7.5 Swiss Mold

[jonp]

Do i need a dedicated mold or will a 308 mold work fine

[Bigmancrisler]

My K31 slugged right at .308 so I was gonna just size some pills to .309


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[Adam Helmer]

My several Swiss arms like all my cast boolits sized .309" and my powders are 2400, Unique or IMR4198 depending on which boolit or arm is being loaded for. I load the Lyman 172 grain #311467, the 180 grain spitzer and the best is the Lee C312, 185 grain RN sized .309.

I hope this helps.

Adam

[1Hawkeye]

Try lyman 311413 and 311299 sized to. 309. My 89/11,11 & k31 do very well with these and unique powder.

[Bigmancrisler]

My several Swiss arms like all my cast boolits sized .309" and my powders are 2400, Unique or IMR4198 depending on which boolit or arm is being loaded for. I load the Lyman 172 grain #311467, the 180 grain spitzer and the best is the Lee C312, 185 grain RN sized .309.

I hope this helps.

Adam

What gr weights for powder?


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[lead collector]

Several of the members here, made suggestions when I started playing with the K31. Maybe this will help you.

Early on, I struggled a little bit to find a bullet with a small enough nose to chamber easily in my K31, with out seating it way down in the neck.
You have probably already learned a K31 has very little if any throat or lead.

As they were shot and worn some this got easier, but if yours is like mine, and pretty tight, you will suffer the same woes as I did.

Before I go any farther, please note that my gun is scoped, with a 3 x 9 Leopold mounted with a Swiss Products mount.

I have tried the RCBS 30-165 Sil bullet, and it works pretty well, and I have got decent accuracy. Also recently discovered the NOE copy of the Lyman 311-466 Lovern Design works better. I am still testing and have not tried my usual got to load of 16 grs of 2400, or 11- 12 grs. of Unique yet. I hope to very soon.

On a recent trip to the range I was shooting the RCBS 30-165 and 20 grs of IMR 4227 with a really light crimp using a Lee collet crimp die. My hundred yard target, had several sub 2 inch groups with this load.

Also a load of 18 grs, or 4227 and the NOE bullet, worked well.
I shot several at 100 yards, with 5 shot groups that were in the 1 inch range, with 2 - 3 touching and usually a flyer out of the group. Probably due to inconsistent crimping, from un even case lengths.

Things went to hell, the next night, as I tried the same loads with no crimp. The reports were different, and groups went to 4 inches.
It would appear that 4227 needs a crimp, or at least more next tension to build enough pressure to get consistent burning of the powder.
I tried 4227 because I was hoping to find some thing that was more consistent. Since I have limited experience with 4227, I am not sure if I will continue to work with this powder, or go back to Unique, and 2400.
Would not mind trying 4198, but I dont have any, also I may try some re loader #7, as I have a pound of it on the shelf.

[Adam Helmer]

As for powder charges, I suggest you go to the Bench. My charges differ, so it would be best to find your own.

Adam

[jonp]

My several Swiss arms like all my cast boolits sized .309" and my powders are 2400, Unique or IMR4198 depending on which boolit or arm is being loaded for. I load the Lyman 172 grain #311467, the 180 grain spitzer and the best is the Lee C312, 185 grain RN sized .309.

I hope this helps.

Adam

C312 185gr I have. I have a couple kegs of 4064 I thought I'd start with on this. Thanks

[Stewbaby]

NOE makes this K31 specific mold but I’ve not tried it yet. Also a great 1903 and 1917 one also supposedly.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220311/575cfdde99408aedd4929de1570c495f.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220311/68a81635aa6a9225e9ae5479180eab18.jpg

[alamogunr]

Are you saying that NOE also makes molds that are great in 1903 and 1917? OR that this mold is great in both those guns? I'm a little dense.

I've got an NOE mold that is also supposed to be for K31. I've got it listed in my inventory as:

NOE .311-180 FN K-31

I'm afraid that I haven't tried mine either.

[lead collector]

Not to steal the thread... But how do you like that NOE 311-195? The nose being at .296 would be helpful in my tight K31 throat.
I almost bought that mold, and would have, but they were out of stock at the time.

The RCBS 30-165 SIL. was also well thought of, by many, and is supposed to be a good K-31 bullet, so I bought that.

They appear to be similar, and I'm happy with the RCBS, but the nose is bigger than I would like.
I think the nose measures .304 or .305, and that makes them engrave the lead a little bit as I chamber them, causing the bolt to run harder than I like.
Accuracy is pretty good, in the k31, and they also shoot well in the 03A3.

[alamogunr]

Not to steal the thread... But how do you like that NOE 311-195? The nose being at .296 would be helpful in my tight K31 throat.
I almost bought that mold, and would have, but they were out of stock at the time.

The RCBS 30-165 SIL. was also well thought of, by many, and is supposed to be a good K-31 bullet, so I bought that.

They appear to be similar, and I'm happy with the RCBS, but the nose is bigger than I would like.
I think the nose measures .304 or .305, and that makes them engrave the lead a little bit as I chamber them, causing the bolt to run harder than I like.
Accuracy is pretty good, in the k31, and they also shoot well in the 03A3.

As I mentioned in my post I haven't cast with the mold. Too many other projects for an old retired man. I just rearranged my casting table so maybe I can cast a few and send them to you. As long as the pot is heated up, it shouldn't be a bother. I would also like to know how it performs in my K31 and K11.

EDIT! I just re-read your post and it seems you were referring to Stewbaby's post, not mine. Offer still stands.

[iron brigade]

My k31 loves red dot
I shoot the rcbs 165 sil, 311334, and the Lee 160 RN
Buy a Lee collet die if you haven't already. It is most excellent.

[iron brigade]

Jonp
The other thing I will add about the k31 is the tight throat on these rifles. Some more than others depending on how much the rifle was shot. Mine was privatized in 1959 and probably shot in competition. I size my bullets to .311 and can get away with a .301 nose diameter. This is with the rcbs 165 sil bullet. The 311334 nose is .297 as cast but PC brings it up to .299. It chambers better.

297516

[NuJudge]

I am not sure which rifle the OP has. I have experience with the K31, 1911 carbine and long rifle. A lot of the K31 rifles that came to the US 20 years ago had relatively new barrels, and the rifling came all the way back to the case neck, and the kind of bullet produced by the NOE bullet mold above was necessary. The last K31 I bought was a very early one, with the original barrel, and had been shot a lot. It, as well as the 1911 carbine and long rifle, had throats.

Long ago, there were two group buys for tapered, small nose bullets. I believe the molds were made by Lee for us. I bought one of each, and have shot a lot of them in K31 at 100 yards.

[40-82 hiker]

jonp,

Not sure if I have missed something in this thread, but why not start with a chamber/throat cast (or pound cast) and bore slugs for your particular rifle?

Bob