Lee 200 gr in a Swiss K31

[garandsrus]

Bear Claw,

The following is from the www.milsurpshooter.net forum, Straight Pull Section, in a post called K31 Load and was origionally posted by "Parashooter". This shows why you need to seat the SMK bullet to a shorter OAL than the GP11 bullet OAL:



a - profile of GP11
b - normal US bullet seated deeper clears lands
c - US bullet seated to GP11 length jams K31 lands at Dd - but clears model 1911 lands shown at Ee.


K31 throat is designed for GP11 bullet. US bullet designed for US throats and bores must be seated much deeper in K31.

John

[C1PNR]

So this means I can seat the J-word bullet to a greater OAL in my K-11 than in the K-31? I suppose this is related to the different shape of the chamber, too.

Having to size brass with two different dies, one for K-31 and one for K-11, is kind of a hassle. Maybe I'll get some .284 brass for the K-11 so it's easier to tell them apart.

I suppose I'll have to trial and error with the boolits. Frankly, I think I'll probably stay with the real thing (home made boolits) with both K-11 and K-31.

Thanks for the schematic, BTW, I'll put it in my permanent files.

[Bob S]

Acheiveable OAL is related only to the throat dimensions and has nothing to do with the minute differences in the chamber body dimensions. The longer length acheivable in the 1911 series is one reason they are easier to load for than the K31, and one reason that they are easier to shoot really well with cast.

You don't *need* to have seperate dies for K31 and 1911-series rifles. Any brand except the new Redding will work perfectly well for either chamber. I have been using a pre-historic set of CH4D full-length sizing dies for many years with a few M1889s, several 1911 series and several K31's. I am approaching 30 firing/FL rsizing cycles on several lots of reformed 284 cases and have not "lost" a case yet. The theories about working the brass less and extended case life if you use the Reddng dies for K31 are fine theories, but don't pan out in reality. The differences in chamber dimensions are just enough to be PITA, not enough to affect brass life. If you were going to shoot "serious" bench rest with a K31, dies that resized closer to the chamber dimensions would make sense ... but then the K31 is not a serious bench rest rifle, and if you were a serious bench rest shooter, you'd get custom dies for *your* chamber, anyway.

Resp'y,
Bob S.