Straight Pull Rifles Part 4

                         Straight Pull Rifles Part 4

The 7.5 Schmidt Ruben is a quality product from Switzerland being used by the military for many years. Some model was used from 1889 to 1957 starting with the 89. I feel that the fit and finish are good for a military rifle which you would expect from a Swiss product. All the specimens that I examined exhibit good fit and appear to be well made.  It utilizes a standard 308 diameter bullet making it convenient to reload for. Brass is now available though I used 284 Winchester brass for these loads. As a note the Swiss brought out a rimmed version in 1950 for use in the military for artillery sub caliber devices. It is obscure and seldom if ever seen. Since the Swiss never get in a war the rifles saw little if any actual military service. However I imagine that if someone was foolish enough to launch a ground attack against them, they would quickly find out the error of their ways. The Swiss are no strangers to good marksmanship.

 They came out with a 174 grain bullet in 1911 at about 2500 feet per second a vast improvement over the original loading. The locking lugs are located at the front of the bolt thus improving the action strength. The K-31 was the last and best of the Schmidt- Ruben rifles brought out and is common today. The K-31 was brought out in 1933 and made until 1958. In 1958 the K-31 was replaced by the Sig Sturmgewher select fire rifle. It however uses the same 7.5 X 55 cartridge. The specimen I have was made in 1949 according to the serial number. One other difference between the model 1911 and the K-31 is in the older 11 the bolt head rotates while in the newer K-31 the bolt sleeve rotates. The bolt appears to be grooved in such a way that it would handle gas in the event of a case rupture though I can’t be sure of that. You should always wear shooting glasses when shooting any older gun. They have a large ring at the back of the bolt that can be let down carefully on a cartridge or can be pulled back to cock the rifle. That is an interesting feature not found on many other rifles though I wouldn’t recommend dropping the rifle on the ring to see if it went off. There is a lever on the side of the receiver that acts as the bolt release and it’s easy to use. The 6 round magazine is removable by a button on the side and it’s also convenient to use. The rifle operates and feels like a quality product from Switzerland should be. It would not be a good idea to shoot the new ammo in the older rifles, the 89, as the newer stuff is loaded hotter. It probably would be possible to chamber the new ammo in the model 89 which points out that you should always be sure you are firing the correct ammo before you make a costly mistake. Ammo for the Swiss rifle is easy to get and of course reloading it is a cinch. As with the other similar calibers medium powders such as IMR 4895 work the best. Just as a note 284 Winchester cases can be used ok though probably no longer necessary. Careful handloading can produce ammo that will equal or exceed 308 Winchester top loads so can be used for many hunting situations. The rifles are well made and accurate and if you like a straight pull take it hunting. I have to admit that the sights are not my favorite though you can get use to them with practice.  The locking lugs are located in the front as opposed to the rear as in the model 89. It’s rated at 45,000 PSI compared to the 37,000 with the 89.  Like most straight pulls the bolt is somewhat more difficult to operate especially if you have a stuck case though the action is smooth.  The upside is you will get a workout when you shoot one.  

LOAD                           BULLET                                  VELOCITY                           COMMENT

10 X Unique                  110 grain round nose               1623                                        ok

46 X Data 4197              110 grain round nose               3359                                       max

43 X Data 4197             125 grain Hornady                  2971                                       very consistent 

45 X IMR 4895              125 grain Hornady                   2775                                       mild

47 X IMR 4895             150 grain Remington               2850                                        good load

46 X IMR 4895              165 grain Remington               2620                                       consistent

10 X Unique                   173 grain cast                           1405                                      accurate

50 X AA 4350               180 grain Remington               2441                                        good load

44 X IMR 4895              180 grain Remington              2523                                        hunting load

43 X IMR 4895              190 grain TRI/COR                2423                                        accurate

42 X IMR 4895              200 grain Speer                        2433                                       accurate

Without much doubt I could have pushed them a little more but what’s the point. These loads will dispatch most North American game animals and should be safe in any solid rifle.  All these loads should be approached with caution. While safe in guns that I tested due to different methods and materials used neither the author nor the publisher can be responsible for use of this data. That holds true for all the data in this article. The Swiss rifles are some of the nicest made military rifles out there. If you have a chance to shoot one by all means do so you won’t be sorry.