Through consistent improvements
I must say that the appearance of the new Swiss rifle really turned out to be very unusual. Firstly, the store was not located next to the trigger guard, but was moved far ahead. Secondly, the details of the shutter were unusual - the ring protruding from it from behind, and barrel-shaped, and, moreover, not metal pads on the reloading handle. The barrel was traditionally covered with a wooden overlay on top for almost the entire length of the barrel (up to the front sight), the butt neck was straight, but this was where its similarity with other rifles ended.
Soldiers of the Swiss army on the eve of World War II.
Equally unusual was the breech of the direct movement, which operated without turning the handle. It consisted of two parts located next to each other: the bolt itself and a strong long rod with a handle. The bolt consisted of a swivel tube with two lugs located behind a figured groove, which included a protrusion on the rod with a reloading handle, and a long bolt, inside which was a coiled combat spring, a trigger with a ring at the end and a drummer. The rod was in the tide of the receiver, and its protrusion entered the curly groove of the bolt tube. When the rod was moved back by the handle, this protrusion turned the tube, and the tube also moved back. At the same time, the bolt also rotated, also went back and pulled the sleeve out of the chamber. When the handle moved forward, everything happened in the reverse order, and the bolt sent the cartridge into the chamber and closed, that is, the bolt stem with the extractor simply rested against the bottom of the sleeve, and the lugs went into the annular groove of the receiver.
1911 Schmidt-Rubin rifle bolt.
Rifle model 1911.
The trigger was equipped with a ring, convenient to grab it with your fingers when setting on a safety platoon or on a combat one. Usually the hammer is erected by rotating the bolt at the moment when it is opened and pulled back. The trigger is put on the safety cocking by pulling the ring back and turning it to the right. The rifle has a very easy descent.
As you can see, the Schmidt-Rubin rifle bolt has experienced three successive improvements. The breech of the 1889 model (below) is the longest and is believed to be prone to vibration because of this. Its main drawback is its very long length. The bolt of the 1911 rifle and carbine is shorter. Combat stops are placed on it differently and more rationally. Finally, the most successful bolt for a 1931 rifle was designed by Colonel Adolf Furrer. It is the shortest, and two lugs are placed on the front cut of the swivel shutter tube.
Rifle bolt device mod. 1889, 1911 and 1931. As you can see, the metal consumption of each of them gradually decreased along with the length, and the strength and reliability only increased.
Rifle Schmidt-Rubin K31. The spring-loaded shutter delay is clearly visible just under the handle. Without sliding it down, it was impossible to distort the shutter!
Solid walnut stock. There is no ramrod, a rope rub is used instead. The tip of the forend has a crutch for making the rifle into a trestle - a traditional part of many rifles of that time.
Barrel and crutch cap.
Bayonet model 1918
The bayonet has a long cleaver blade and is worn in a sheath at the waist. Bayonet weight is 430 g. Rifles - 4200 g. Length without bayonet - 1300 mm. The Swiss liked the rifle for its rate of fire, capacious magazine, good accuracy when firing, reliable action of the shutter and a thoughtful trigger mechanism that promotes accurate shooting. However, there are spots on the Sun, and they nevertheless noted two shortcomings. The first drawback is the very long stem of the bolt. The second drawback stemmed from the first. It was impossible, within the framework of the requirements for a cavalry carbine, to create with such a bolt a weapon for a rider of an acceptable length!
Graphical diagram of the 1911 carbine device. From the army manual for use and care.
Carbine or "blunderbuss" 1911.
Sight for the "blunderbuss" of 1911.
The Austrians had to go in an unconventional way and, having an infantry rifle of one system, adopt another carbine, namely the Mannlicher carbine under their own 7, 5-mm cartridge. The carbine was approved in 1893, but its production began only in 1895, and only 7,750 were produced. It had a traditional Mannlicher bolt of direct action and a magazine for six rounds, but was not popular with Swiss cavalrymen and after ten years of service. replaced with a short rifle Schmidt-Rubin, which was also armed with artillerymen and signalmen. Well, and, of course, they immediately began to improve the rifle they liked.
Shops of rifles Schmidt-Rubin 1889, 1911 and 1931
In 1896, the rifling in the barrel was changed and improved in it and a new sight and stock with a pistol neck were installed. This rifle of Schmidt and Rubin was called the model of 1889/1896; and she served in the army until 1930. The shutter on it was somewhat shortened, and the lugs were now placed in front of the figured groove. Produced 127 thousand.
Barrels and bolt boxes of rifles of 1911 and 1931 Obviously, reducing the length of the bolt carrier made it possible to increase the length of the barrel while maintaining the same dimensions of the rifle. The new location of the sight also increased the length of the sighting line.
Then the so-called short rifle of the 1889/1900 model appeared, which was also used as a cavalry carbine. The barrel was shortened to 590 mm, and the magazine capacity was reduced to six rounds. In length and weight, it turned out to be an intermediate model between the cavalry carbine of the 1893 model and the infantry rifle. The weight of the rifle was 3600 g (while the infantry rifle with a barrel length of 820 mm - 4200 g). 18,750 rifles produced.
Rifle bolt boxes of 1911 and 1931
In 1911, a cartridge with a pointed bullet 7.5x55 GP11 was adopted in Switzerland, in connection with which it had to change the sight on it, well, and somewhat change the rifle itself. Now, with a bullet weighing 11.2 g and a powder charge of 3.2 g, its bullet velocity when exiting the muzzle was 825 m / s, and at a distance of 25 m - 810 m / s. The sleeve remained the same, 1889. The barrel was 750 mm long. Rifling 4, right stroke, pitch 270 mm. For the barrel, they came up with an original brass cap, which was attached to the front sight. The sector sight had divisions from 200 to 2000 m. The store, as in the previous model, held six rounds. Moreover, it was also made retrievable. For this, a spring-loaded latch was installed directly on the store on the right. A rope was used instead of a ramrod. It was noted that up to 24 aimed shots per minute can be fired from this rifle, which was considered a very good indicator.
Rifle sight 1911
Rifle model 1889 - 1911 in 1931, it was significantly modernized and under the designation K31 was in service with the Swiss army from 1933 to 1958.
Blunderbuss K31.
First of all, the changes affected the bolt, it was significantly shortened and strengthened, and its locking lugs were finally installed at the front end of the swivel tube. The receiver has accordingly become shorter, lighter and easier to manufacture.
Clip for the K31 rifle and magazine cut-off.
Due to the shortening of the receiver, the barrel became 60 mm longer than the short barrel of the 1889/1911 rifle. The sight on the barrel has been moved back, so that the length of the sighting line has increased. In addition, the quality of the barrel was improved, which increased its survivability and improved ballistic characteristics. 582,230 such rifles were produced. In the same years, a cavalry carbine was also produced (13,300 copies).
Clamps for K31 and cartridges for it.
In 1931, a variant for snipers was produced - the 1942 and 1943 models. It was produced in 1944-1946. (2240 copies). Finally, in 1955, the sniper rifle was released, produced in 1957 - 1959, and released in the amount of 4150 copies.
Shop for rifle and carbine K31.
P. S. Well, what about today? Today little Switzerland is one of the most militarized states in the world. All men serve in her army, training sessions are held twice a year, in addition, mobilizations are carried out during natural disasters. It is impossible to “drive away from the army” in Switzerland, but you can “buy off” it by paying an increased tax and … having given up the opportunity to make a career in the public sector of the economy - those who did not serve their country are simply not accepted there. Their System of the Swiss Army Organization, with some differences, became the basis for the construction of the Israeli army, which has been fighting continuously for almost 70 years. Accordingly, her infantry weapons are very good, and are in service not only in Switzerland itself, but even in the United States.
Swiss soldiers in the mountains in 1917.
