Customer Reviews

Swiss Magazine Loading Rifles 1869 to 1958, 2nd edition, revised

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you have looked for any printed material on your K-31 you have found that the landscape is pretty barren. That was until North Cape Publications rolled out the detailed collectors' guide by Joe Poyer called For Collector's Only: Swiss Magazine Loading Rifles, 1869 to 1958. I have looked for other available books (printed in English) on the same subject and have not found any to date.

Following the established "For Collector's Only" format and systematic approach of presenting information on collecting firearms, Joe's new book includes history of the development as well as a detailed, part-by-part analysis of the famous rifles and carbines. The book covers Friedich Vetterli's design of one of the very the first military bolt action repeaters and the original designs of Rudolf Schmidt's (Eduard Rubin actually designed the cartridge) straight-pull action rifles and carbines.

Presents extensive information for detail cartouche and marking identification so you will be able to answer the "when and where your rifle or carbine was made" questions you may have.

A good book for the beginning collector of Swiss rifles and carbines.

Very good book, even considering the lack of published material (in English) on these rifles. Incorporates most of the info available from various web sites and manuals on the straight-pull rifles, ammo, and bayonets. Only criticism I have is that I personally feel it would have been better organized by rifle model instead of being organized by the various elements, ie: all stocks, all receivers, etc.

Switzerland didn't fight in either of the world wars which scarred the 20th century and shaped much of the world we know today. Its tiny size size contributes to the impression I used to have that Switzerland was interesting primarily because of its excellent chocolate, beautiful ski resorts and HEIDI.

I would not have guessed that the Swiss played such a leading role in the development of small arms, but Joe Poyer's book, SWISS MAGAZINE LOADING RIFLES 1869-1958, proved to be an effective wake-up call for me. I remember spotting an odd looking carbine at a gun store in a nearby city and finally finding a picture of it in Smith and Smith's SMALL ARMS OF THE WORLD.

It wasn't a Carcano like the store thought it was. It was a Swiss M 1893 carbine chambered for the GP 1890 7.5 X 53.5 mm cartridge and the design was borrowed from the Austrian 1888/90 carbine. Smith and Smith had only a line or two on this carbine and only a brief, but helpful summary of other Swiss rifles. There wasn't anything else (in English, at least) on Swiss rifles.

Gradually, I accumulated more of them including an assortment of Schmidt rifles, an 89/96, an M-11, an M-11 carbine (the so-called "Engineer's carbine)and an assortment of K-31s. All of them are beautifully constructed, well marked and accurate. The only exception is the M-93 carbine which I don't shoot due to a crack in the wrist of the stock.

North Cape Publishers' excellent FOR COLLECTORS ONLY finally gave me a great reference for these rifles. I enjoy them a lot more now that I can read up on them.

Poyer also gives us some interesting history. Switzerland was the first country to adopt a bolt-action repeating rifle, the .41 caliber Vetterli with an 11 round tubular magazine. The Swiss did this on January 8, 1869, at a time when the US was still making the transition to its first breech loader, the .50 caliber Allin which was a single shot conversion of the .58 caliber muzzle-loading Springfield which equipped most Union forces during the Civil War.

Most US forces still carried the Allin, or "Trapdoor Springfield" during the Spanish American War in 1898, nine years after the Swiss had moved to the more advanced, M-89 Schmidt rifle which fired 7.5 mm smokeless rounds and from a 12 round magazine. Those US soldiers lucky enough to have a .30-40 Krag found themselves facing Imperial Spanish infantrymen armed with 7 mm Mauser repeaters which proved to be more than a match for the assortment of Allins and Krags available to US personnel. Rifles like the Mauser and the fast-firing M-89 Schmidt illustrated how much the US had fallen behind in the arms race.

I like this book and have used it a lot. It has some good period photographs, line drawings, and a number of useful graphs and charts including illustrations of gunmarks. There is also a glossary.

The only thing I can see which would make this book more useful to collectors and shooters is an index to facilitate quick reference. Hopefully, that will be included in future editions.

If you are interested in Swiss firearms or Swiss history, you'll enjoy this book.

Noticed a few major and some minor mistakes. Over all a good starting point. Not as much information as I would expect from a book listed as "For collectors only", but it's the only one out there.
Hopefully someone will come out with something better in the future. Untill then, this will just have to do.

Information, photos, and history nicely done. I owned three of the rifles but learned things just thumbing through the book. A good read increases your knowledge base. Worth the time and money.
I shot a K31 with GP11 Ammunition winning the Texas Vintage Military Rifle Championship last year. This book isn't about shooting but the more you know about your rifle the more seamlessly you can work together.

A good brief manual with the story and variants of these swiss guns.
It's enough to know all the main informations and also more.
With it you can identify your rifle, its marks, parts, production year and so on.

A useful introduction to the interesting families of Swiss rifles, it also has the advantage of being only book on the subject as far as I'm aware. Well illustrated, the dis-mantling sections are particularly helpful, there are some minor errors and maybe some major ones though I haven't spotted them yet. Info for model 1889 owners, the 12 round mag is detachable by lowering the cut-off lever (so the mag is in raised position)and then pushing it in slightly and at same time pushing down. The lever moves to a third position and the mag can be pulled out, no need dismantle the whole gun.

Perhaps I should have given it four stars but I haven't found a better book, in English, on the topic. If they added more pictures of cartouche marks, stamps, variations of various models, etc., it would have helped but if it doubled the cost I might have passed on the book. Avid collectors will say that the book contains nothing new and new owners of perhaps a K31 might find the information in here obtuse. However, it does a great job overall of educating someone interested in the subject matter. I have a number of Swiss bolt action rifles and frequent a Swiss rifle forum and website and I believe this book added much to my knowledge base. For the price it cannot be beat. These rifles are,if not the best, then in the top two in terms of quality of construction and accuracy for military rifles produced in the first half of the 20th century and latter 19th century. Some people will say the Swedish Mausers are #1 but I'll take the Swiss! This book will give anyone a good, working knowledge of Swiss magazine loading rifles.

This is the only true source of the Swedish versions of the famous Mauser design. For any collector or enthusiast, this book can't be beat. Not generic info, just the proper info that you are looking for to explain the differences and history. A great read no matter what and a book that no Mauser person should be without. Enjoy !

This book has everything. If you only have one of the Schmidt-Rubin rifles, it's worth every penny.