Swiss precision rifles (Zielfernrohr Karabiner)

While Switzerland is known for its skilled marksmen and high-quality rifles, it is less well known for its sniper rifles, and with good reason: there are only a handful of military sniper rifles of this type.

The first sniper rifles actually appeared during World War I, in both Germany and England. Having not participated directly in the conflict, Switzerland probably did not consider it necessary to equip the Gewehr 1911 with a scope. However, the feedback provided by the emergence of “sniping” in 1914-18 could have prompted the Swiss to develop a scoped rifle in the 1920s, but there were few attempts.

It was not until the 1930s, and then the start of World War II, that the first real sniper rifles, known as ZF.Kar. 31/42 (Zielfernrohr karabiner), appeared.

General view of a ZF.Kar.31/42 with scope unfolded

The base is that of the K31, on which a small 1.8x prismatic scope is mounted on the left side of the receiver. The advantage is simple: the scope is lightweight, compact, does not interfere with the rear sight, and its very low sighting profile gives the shooter a low profile, whereas a more traditional scope mounted on the weapon forces the shooter to expose themselves more.

Close-up view of a ZF.Kar.31/43 and its x2,8 scope

Very quickly, a new model was tested, the ZF.Kar. 31/43, with a slightly higher magnification of x2.8. Although this magnification seems low today, it should not be forgotten that it was quite standard for the time, compared to the Russian PU or the German ZF4.

The ZF.Kar. 31/42 and 31/43 were standard issue in the Swiss army, but only a small number were produced and they can be considered mainly as test weapons, as there were a number of variations between models until 1945.

Experimental ZF.Kar.31/43 from late 1944 with a 22 mm scope

In fact, the concept was not pursued after the war, and it was not until the 1950s that Switzerland adopted its first true sniper rifle: the ZF.Kar. 55. The concept was highly innovative for its time: the ZF.Kar.55 was a rifle designed and built exclusively for snipers. Previously, armies would take an infantry rifle and attach a scope to it. Initiatives of this kind were relatively rare at the time, but notable early examples include the SVD Dragunov in 1963 and the FR-F1 in 1969.

The  ZF.Kar.55 with Kern x3,5 and on bipod

The ZF.Kar.55 is based on the Kar.31, but very few parts are compatible between the two weapons. The ZF.Kar.55 is equipped with a central bipod, which is very flexible and also very high. The barrel has an imposing muzzle brake, whose profile is reminiscent of the German FG42. The Kern scope with 3.5x magnification is positioned on top of the receiver. However, to allow the shooter to feed the weapon using the K31's cardboard clips, the receiver is slightly tilted to the right. This also allows the empty cases to be ejected without hitting the scope.

Close-up view of the inclined ZF.Kar.55 receiver, completely different from the Kar.31

The ZF.Kar.55 is an excellently crafted rifle, but its service life is fairly short, as the Stgw.57 will also be equipped with a scope, gradually rendering the ZFK obsolete.

Today, the Stgw.90 with a 4x24 Kern scope is used as a precision rifle or DMR. Snipers use Hécate II PGMs in 50BMG or Sako TRG 42s in 338 Lapua Magnum.

All the history, variants and accessories will be detailed in upcoming book:

Guardians of Neutrality – Swiss Rifles Through the Ages

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