Neanderpundit

In comments below Matt says I’ll have to start handloading- and he’s right. I bought a case of ammo for the K31, but it’ll be gone someday, and then I’ll start rolling my own.

I know a lot of people won’t touch reloading for love or money, and I don’t blame them- if you’re not very meticulous about what you’re doing, handloading can be deadly dangerous.

On the other hand, if you want to keep your ammo costs down, if you want to shoot a lot for not a lot of cash, handloading is a good option.

I started handloading for my 45, and then for my 38 special, but lately those calibers are so plentiful and so cheap that it’s almost not worth it.

On the other hand, rifle ammo is expensive, and the most expensive part is the brass.
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Monty Python is the rosetta stone of geek culture. Harvey proves it again.

I waited a longass time to scrape together the cash for this, and finally put it in my hands today:

The Schmidt-Rubin K-31.

I’m glad I opted for the walnut stock. And for the handpick. I have to say, if this is “handpicked” I’d have hate to seen the other five- this rifle looks as though the stock was used as an emergency paddle down boulder strewn rapids by a man who had no canoe.

Now, I’m not complaining about the fine folks at AIM surplus, for theirs is a difficult enough job already- what with dealing with assholes like me every day- they are fine people and did a fine job. And I will be back for more rifle purchases, take my word.

No, I suspect this was truly the best of five, and it was a pleasure to see it come out of the box- (I have no doubt that the stock will clean up very nicely and look forward to making it look as good as possible. It has an excellent figure in the stock (which of course you can’t see because of the poorness fo the photo) but let’s talk action here for a moment.

All the things I’d heard about this rifle are true. If Rolex made rifles, they would be very much like this. The K31 action is a marvel of mechanical design, especially as it was designed in a time when building a complex machine meant making every single part by hand and doing so with tediously handmade jigs and fixtures. NO cnc work was done to this, my friends, and the quality is spectacular nonetheless. As Anvil Boy beat me to the punch and got his first, by all means go there and look at his excellent reviews of the pieces of the action.

Range report to follow.