Another FN mauser rifle

[Gil Martin]

I was in a gun shop on Saturday just looking around when I came across a vintage commercial FN Mauser rifle in .30-06. It had a perfect bore, lovely stock and the old Balvar A scope and mounts with external adjustments. It was cheap and I set it back until payday. Not sure what I will do with this classic, but it was too good of a bargain to pass up. I hate it when that happens. All the best...
Gil

[popplecop]

Great rifle, think you just may like it enough to keep it.

[Catfish]

I know what you mean about not passing up those bargins. When I used to find them and drag them home the wife would always ask why I bought another gun. I would repley that it was cheap and I could make $ 50, or what ever, on it right now. To that she would reply,YES, you could make $ 50 on every gun you buy, but you never sell any of them. Times have changed since then. She doesn`t even shake her head when I drag in another gun, and I do sell one now and then. But I still drag home far more than I sell or trade.

[Adam Helmer]

Gil,

Go for it! When they close your coffin lid, there are no more gun buys. I got a National Match Garand for $500.00 this morning. I could not let that get away and it shoots great. It is in the vault right now and I am waiting for the next bargain to cross my path.

Adam

[jon lynn]

Man-o-man, do you guys get some deals. Only deal I can find here in my neck of the woods is, you buy it or you don't. Most of the used rifles in the pawn shops here are just a few dollars below the price of the new item.

Gump OKC saved me from buying a Mossberg 500, it looked to be in great shape, I called him and quoted the price, he informed me for about $35 more I could have gotten a new one at Bass Pro.......whew!

Gil, I guess you are my bargan center now, THANKS!

Jon

[Adam Helmer]

Jon,

I don't know if it is the economy, or what, but there are several gun ads in our "Penny Saver" every week these days. Some are deals and some are overpriced junk. It is fun to look and find a gem now and then.

Adam

[wrenchman]

jon i wouldnt mess to much with pawn shops till next month.
You will see a few deals at pawn shops next couple months.
dont forget yard sales and let them know you want hunting stuff.

[PJgunner]

Gil. I have one of those FN Mausers, but in .270 Win. If yours is anywhere near as accutare as mine, I think you'll be very happy. I have/had one just like yours in 30-06 but the barrel was bad. Whoever had it before me shot corrosive ammo in it and did not clean the barrel properly. A good friend of mine who was a hobby gunsmith replaced the barrel with a 1 in 12" twist .30 caliber barrel, chambered it to 30-06 and replace the somewhat beat up stock. So I had $100 in the gun and another $125 in gunsmithing and had one fine rifle. The stock got broken in a fall during a hunt so it now sits in a McMillam synthetic stock.
When you look at it closely, except for the bolt release and barrel contour, you have almost the exact same thing as a Browning Safari grade rifle. Not a bad place to be. As far as what I think of FN actions, every time I find a clean J.C. Higgins M50 at a gun show, I snap the darn things up. Most are scheduled for rebarreling into something I don't already have. Just have to wait for the money to have it done. So far, I've made up a 7x57, .380 Rem., and just has a .308 win. done. I'm thinking maybe a .338-06 might me the next project. Maybe another Whelen with the proper 1 in 12" twist in the barrel. Just have to scrounge up the cash.
Paul B.

[Gil Martin]

I have several J.C. Higgins Model 50s in .270 and .30-06. It seems the locals do not want them or perhaps they do not know what they are. That is OK with me. I snap up every one I find in excellent condition at a reasonable price. The only problem with the Model 50 is the two-piece trigger arrangement. I replaced all the triggers with Timneys.

The latest FN commercial Mauser is the real deal with the original trigger and even has lock screws for the guard screws. It now has a refinished stock and wears a 3-9X Bushnell Trophy scope. All the best...
Gil

[PJgunner]

Gil. What I do is if the Higgins has a decent trigger, I replace the rather soft pin they use on the trigger with a piece of hardened drill rod. The ones with lousy triggers get the Timney's. Yeah, I understand how lots of locals think because it was a Sears gun they El Cheapo made. If you look in early Gun Digests at the prices for them, they cost more that the vaunted Pre-64 Winchester M70 in their day. Better gun too in my not very huble opinion. Glad to see there's at least one other that appreciates Sears little sleepers.
Paul B.

[Larryjk]

Gil and PJgunner, You aren't the only guys with the Sears FN Mausers in your closets. I only have one at the present as they keep becoming the basis for a custom something or other. Don't talk about them and other guys won't know what to look for!

[PJgunner]

I'm afraid they already know. I used to buy them for $75 to $100. Even had one guy give me one because it was just a cheap Sears gun. Now I feel lucky if I can get then below $400.
Paul B.

[Larryjk]

PJgunner, I used to get the rifles for about $150. The price is still about the same if I can find them. Sometimes they aren't Sears, but other brands, and well used and have a FN SUpreme action with the proof marks going all along the left side of the barrel. Some people don't know what that means. The last one of that type is currently being made into a custom .257 Weatherby for my son. A wonderful action.

[PJgunner]

IIRC, Colt used FN actions for some rifles back in the early 1960s. Husqvarna used FN actions as well and they are superb. I have one in 30-06 and they really slicked hem up. it's so much smoother than the Higgins and even slicker than the two 1951 commercial FNs I have which are pretty darn slick.
Paul B.

[Gil Martin]

I picked up a Husky in 6mm-.284 that sat on the used gun rack of a local gun shop for a year. It was an FN and I bought it for $75.00. It now wears a Douglas #3 barrel in .280 Remington. All the best...
Gil