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Stories and fairy tales from the USA (Created: 01.11.2023)

Swiss weapons are very popular in the USA. Clever profiteers are constantly inventing new stories to drive up prices. Here are a few of them:
 
Blank bolt handle/bolt slide on Modell 1931 Carbine
In American forums, there are repeated claims that various newer Modell 1931 Carbine have blank or light-colored bolt handles. According to current knowledge and technical literature (e.g. Schweizer Militärgewehre Hinterladung 1860-1990 (Ernst Grenacher), page 575), the blank bolt handles (which were pressed from steel and were unhardened and blank) were manufactured and fitted until 1937. From then on, they were stamped from sheet steel, hardened and blued. The bolt handles were replaced with the new design when the rifles were refurbished.
 
How can it be that obviously blank bolt handles appear on later Modell 1931 Carbine? The following possibilities exist:
- the bolt handles of the late Modell 1931 Carbine were replaced or mismatched at some point.
- the bolt handles were worn and the bluing was sanded off. This is very likely to be the case with the weapons appearing in the USA, because the wear marks on the bolt handle can document the wear of the weapon very well. Once the wear marks are gone, the sales value automatically increases. It only takes a few minutes to remove the bluing from a bolt handle using the finest steel wool.
- There was a huge stock of blank handles, from which a piece was taken at random from time to time and fitted to new or reconditioned Modell 1931 Carbine. This is the story that the traders want us to believe, but it is very, very unlikely.