I've got a K31, a 96/11, M95 Carbine and M95 Rifle, so I'll chime in with a few of my observations. They are somewhat limited by the fact that I've only fired 10 rounds out of my K31 and a couple dozen rounds of cast bullets out of each of my M95s.

In the K31, I really liked the trigger pull and the sights which for all of their weaknesses serve me far better than the tiny posts on my Mannlichers and Mausers. It's also really nice to have something that shoots to POA at 100m without compensating for a ridiculously high rear site setting. The workmanship on the K31 also seems to far better standards, and it is nice not to have to deal with the Mannlicher's issue of the closing bolt. My M95 rifle will also need to have a spring replaced so that it will consistently strip the fourth and fifth rounds off of the magazine/clip.

While I'd like to fire both rifles more, I could even with the ten shots fired from the K31 with my reloads take her deer hunting tomorrow and be confident shooting to about 150m with open sights. I've got another 40 rounds reloaded and just haven't gotten around to more practice, or an opportunity to try my 96/11. I cannot make a completely fair comparison with the cast loads in the Mannlichers, though of the three powders that I tried I managed a very nice group from the sitting position with 24grains of IMR 3031 at 100m with my rifle. Too my pleasant surprise I could easily have used the load on groundhogs at that distance! The carbine got 4 out of 5 shots taken sitting at that distance on target, which suggests some potential with more practice. It does seem to have a rather large chamber though since with every shot I get lots of gasses escaping from the bolt and very darkened cases, despite nothing suggesting heavy pressures on the brass. The carbines bore looks as though it might have been new, and I think that I'd have to slug the barrel and match up my bullets for best results.

It's quite possible that the K31 would not fare too well in dirtier trench warfare conditions, though I doubt that the Mannlicher would suffer such a fate. With my eyes more like they were at 18-21 years of age I might have even done very well the issue sights and ammunition. So while I think that the K31 is a more fun and practical rifle from a shooter and hunter's standpoint, I have no regrets about purchasing my two Mannlichers, dies and components.

Cheers,

Frank

PS. I should add that relatives of mine would have used the M95s in WW1 and probably WW2, when a couple uncles of mine served in the Hungarian Gendarmie.