Hammerli FK-31: Diopter Competition Rifles for the Haganah

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In 1949, Israel was still fighting its war of independence, and purchasing arms internationally was difficult to do. The recently-formalized IDF wanted sniper rifles, and looked to Hammerli in Switzerland for a variant of the K-31 straight-pull bolt action action. Two different models were purchased; 100 of the ZK-31 with 4x Kahles scopes, and 100 of the FK-31 with target diopter sights. The Swiss could not legally ship them directly to Israel, and so the order was placed for Nicaragua instead. Mysteriously, the freighter carrying the rifles somehow sank off the coast of Egypt, and the guns ended up in Israeli hands. They were taken into IDF service, and saw use in the early days of Israeli independence.
Video on the scoped ZK-31:
• A Sneaky Swiss Sniper ...
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[@HellbirdIV]

Poor Nicaragua, all those guns lost in inconvenient shipping accidents!

[@TammoKorsai]

The ship fell off the back of a truck. Such a shame.

[@K__a__M__I]

I imagine the sad Nicaraguan shooting competitions...shooters holding their empty hands out, loudly declaring "Bang!"

[@hoppinggnomethe4154]

@@K__a__M__I 😂😂😂😂

[@NikeaTiber]

The K31 is such a great rifle- aesthetically, functionally, and in terms of manufacturing quality.

[@luzianwasescha6056]

Fragile action

[@andrewallason4530]

@@luzianwasescha6056 But, as evidenced here, extremely tolerant to salt water immersion, following a boating accident. 😜

[@JR-ow1hb]

​@@luzianwasescha6056 Is it? The action seems to me to have been made up of components that are both few and robust. I'm not trying to debate btw. I'm genuinely curious since I've never heard the action called fragile before.

[@MrConspark]

Agreed totally, I have one in my collection and they are a gem to shoot

[@matthewspencer972]

This is a beautiful rifle, with precision sights, all in perfect condition. The one place I am certain it has never been, is sunk in warm salty water off Egypt.

[@grahamstubbs4962]

Unless the Red Sea parted and they were all carried out. 🙂

[@PavelNygryn]

You have to carefully prepare sinking site. Shallow water, covered from wind and waves... ship is supposed to slide in and get stuck.

[@clothar23]

Is homeslice acting like it wasn't a planned sinking with all precautions taken. Damn I miss being that childish and innocent.

[@matthewspencer972]

@@PavelNygryn What happened when the troopships brought men back from the Falklands war, with their souvenirs, was that they were ordered to throw the select-fire weapons and handguns overboard before the ships docked in England. Somehow, they got thrown onto the decks of fishing boats from Guernsey. Guernsey is restrictive in that you need a license for anything that projects a projectile. But then you've got a licence for ANYTHING that projects a projectile. (At least, at the time. The killjoys may have been at work since then.) The other example is the ship full of bottles of whisky that got beached in the Hebrides during WW2, in conditions not unlike those you describe. Very few bottles were recovered by the official salvers. The comedy film based on this episode doesn't invent much.

[@myparceltape1169]

Great song too.

[@clongshanks5206]

This and the scoped version are like the blue wizards of firearms: the mystery around them is very intriguing

[@HellbirdIV]

Now that's my kind of obscure reference.

[@dwightdhansen]

or the Entwives

[@Uneasy-vh4bx]

.

[@KDis0815]

Ahh, another episode of Tales from the Fireplace. Always loved.

[@edshelden7590]

Great mystery story.

[@nazarderkach9320]

Yet another tragic boating accident...

[@eugeniaamariei8626]

🚢💥🔫

[@greycatturtle7132]

Yea😢

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

🙆🏽‍♂️ You beat me to it.... This must be where that whole phrase comes from?

[@KillrMillr7]

Ikr 😂

[@beargillium2369]

​@@WALTERBROADDUSnot at all 😅

[@gvii]

They really went all in on that whole "We lost them all in a boating accident..." thing, huh? Good on them, lol.

[@clothar23]

Problems require solutions and all that.

[@Getpojke]

200 rifles is quite a small consignment, perhaps they were a cover story for other things in that hold that's now conveniently on the bottom of the sea?

[@myparceltape1169]

Where did you think they got their submarine?

[@Alcochaser]

Fireplace guy has all the cool stuff

[@Kevin-mx1vi]

Oh ! The way that magazine slots in is just too perfect !

[@JamesThomas-gg6il]

The wood on that one is particularly gorgeous. Especially the top cover. Nice

[@emoryzakin2576]

Now that's a unicorn! I recognize the fireplace in the back so I'm not surprised! Glorious

[@pamartin]

Thanks for the link to the ZF31. I missed it the first time around. Gorgeous example you've got there!

[@alistairj4851]

Always a pleasure and never a chore. As always, thanks for the great post.

[@swissbianco]

as best i see hammerli did not manufacture them rather than get parts or complete rifles from wf bern and altered them mainly for sporting or hunting use back then. older shooters where allowed to use diopters on k31 that where slight altered for that. the scope version would be more towards hunting as shooting the traditional 300 meter swiss military ranges like i did such was not allowed. if the stock parts are removed there may be more stamps and markings visual. sad that such arms did show up in such places.

[@Gatman0311]

Fireplace guy once again! A vast collection.

[@patrickshannon4854]

The optimist in me wishes to believe that this beautiful rifle is yours. The craftsmanship exhibited in this rifle is what I find most attractive in firearms. Wow, is all I can say.

[@Dapstart]

sadly it seems it belongs to the fireplace guy, collector of pistols.

[@peppermillers8361]

I doubt it, most videos Ian does on weapons are 98% not his.

[@MrPh30]

Norway used both the m59 and 67 with diopter on as drm rifle in squads , to shoot on ranges or situations where the AG3 could not , ( precision fire situations) both army and HV ( TA)

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

Obviously the front fell off the freighter that was on the way to Nicaragua........😁😁

[@ForgottenWeapons]

To be clear, that usually doesn’t happen.

[@Del_S]

@@ForgottenWeapons Some of them are built so the front doesn't fall off at all.

[@Rubberweasel]

Needed a cab called

[@wes11bravo]

What a beautiful rifle.

[@길천사]

FK :FucK

[@williamperry01]

Ultradyne makes a REALLY unique diopter type sight system, where they even SHOW guys shooting 1k yards with an AR....REALLY cool sight systems!!!!

[@northofI90]

Double diopter.... Ahh Redfield Olympic sights with Anschutz inserts on the old HR Model 12. Thanks for jogging a memory.

[@be2712]

I love that fireplace.

[@menachem2521]

Hey Ian awesome video. I'd like to give a friendly suggestion. I think you should invest more in the sound quality in your videos. Considering the fact that speaking is a major part of your channel, I think better sound would make sense. Again just a friendly suggestion. Thanks a lot!

[@mayhemic]

I'd love to see more sport firearm content. Like the infamous Walther electronic free pistol, or a modern steyr evo 10e

[@davidjernigan8161]

In battle the diopter sights would be easy to damage if one was not careful, along with the other issues

[@frankbarnwell____]

I just watched your Cape Esperance video. But absolutely thanks. For some of my relatives, and USN/Marines; the Solomons and New Guinea was, and is important. As important as Washington crossing the Delaware...

[@nerome619]

nice rifle and beautiful condition

[@e36s50b30]

It actually replicates, what a "standard" K31 setup for the Swiss Feldschiessen would look like.

[@sergecashman4822]

I wonder what the source is for that sunken ship off the coast of Egypt. Hagana, Etzel and Lehi all smuggled arms, and Hagana had some (literally) underground ammunition production before 1948. I was always wondering what happened to the guns on Altalena - the Etzel smuggling ship that was sunk un 1948 by Hagana in Tel Aviv. That would be worth a fortune today.

[@honkhonk6443]

Hey Ian, can you do a video on scar and it's history. You are the only one guntuber that shows all the details.

[@Tekdruid]

"Sunk in a storm on the way to Nicaragua" is the "fell off the back of a truck" of the gun world...

[@TMFShooting]

Great Video Ian 💯💥💥💥💥💥💥💥

[@FormerMPSGT]

That’s a Beautiful Rifle!

[@Enraged-Gecko]

That rifle is absolutely beautiful for something dredged up from the depths🤣

[@maxpower6765]

A beauty rifle 👌🏼

[@MrBigbri2011]

Strange things happen at sea….

[@5anjuro]

I am wondering if the IDF intended to start a parallel or auxiliary sniper program with these, with the scopes being purchased separately. If i were a small country looking to covertly start a sniper program, a standard Swiss rifle is a good place to start.

[@clothar23]

I very much doubt it. That fancy sight wouldn't last a minute in combat conditions. Furthermore it wouldn't be a good familiarization rifle. As that fancy sight has no comparison to irons or scopes.

[@alimanski7941]

The IDF actually neglected its snipers program for decades after the War of Independence. It only really restarted it in the 90's. For example, during the War of Attrition (late 60's), the IDF had to recruit civilian sport sharpshooters to aid against Egyptian snipers.

[@desertdude540]

Paying for expensive competition sights instead of standard sights is a bit of a waste, but it would be a way to further obscure the intended purpose of the rifles, so I could easily see them doing it, with the intention of replacing the diopter sights with scopes obtained from another source. It doesn't explain why some still exist with the diopter sights, but it could be that they weren't able to get as many scopes as planned for and that the rifles ended up being replaced (at least in their originally intended role) before additional scopes could be obtained.

[@backinblack03]

Just read about the Gast gun and principle and seems pretty interesting. Any chance of a video?

[@ГнатюкМикола-я4ш]

Being a Ukrainian student and a fan of the history of weapons, I sincerely appreciate your work. I would love to see the Bergmann LMG 15 n.A on your channel. This true machine gun became a forgotten legend of all possible conflicts of early 20-th century, including both world wars, even though it was produced in very small numbers.

[@officialluckyturn]

Can you do a video on diopters? I am not quite sure what they actualy are

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

Inner ring of the diopter, (Which Ian showed was replaceable) outer ring of the diopter holder (front sight) with both viewed through the rear aperture. Equal light around each ring and on target.... but always adjust the sights to compensate for wind direction and strength...click click click.. and heat haze..click click and light...click and distance...damn! click click click click click click click click click click click click..etc. and for ammo type (your own hand loaded or that compulsory handed out by the organisers mil surplus ammo that you had to use) back to the zero range.... A 3 ring circus.. but 1000 yard shots were standard.... in fullbore competition shooting using these sights...

[@officialluckyturn]

@@JohnSmith-yv6eq that doesnt quite help me what an diopter is 😅 i mean is it an iron sight type of sighting system or Something else completly?

[@rambler5766]

@@officialluckyturn Iron sights with a circular opening in both the front and rear sights. When properly aligned, you look through the rear sight and see only a small circle through the front sight. If the diameters of both are properly selected for the target diameter and range, the target will nearly fill that sight picture, so you have three coaxial circles. Great for shooting at circular targets of a known diameter at known ranges.

[@officialluckyturn]

@@rambler5766 thanks mate

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

Google is your friend.@@officialluckyturn

[@toddellner5283]

Is one of those the one that Dr. Ruth, yes *THAT* Dr. Ruth would have trained on when she was a sniper trainee in Haganah?

[@kenibnanak5554]

Replace the front sight with something fiber optic, add some Norma soft point ammo and you would have a gorgeous deer rifle. :)

[@BonesCapone]

Take a shot every time Ian says "Diopter" or "Aperture"

[@DFloyd84]

One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor.😵

[@greycatturtle7132]

XD

[@gavinhammond1778]

Maybe they really did fall of the back of a ship. Thanks for the content.

[@shoopusdawhoopus]

You're entering Managua! If you had brought your surfboard, You could surf Nicaragua!

[@SavageShooter93]

More guns lost to a tragic boating accident... such a shame.

[@tomjones7593]

What a handsome rifle ! Not sure my eyesight would be up to much with a diopter, though !

[@klavdy]

Guadalcanal one day, tragic boating accidents in the Mediterranean the next.

[@sealove79able]

an absolutely very interesting and beautiful video and rifle Mr.GJ.the story why the Israelis bought these rifles for would really be interesting.perhaps they needed them for a sniper school the dmr role?as you already said who knows?have a good one Mr GJ.

[@theromanorder]

Please do some stuff on hunting muskets, idk if you alright have i have poor memory 😅

[@luzianwasescha6056]

The K31 is not a Schmidt-Rubin!

[@tacticalmanatee]

It's odd that they didn't mount the rear sight just a little bit further back, so they could use chargers. It looks like chargers will not work with the rifle shown.

[@thomasholohan4090]

Ian said they were manufactured for civilian use.

[@tacticalmanatee]

Doesn't explain why they did away with the ability to use chargers. Charger loading is very common with Swiss civilian shooters of K31s.

[@Dominic1962]

I noticed that too. It looks like the receiver is killed for the guide but the sight is in the way. I wonder if Hammerli really made the whole thing or heavily retrofitted military k31’s.

[@STB-jh7od]

I'm wondering if these Diopter rifles may have been used as DRM rifles?

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

Designated Marksman? Not with these competition sights.

[@sub0fathom]

Ian really needs to buy a new mic. I say this with love and respect. It is unintuitive just how important audio is. The audio on this channel has been clipping for a while, in my opinion. It always hurts my ears but I deal with it because I love the content ❤

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

Sorry ,but audio sounds fine.

[@sub0fathom]

@@WALTERBROADDUS I am curious about what kind of speakers or headphones you use. Perhaps you have equalizer settings that compensate as well. I use dt 990 pro headphones when I am not listening through my TV speakers. The audio in these videos is bearable but it does hurt my ears quite a bit. This is not a criticism or anything, to be clear.

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

@@sub0fathom I'm using a Samsung 10-inch tablet. No headphones.🔊🙂

[@AllAboutSurvival]

It's incredible how firearms play a role not just in military strategies but also in the historical narratives of nations.

[@454FatJack]

Sporting arms, easy to get exportlicence vs Mil stuff

[@swayingGrass]

stripper clip guide is blocked?

[@asn413]

ian, why don't you show us the action? I've been curious about that.

[@hackerbot809]

its the same as a k31 which he alrwady has a video on

[@404rimless9]

ok, looks like finely enginered, would like to have one! 😌

[@hendriktonisson2915]

7.5mm Swiss vs .30-06. Which of these is the better cartridge?

[@mmz77]

3006 although I love 7.5

[@hendriktonisson2915]

@@mmz77 Interesting. In my opinion the 7.5mm Swiss is superior as the 7.5 gives about the same performance as the .30-06 while being shorter cartridge that allows to use shorter and lighter receivers for guns.

[@Dominic1962]

Depends on the criteria. 7,5 Swiss is more efficient all around. With the .30-06, it can be loaded to all sorts of performance specs but as M2 ball it’s just pretty average and way too long.

[@georgeaura]

What an awesome rifle

[@erikm12]

With those diopter sights and being Swiss made, this rifle is probably an absolute tack-driver.

[@cedhome7945]

Can't imagine how much they cost when new .... love to see how accurate it is 😉

[@Zipped_in]

Sunk off the coast of Egypt? Sounds familiar

[@MarkVrem]

hmm is it french?

[@mikepj67]

K-31 are really nice (friend has one) this one way cooler with those sights.

[@allanalopez1756]

It's a possibility they bought the competition rifles versus by in the army rifles it would be less suspicious ❤❤❤❤

[@PewKittens]

Call that a chunking handle

[@adudeontheinternet1]

Fun little conspiracy theory, the person responsible for ordering these thought he was getting a rifle that was scope ready. Sadly he was mistaking and they got these instead and his friends give him garbage about it to this day.

[@officialluckyturn]

Hämmerli does normal rifles aswell? I know they do some awesome affordable air rifles but didnt know they made propper guns 😅

[@joegoldberg8770]

Hammerli was (is?) famous for precision target weapons, especially target pistols for Olympic competition.

[@daytimetundra7757]

I really want a k-31

[@garomcfbgdd3211]

Recently I saw a K31 rechambered in 30-30.

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

Why would anyone try and do that?

[@Jreb1865]

​@@WALTERBROADDUSBecause 7.5x55mm Swiss isn't always found at your corner hardware store...

[@hendriktonisson2915]

@@Jreb1865 *7.5x55mm Swiss

[@ericmitchell985]

I kind of just threw up in my mouth a little, but I remain intrigued.

[@Jreb1865]

@@hendriktonisson2915 Opps... You're right. Brain fart on my part...

[@DevinMoorhead]

Frickin early gang checking in

[@d.watamate8231]

The stories of the Haganah are INSANE. Actual special forces being a resistance force

[@samoksner]

Sounds like a fascinating story, any idea who tells it well?

[@harryfaber]

@@samoksner Not the survivors of the Hotel King David.

[@StarSurfer55]

I went to Israel in 1995 and we went to the site of a bakery where ammo was made in the basement. Supposedly the bakery smells cover the ammo smells.

[@alimanski7941]

That's the Ayalon Institute, near Rehovot. It wasn't actually a basement - it was first an underground factory, and if I recall correctly, they built the bakery and the laundry on top of it as a cover.

[@scottrobinson3281]

I really covet that rifle!

[@JRockySchmidt]

I want a Schmidt - Ruben rifle for no apparent reason 😂

[@stanislavczebinski994]

Thanks Ian - for another great video!! This video, and some others have serious sound issues. It's really killing my ears. I think the audio recording is too loud - please turn it down a bit. Audacity is a great free audio editor to fix this. Drop your audio file in - click "amplify" and select -2 or -1dB final volume. Let it run - save it in whatever format you prefer. Thanks!!

[@georgesheffield1580]

Alot of commercial sporting rifles arent as well made or well finished as these .

[@andrewogorman1796]

Mine is a FK 015

[@MrPanzerDragoon]

So, this is the Shmit Rubin sandwich of rifles. Rubin with Swiss cheese. 😂

[@jeffreyhowll1392]

Hi Al

[@johanvanbeek7138]

Is cool

[@rlbadger1698]

I'm afraid Ian your reading into this a lot more then you need to. First off, at the time it was buy what you can get. Second, the buyers where just like many in your audience. "Wow that would be perfect for the army." As for used as training rifles? No, third hand I've heard they where used in 4 and 5 man teams. 1 or 2 spotters and 3 man sniper team.

[@DiggingForFacts]

That still doesn't quite cover the fact that a far larger number of rifles in the very same shipment these came in with were equipped with scopes. Why would they not have chosen to standardise on one type of sighting system if they had access to them; unless that is where the "buy what you can get now" comes in and Hämmerli could simply not acquire enough scoped rifles - as Ian hypothesises.

[@alimanski7941]

@@DiggingForFacts Might not have had the funds, too

[@rlbadger1698]

Your assuming the shipment was one order. Still I think it was "Hey I'll buy some guns for the cause." And "Wow these look cool!"

[@jeffjefferson2676]

Maybe its to keep people loyal, and they buy anyway. Who knows. You would think a nation would at least have done the research how to produce weapons (especially the part of the production of barrels and ammunition). While everything else is just regular machining Before you even start to think about doing any taking of countries you need to know how production is done, you simply cannot (on the long run) go in with a gift of a number of guns and expect to win. Its not really safe if you think about it. You want to have every last capability some other entity has with their defense forces and more. Its the only safest way. Now the people and the state should have a contingency plan so they wont be destroyed in some wicked attempt to gain all power. No state that has the monopoly is also a safeguard that people have a place where they can go to and be safe. Greetings, Jeff

[@davidvincent5701]

We ether need to forward this video to Henry of 9 Hole Reviews or keep it away from him. I'm sure he has a diopter itch to scratch. He likes the iron sight practical shooting.

[@todorkolev7565]

I don't know anything that relates to this story but I can imagine how it might have been easier to procure "Target rifles for our club" than "Battle Rifles, please make them durable through tough fights". I guess the epitome of Israeli distress was those K98k with Swastika's sanded off... Can't really go lower than that - that's the bottom of despair. Perhaps also a poignant statement of victory, at the same time.

[@nobodynoone2500]

Csn hardly tell them apart these days. Fitting.

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

Why has the straight pull never really been used as much as the bolt actions?

[@Joe-hz1nw]

My understanding is they are more complex and expensive to make.

[@HellbirdIV]

@@Joe-hz1nw That's pretty much exactly it. It's not much better than a turn-bolt, and much more expensive, so the vast majority of large military orders would prefer turn-bolts.

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

@@HellbirdIV how do you figure it's more expensive?

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

@@loquat44-40 trench warfare sort of a anomaly. And even the US Marine Corps flirted with them. As far as cold? Switzerland is never known as a warm spot. I don't think there's anything fundamentally hard about a straight pull in either cold or a trench.

[@IFrAnIKOz]

Straight pulls have to lock the bolt from horizontal movement only so that single action has to be converter into some kind of mechanical action engaging a lock on the bolt which releases after firing. Turn bolts require an additional vertical action which engages the bolt lock. I am no expert though just a guess

[@adityasharma0376]

Didn't saw any political comments so far 😅😅😅😅

[@peppermillers8361]

You're too late.

[@ObikHunting]

❤❤❤

[@MobinBrown]

Thanks for the cool video. Too bad there are some in the comments who disregard history while watching a video about history.

[@onpsxmember]

Microphone level once again. Use a limiter.

[@USMCLib3rty]

Lol

[@REDACTED-05]

Got here before the politics nice

[@TammoKorsai]

Don't be silly. The political discourse here will be 100% civilised and constructive. First they will figure out a peace deal that makes both sides happy, then as a bonus, put Yugoslavia back together with no drama at all.

[@REDACTED-05]

@@TammoKorsai y- yeaaaah toootallly

[@JeffHenry-cq3is]

Look at post above

[@gerbrandt7213]

well well well

[@calvingreene90]

Perhaps some shipping clerk was ashamed of Switzerland money laundering in WWII and added rifles that had been sitting on a shelf to the shipment.

[@yazanal-amin3693]

every time he mentions Israel historically I just imagine a Jericho on the other end of the camera.

[@Govrin.]

What

[@peppermillers8361]

In what way?

[@michal31131]

Why a Jericho and not a Micro galil? Unlike Muslims, Jews don't need to fabricate history by force

[@windsnexus9064]

NAFO sent me

[@williamperry01]

SLAVA UKRAINE!!!!

[@gun_nut9550]

[@TheCosmicGuy0111]

Hm

[@peter455sd]

As cool as it may look it was already outdated when Israel was created

[@menachem2521]

Israel at the time didn't really have the money or option to be picky.