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What value would you put on an FN Mauser barrel and action chambered in 30-06. In is unused.
Barrel stamping fab.nat.d'armes de guerre herstal-belgique.
This is the only information I have on it for now.

Assuming a commercial action with all parts, maybe starting around $500. A lot depends on condition, floorplate, safety and trigger type, sights etc. If truly new, it should sell no problem, but pictures are important. If it’s truly ready to drop into a stock it may bring more; any work that’s required will affect its appeal. Some early ones came untapped for scope use, for instance.

I’m not selling, might buy it.
It’s a buddy of mine that I haven’t seen in awhile. He messaged me wanting to sell it. I haven’t seen it in probably 20 years and never payed much attention to it then. If I remember correctly it was still in the box with factory grease on it back then. I’ll try and get some pictures.

As you describe it, it’d be a great snag for you. They are just excellent rifles.

Check for a crest on the receiver ring. Might be marked FN (very classy), Firearms International (still nice), or just be plain. If the date on the receiver and barrel are 1948, it might well be a C-ring, another raisin in the cookie for you.

Good luck!

What Pappy said....

For the sake of comparison, I got a used, but in very nice condition, fully working FN Commercial .30-06 off Gunbroker for $505. You can also get any number of the very nice J.C. Higgins .30-06's for about the same price. But how much I was willing to pay for the action - assuming it is unused - would depend on what I intended to do with it. If it is truly ready to drop into a stock and start shooting, it's probably worth whatever you would pay for the rifle with an aftermarket stock. Which would be about $600 max based on some of what I have seen and bid on. I have bid on a few other FN Commercial rifles, but I generally drop out of the auctions if they get up between $700-800 with no end in sight. I am not looking to purchase collectable safe queens. I usually want nice old rifles with a lot of hunting left in them. A dent or ding or scratch doesn't deter me, but signs of abuse or neglect or stupid modifications turn me off.

Here’s some pics he sent me. When he gets home he’s going to send me a picture of the trigger.

It has a front sight but no rear sight.

Assuming that's all cosmoline and not rust, you're in great shape with that one at $500

And why would it have a front site but no rear site?

Thats very common, more common in my limited experience than ones with the rear sight, models built for Sears and others excepted. Both of mine are that way as was a Sako High Power I had. You’ll find two holes on the right side of the bridge. Those are for a receiver sight like the Lyman 57FN and others of that era. Those and even the Williams Foolproof are discontinued now, but can be found with a bit of effort.

I see it’s not drilled and tapped for mounts, so you’ll have to get that done if you plan on scoping it. Be sure and find a qualified smith for that, not some goober working part time out of his garage.

This is one of mine with a Lyman 57FN:

I’m probably not going to buy it. By the time I pick up a nice wood stock and have it tapped the deal isn’t looking as good as I was hoping.

+1000 on what Pappy said. You've got one chance to get it right the first time, so make absolute sure your 'smith is qualified, experienced, and has the correct tooling to do the job right. There's not nearly as many of them out there as there used to be, that can do this.

That is a really neat barreled action. Put a Lyman 48 on it , stick it and hunt it

Where could I get a nice drop in wood stock? That wouldn’t break my bank.
And now Frank mentions a Lyman 48, I would need the 48m correct? Those are looking hard to get too. And would the front sight work with the 48?

The 57M didn’t fit the factory holes in that rifle pictured above; close but no cigar. I’d look for the 57FN or the 48 equivalent, but can’t say definitely what that is. The Foolproof is a good sight, just not quite as nice as the Lymans that are steel.

Try Boyds for the stock. Be aware that the inlet for the models with the slide-off floorplate is different than one for a hinged one because of the plunger thingy you see in the picture just in front of the trigger. I ordered the wrong one for my 1948 and had to hog out clearance for it in the aluminum bedding block of a B&C Medalist. Just tell them what you have when you order.

That rifle is worth taking some time with and spending a bit on. As the saying goes, they don’t make them like that any more. OTOH, you could find something like a J.C.Higgins 50 or 51 all ready to go, it just wouldn’t be “new”, but you might be money ahead. Your dime and your time. Good luck, whatever you do.

Is the 57fn aluminum or steel? And would the 48m be the one I would need? And the front sight would stay stock with the Lyman peep?
This is all new to me so I have lots of questions.
With the Boyd’s stock which barrel profile would I need? And would I have to contact Boyd’s to let them know which floor plate I have, or is that just with the B&C stocks?

HL- you didn't mention how much this was going to cost you. $500 was tossed around and I would likely jump on it for that. I have a 1951 FN (#136XX) just like it and had it d&t too. Having said that, it seems a shame to drill that beautiful crest when there are other FNs available that will be set to go. Unless you find a take-off FN Surpreme stock, it won't be a drop in. The barrel contour is unique on the rifle in question and will require some work. You will likely have to relieve some wood for the receiever sights-especially the 48. They are steel and will likely cost a pretty penny. I was not content with the stock trigger so added a Timney. When you get that done, I think you will find you have a pretty heavy rifle (think 9#scoped). Just my experience/opinion, but as noted earlier, I would buy it!

Link to copy of the Lyman Sight chart, copy and paste:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WLWJ1QzeL5s/VqGF9zfZcYI/AAAAAAAAAJw/pHrs08Vd66A/s800-Ic42/Lyman%25252048%25252057%25252066%252520sight%252520chart.JPG

48 and 57 are steel. I had to replace my front sight with a higher one, and had to make a relief cut down through the old one with a dremel and hacksaw to get it out since it was there for over 70 years. You may be luckier if you need to change it. This is the sight I used:

https://www.newenglandcustomgun.com/proddetail.php?prod=8196

It was the proper dovetail size for my rifle, and probably yours. Some hand fitting required, on the sight, never the dovetail please unless you pay someone to properly open it to 3/8”.

I left the sight full height, which solved my POI issue and left some room for adjustment.



Just one man’s opinion, but I think the nail polish I used is prettier than anything I’ve seen on Stick’s scopes. It’s called Yellin’ Yellow….