present.

[srv656s]

Scheutz!

Jeez! Thanks for the extensive response! Very good information there.... I saved it to my HD....

I was expecting a Yes/No type answer! You are most helpful sir!

Shawn

[Schuetzenman]

Welcome!

[Frank Iacono]

I bought 500 .308 164gr AP from pat's reloading. I talked to him on the phone. He is very honest and reputable. He took my order and I received the AP as well as 168 gr HPBT Hornady at very reasonable prices. Can you safely shoot a 7.62 bullet in a rifle made for a 7.5x bullet. Incidently, what is the true 7.5 diameter i.e. is it 7.50 or 7.55 or 7.59 etc.

[Schuetzenman]

Originally posted by Frank Iacono
I bought 500 .308 164gr AP from pat's reloading. I talked to him on the phone. He is very honest and reputable. He took my order and I received the AP as well as 168 gr HPBT Hornady at very reasonable prices. Can you safely shoot a 7.62 bullet in a rifle made for a 7.5x bullet. Incidently, what is the true 7.5 diameter i.e. is it 7.50 or 7.55 or 7.59 etc.

Welcome to the Boards Frank Iacono! Stick around and share your experiences with us all.

Well in the case of the 7.5 Swiss they aren't literally the size the number would make one think. 7.5 should be .301 but these 7.5's aren't. Actually the GP 11's measure between .308 and .309 with a set of slide vernier calipers. Haven't put a digital mike on one yet for an exact measurement.

Talking with my Swiss shooting buddy Matthias when I was over there last March, they said the groove diameter of the K31 is supposed to be .309 inches but maybe he didn't convert the numbers correctly.

I can also tell you that they make a Civilian version of the GP-11 that comes in a light blue box from SM (Swiss Munitions). It's built with 168 gr. Sierra Match King bullets that are .308 inches.

[Frank Iacono]

Thanks for the reply. I checked a few reloading manuals for the bullet diameter of the 7.5 Swiss but there's no data. There is for the 6.5x55 Swiss. The bullet diameter is not 6.5 but 6.7mm or 0.2638 inches. This is consistant with the 7.5 Swiss being in the 7.62mm range. Info much appreciated.
:)