A good cast bullet for 7.5 x 55 schmidt ruben

[1Hawkeye]

What is a good mold for the 7.5 swiss ? I just got a nice 1896/11 but all I have for .30 cal molds are 115 & 124 grain which are a bit light. Will something in the 155 to 175 grain be more accurate at longer ranges?

[Stewbaby]

Mine shoots great with the Lyman 311332 with 2400

I’ve heard good things about Lee C-309-180R

[Gewehr-Guy]

At our CBA match last month I used a scoped 96/11, with 2400 powder and a Lyman 311299 bullet. The 100 yd. groups were decent, but the first 200 yd target scored a 99, with some of the holes showing the bullet just starting to tip a little. The second relay, the wind came up a bit, and must have destabilized the bullets,and really opened my group.

Another bullet I want to try is the Lee 200 gr., it has always shot well for me in just about every rifle I tried it in. The Lee and my 311299 both measure .299, any bullet much larger than that don't chamber well in my 96/11

[35 Whelen]

These are some molds from which I cast bullets for my K-31's. Hard to find a bullet that WON'T shoot in a 7.5x55.

Lyman 311672 (https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1010232697?pid=430308)

RCBS 308-165-SIL (https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1010260849?pid=151131)

NOE 311-195-RF-J1 (https://noebulletmolds.com/site/shop/308-311/311-195-rf-j1/311-195-rf-j1-4-cavity-gc-k-31) This one was designed specifically for the K-31/7.5x55

One other I used was a little 148 gr. plain base flat point from an NEI mold. It looked like it was probably designed to be loaded in a 30-30. It was an extremely accurate bullet for me.

https://i.imgur.com/cZcrdfPl.jpg

So don't pass up any bullet design just because it doesn't "look right".

35W

[webfoot10]

If you can find a Ideal/Lyman 311414 that was made for the 300 Savage you'll find
the perfect bullet. Size to .309 or .310 the 311414 fits the K-31 swiss perfectly.
I think that NOE makes a clone of this mold. The Ranchdog 311-313 is another
good mold if you can find it. The 311-313 is 155 gr with a flat point, and the 311414
is 150 gr spirepoint. Noe also makes a bullet designed for the swiss rifles. Have fun.
webfoot10

[Adam Helmer]

What is a good mold for the 7.5 swiss ? I just got a nice 1896/11 but all I have for .30 cal molds are 115 & 124 grain which are a bit light. Will something in the 155 to 175 grain be more accurate at longer ranges?

Hawkweye,

My several Swiss arms prefer the Lee 185 grain .312 RN Boolit.

Adam

[Kraschenbirn]

I shoot the Lee 309-200 in both the K-31 and the 96/11. 2" groups (off sandbags) from both rifles using original military sights.

Bill

[ukrifleman]

I get good results with the 155gn Lee 7.62x39 bullet in both a K31 and K11.

ukrifleman

[dogmower]

Had good luck with both the lyman 311413 and 311299.

[John Boy]

Ideal 311413 44gr 4350 .... Accurate to 1000yds with original iron sights
Varmint Bench Rest Silhouettes Competitions
Crows at 850 yards
Ground hogs at 900 yards
Bobcats at 950 yards
Coyotes at 1000 yards

[Abert Rim]

I was just asking about this on another forum, where ukrifleman graciously replied.
The only "close" mold I have at hand is that Lee .312 185 1R that Adam mentioned.
These were promising yesterday over 16 grains of 2400 in my rebarreled Pattern 14 .303 (Criterion barrel), with the boolits sized .314 (pretty much as dropped).
I hope to see if they will shoot in the IG1911 that Fedex should be delivering this afternoon.
Something I noted is that if I worked the P-14 too quickly, the nose of that Lee wanted to catch on the left side of the receiver and I had to hand-feed the cartridge.

[Whole Bunches]

I use 311291 sized .311” with #2 alloy and 2400 powder in my K11 and K31. I am able to seat the bullet out a little more in the K11 than in the K31.

My 1889 Swiss likes 314299 sized .314 and seated way out. It will lead at the start of the rifling with .311” sized bullets, but not with .314” sized bullets.

I keep all brass separated by rifle and barely resize the necks. 50/50 NRA type lube is used.

[Abert Rim]

Favor the Swiss rifles, do ya, Whole Bunches? :-)

[Whole Bunches]

Favor the Swiss rifles, do ya, Whole Bunches? :-)

I could go on and on about Swiss military firearms, especially ones with soldiers tags identifying the soldier it was issued to, the military unit, and home town. One of my K11’s was issued to a driver and remained in super condition, probably not having been “in the field”. I’ve been in contact with his grandson. Another was issued to a member of a destruction detachment (destroy bridges or roads or rail tracks if invaded).

But the highlight of my collection is a P49 (Sig P210-2) pistol issued to an officer and kept after his 30 years of Army service. I found a lady with the same last name living on the same street and small town. Besides German, she spoke and read English. Said the retired officer is her father-in-law and lives next door! Jurg and I correspond back and forth and have exchanged photos and gifts. He sent me Swiss military uniform patches so I now have the appropriate collar and/or shoulder patch that would have been on the uniform of the soldier issued each of my soldier identified firearms. Example: collar patch for an Air Force radio operator for my Air Force radio operator issued K31. I have photos of pages of Jurg’s service record and weapons record books showing the P49 was issued to him, him as a brand new 2nd LT, his first tank unit where he started out as an enlisted mechanic, his homes, his family, etc. He will send a photo of something, say a uniform, I have to figure it out and tell him, and he’ll confirm or correct me.

His family asked that I be sent some uniform items he wore. I now have his officer dress belt and buckle, collar specialty patches (repair officer over 25 enlisted maintaining M113 APC’s), and shoulder boards that show his officer rank, company and infantry battalion.

With info from the Swiss Army Museum I was able to identify the 40 patches he sent. I’ve been able to send some to other Swiss rifle owners the correct patches to go with their soldier tagged rifles to enhance their rifles.

Officer belt and buckle

271048

1st LT, 7th Company (purple stripe, maintenance and supply company), 43rd Infantry Battalion (green stripe).

271049

[Abert Rim]

That's just amazing. Jurg was fortunate to have his pistol end up in such caring hands.

[Whole Bunches]

Don’t want to stray too far from cast bullets...my Swiss love them, but since there is some interest in my pics, here’s two more.

Destruction soldier collar patch

271061

Tag from K11 issued to a soldier in the 15th Destruction Detachment

271063

[Abert Rim]

Just peeked under the buttplate of my M1911. No tag, darn it, but there was a tag under the butt of a K-31 I owned some years ago, and the late "Guisan" helped me sort it out.

[1Hawkeye]

I tried to find some molds at the collectors show this weekend and struck out but as a consolation I came home with a matching M1911 made in 1917 and an 1936 K31 with match sights that was rebarreled 1954. The 1911 has a Hammereli barrel and was inspected by the same guy that inspected my 96/11. I forget whos barrel is in the K31 I wanna say Sig. The K 31 has the troop tag under the plate so I'm gonna see if there's a swiss edition of google maps and check out his village. I spent a couple of days in Luzern as a teenager and it was fantastic.

[Whole Bunches]

1Hawkeye,

Please post a pic of the tag. If I have a collar patch that matches, I’ll send it to you. Pic is upside down, but you can see I have a variety of collar and shoulder patches.

271082

[1Hawkeye]

Will do, I'm not to camera savy yet but I'll copy down the information.
Tag Info.

[Whole Bunches]

Will do, I'm not to camera savy yet but I'll copy down the information.

Pic isn’t necessary...just the military info and lets cross our fingers we have a match.

[1Hawkeye]

Here's the tag info

Moser Jean-Pierre, 35
Battr L. MOB. DCA I/2
2034 Peseux
Uttins 37

is what it looks like.
I'm not sure about what an MOB or DCA is but my guess is some sort of artillery 1 rgt 2nd co.

[Whole Bunches]

I'm not an expert, only a reasonably knowledgable guy. I THINK I got the tag figured, once I realized it was in French. Note: I'm awaiting confirmation and more info from Switzerland.

Battr = Battery
L = Light
MOB = Mobile
DCA = Defense Contre Avions = Defense against planes = Anti-Aircraft

So, Platoon no. 1 of Light Mobile Anti-Aircraft Battery no. 2. Soldier (Jean-Pierre Moser, born in 1935) was from Uttins, Switzerland.

Now, I've looked through the Swiss uniform regulations from 1940 through 1972. I could find no specific collar device for a MALE in an anti-aircraft unit. Did find in the 1949 uniform regs there was a DCA (AA) collar patch for the Women's Auxiliary Service (which I don't have). Jean-Pierre sounds like a guy's name to me. I've asked for confirmation of my interpretation of the soldier's unit and what collar patch would be correct for a male member of an anti-aircraft battery, if anyone knows. I suspect it's crossed cannon barrels (heavy weapons) with a yellow background (motor or mobile troops). If with Infantry, the background would be green. I'm hoping for more information.

[Whole Bunches]

271357

In the world of trivia, I have great news for you!

Got a reply from a collector in Switzerland regarding the correct collar patch (with photo and description of the colors) to match up with your K31, and I do have that patch. In researching the patches I was sent, I had found differing (but related) definitions of the above patch...anti-aircraft, anti-aircraft (search) lights, and anti-aircraft grenadier. At a glance, the background looks black, with black indicating Engineers...maybe antiaircraft units were Engineers, but that didn't make complete sense to me. When I received the reply with description of the colors, and shined a bright light on the patch, I immediately knew the patch was Swiss Air Force from the dark blue background. Apparently the same patch was used for the various positions within an antiaircraft battery. I speculate that the individuals are cross trained in the various positions in case one or more became incapacitated.

I am not an expert on Swiss patches, but in my looking at photos of uniforms and patches for sale, older Air Force patches seem scarce compared to Army patches. So, in the absence of further info, let's call this patch scarce, at least in the U.S. It took awhile before finding my Air Force radio operator's patch on a Swiss auction site to go with my Air Force radio operator's K31. Your patch was among the patches I was sent when my P49's officer won the auction and sent the patches to me. He didn't charge me anything, and the idea was that I could pass some of the patches on to other collectors to go with their ex-Swiss military firearms...sorta a pay it forward type of deal.

Please send me a PM with your name and mailing info. I'll send the patch. There is NO charge. So far, no contradictions to my interpretation of the K31's owner's military unit. I believe Uttins is in the French speaking part of Switzerland. I had started as if the tag abbreviations were German, and wasn't getting much of anywhere. As soon as I found DCA was French, I knew what route to take, and the answers came quick.

[Eddie1971]

Ideal 311413 44gr 4350 .... Accurate to 1000yds with original iron sights
Varmint Bench Rest Silhouettes Competitions
Crows at 850 yards
Ground hogs at 900 yards
Bobcats at 950 yards
Coyotes at 1000 yards

Wow that sounds pretty stout! What does that do on paper for groups? I use 36 grains of 4350 on my 1911 and its great!

[1Hawkeye]

Well I haven't found a heavier mold yet but I've been playing around with a little lyman 311359 115gr spire point gc and with 9.5 grs of unique it's shooting 1 1/2' - 2" at 100 yds out of my K31 and as soon as I can find a correct sizer die I'm looking forward to seeing what it will do in the 96/11.