Swiss Vetterli Model 1871 41 rimfire

[randy langford]

Have a chance to buy one of these it has been sporterised but it is only $95 does anyone have any experience with one of these. I like to try different style actions and these are certainly different.

[free1954]

lots of good info here http://www.swissrifles.com/vetterli/ and over here http://forums.gunboards.com/forumdisplay.php?13-Swiss-Weapons-Forum. i have a 69/71 carbine. interesting gun.

[randy langford]

Thanks for the links they do help me sort out the details and more importantly how to take one apart.

[mack]

My only experience is one that I had owned for more than 40 years. It was worthless until for some reason it went way up three years ago and I sold it in a heartbeat. AI still have a few rounds of ammo but I never fired it.

[dave]

Yeh, years ago they made real nice lamps! hehehe!
Sported they would be worth 95, I suppose.

[deadin]

Actually, if you are into case forming and reloading the Swiss Vetterli isn't all that difficult to convert to centerfire.
Brass can be fire formed from 8mm Lebel and .416 cast bullets are available. I would suggest BP only.

They are a real hoot to shoot.....

[randy langford]

Deadin
I looked at the parts diagram and was thinking the same thing the end of the firing pin doesn't look too complicated a part to fabricate.

[deadin]

It's been a number of years since I converted one of these (like at least 40 years or so), but I seem to remember that the firing pin was a double (Like early Henry rifles).
The striker is a separate piece that drives the firing pin.
I filed down each pin face to where they wouldn't protrude from the bolt face. (You might want to fabricate a new piece as original firing pins are getting hard to come by.)
Anyway, then it's just a matter of drilling a new FP hole in the center of the bolt face and making a small pin shaped like a nail (with head) and place it between the existing altered pin and the bolt.
The advantage to not altering the original pin(s) is that it can be replaced without any problems other than an extra small hole in the bolt face.

[John Sukey]

Threw away the rimfire firing pin and silver soldered a firing pin to the original striker, and drilled a firing pin hole in the bolt face. Use reformed .348 Winchester brass suitably shortened and sized.

[free1954]

heres a link for the centerfire conversion http://www.militaryrifles.com/Switzerland/VetConversion/VetterliShooting.html

[randy langford]

Thanks for the suggestions and the links I will have to wait until the person gets back from his vacation to go buy it. Hopefully I will have it in my hands by next week.

[Griff Murphey]

I knew a WW-2 railroad battalion vet who grew up in New Jersey. As a boy he was in a naval cadet corps organization and he said they drilled with these, probably because they were dirt cheap.

[randy langford]

Went and picked up the rifle today the stock isn't sporterised it is off a carbine version. The bore is dark and my never shoot but all the parts are there if nothing else I will learn something about a different style bolt action this one has features similar to Winchester lever action. Oh and I could always turn it into a floor lamp.

[free1954]

nice. if nothing else it makes an interesting wall hanger.

[randy langford]

A few pictures after a little clean up

[free1954]

that wood cleaned up nice. what did you use on it?

[randy langford]

Just furniture stripper then some Johnsons paste wax.

[free1954]

nice job. i don't know if you get over to gunboards but here's a link to a vetterli restore http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?338455-I-got-this-one-real-cheap