Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters A primer on the "sleeper" commercial Mausers, please?

Howdy. I'm thinking about building a second 30-06 to match up with an '06 Winchester Model 70 I already own. Naturally I would like to use another Model 70 action but I refuse to pay the extortionate price a lot of sellers are asking. As a next-best donor action I am thinking of some of the various commercial Mauser offerings. I am aware that FN (and maybe other manufacturers?) actions found their way to market under the Sears, H&R, JC Higgins logos among others. Can someone brief me on who made what for whom? Market prices? Thanks in advance.

It has been a few years since I was avidly buying just about every decently-priced commercial Mauser I encountered, but here's what I know:

The J.C. Higgins rifles featured FN actions. You can still buy entire rifles for well under $500 if you look around. Don't know about Sears. Some of the older Husqvarna bolts are also FN 98 actions, and can be had for a decent price as well.

I believe the H&R Mauser actions were all the Mark X (Yugoslavian). These ceased to be produced during the civil war that split up that country, but now are being made again. They were marketed for a while under Charles Daly but the easiest way to get one now may be to buy a Remington 798 (is that the number?).

Mauser snobs look down on the Mark X/Daly/Rem. action. Some claim they are made of poor steel, but that is not the case--and some of the FN's were pretty soft, especially right after WWII. The FN's are almost always more finely finished, but I have seen early Mark X's that were just as nice as FN's, and in a custom rifle the outside can be made just a nice by a good gunsmith.

I have several custom rifles built on both the Mark X and FN actions and can't really say one is better than the other. Also can't really say what current market prices are, though I haven't paid more than $400 for any of them.

John Barsness

buzzmeeks,

Monkey Wards house brand Western Field also found its way onto some Mausers. Here is a WF Model 720 made by EF Heym.



This particular rifle started life intended to be a 7X57, but EFH barreled it to .30-'06 and lengthened the magazine for the US market.

Campfire guy Weagle can likely help you with a Mauser.

jim

D&D gunsmiths of Troy, Mi has a FN commercial action in-the-white for $450. Seems a little high but it hasn't been barreled either so it might command a premium

Keep an eye out at the pawn shops.

I picked up a Sears Model 50, with an FN action for $185, and sold the barrel for $50. I didn't know much about that model when I was in the pawn shop, but saw the FN logo and decided to take a chance. Put a 6.5x55 barrel and a Timney trigger on it, since I already have a couple of 30-06's.

If you get one of those, do plan on replacing the trigger. The design they have is dangerous. It depends on the spacing between upper and lower metal for engagement, so if the rifle is cocked, and you undo the screws and lift the receiver and barrel out, the trigger will release.

Until recently, Numrich had Zastava actions for $200. You might check with them and see if they are going to have more. You get to do a little more internal polishing to get them right, but they are blued, and a very nice commercial action. The one thing to watch there is that the bottom metal is about 1/4" shorter than the military models, and some stocks won't fit them properly. Elk Ridge Stocks has stocks that fit correctly... only source I was able to find.

I've had a JCH 50 and I thought the trigger worked pretty good.

Why on earth would you undo the screws on a cocked rifle anyways ?

There is always the small chance that you'll leave a round in the chamber, and then decide to do some work on the gun... fatigue, forgetfulness, momentary stupidity. Or, you could be out hunting and take a fall that breaks the stock, or be in an auto accident that breaks it. A good friend of mine rolled his backwoods vehicle, and his rifle came out bent, and with a thoroughly busted stock... caught between the roof and the floor apparently. If it had been a Model 50, with a cartridge in the chamber, it would have discharged.

Some Sears FN's came with an adjustable trigger, not the one with the lower half pinned to the trigger guard. I have one and have seen another with a trigger just like mine. I'am quite sure those are not replacement triggers.

Personally I don't care much for the safety wing on the left side.

I guess we will disagree on this, but accidental discharges caused by fatigue, forgetfullness, momentary stupidity, not to mention vehicle roll-overs, can occur with trigger designs other than JC Higgins'.

As far as I am concerned, the trigger is not as dangerous as the careless handling and driving that you mention.

The J.C. Higgins M51L has a Husqvarna HVA action (1640 in Europe), a pretty good action itself.

Does anyone know who supplied the actions for the Parker-Hale commercial mausers (Model 1200)? I know where one is available, but am still on the fence about purchasing it. The proofs are all british, which I suppose they would be anyway, but there are no markings to indicate country of manufacture. Thanks.

didn't parker-hale make its own?

I have one of them in 30-06 and it is a fine piece of equipment.

Ted

They use the Spanish La Coruna action. Some people think these actions are soft, but I have shot several of them for years and never had a moment of problem with any of them.

Ted

Allans Armory and SARCO are both selling Husqvarna rifles with the FN action. Many are C&R. One of them may have one with a defective stock at a price break. I have 4 of them, 3 M46 actions and an FN 30-06. Nice rifles. Don

The Harrington and Richardson "Ultra" rifles also had FN actions but as MD said some where also Mark X's. I had one of the FN's and traded it off. Oh well!

Wholesaler Ron Shirk Shooting Supplies lists the CDaly Zastava mauser actions in their sales circulars still. Have your dealer check with them. I think they also handle the CZ bare action.

Parker-Hale hussar actions where actually BRNO VG-47 actions.

All I can say so far is, thanks. You folks have given me a lot to digest. I also feel halfway well prepared for the pawnshop prowl that I will undertake. Seems like the time right between the end of hunting season and X-mas is a bit of a sweet spot, at least in my area.

I have or have bought & sold all of the above.. Here's my take" 1st choic..Sako mauser..FN action, excellent trigger, good barrel, & best bottom metal. 2nd, Hunsqvarna/fn mauser-FN action, needs trigger, OK but not hinged bottom metal, good barrel, usually under priced, 3.MkX-Ok action, good bottom metal, may have very good barrel, always cheepest, 4.Low priced custom with FN action..recently bought Sako/fn based custom in as new condition for $650 build by well rnown benchrest smith 7x57 that is 1/2" rifle but these are few & far between.5. H&R. Excellent action & barrel but trigger & bottom metal is junk, I have 3 & my hunting partner has 2, we use them as is they are accurate & actually handle very well just look strange. 6. Sears 50 good action but changing the trigger can be a pain better than a military but not my favorite. 7. Santa Barbra, I boght a really nice accurate beautiful custom for $500.00 but could not get the bold replacement trigger to work ended up with a big gunsmith bill to put in a sako trigger.. they are cheep for a reason & I would avoid.