Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Firearms International Mustketeer FN Mauser

I picked up a .270 a while back that is Firearms International Musketeer. The rifle if built on FN mauser action and looks like has Sako trigger with side safety. The rifle has thin 24" barrel and looks like alloy floorplate. I can't find much info on the rifle and I have never heard of this brand of rifle before, but got a good deal and figured can't go wrong with FN action. Anybody have any information or experience with this brand of rifle?

Lou

Lou,

There is not much information available on the old Firearms Int'l Co. of Washington, D.C.

I once owned a FN Muscateer rifle in .308 Norma Mag. I rather regret selling it. But it got sacrificed to the Gods of Riflery Looneyism...

I have seen two others: One in .264 Win Mag. and one in .300 Win. Mag.

I don't know that there was a connection, but it seems to me that F.I. rather evolved or was taken over by what became Interarms ... As they imported much the same products. Or perhaps Garcia.

At one time F.I. imported SAKO rifles, and I believe they were the 1st to import them following WW-II. They also imported the Spanish Star pistols (Mostly the Model "D") and other European firearms. (Star was later imported by Interarms.)

As you know, the MUSCATEER rifles were made on commercial FN actions. They were actually quite a nice sporter, and very reasonably priced. Pretty much the same as FN rifles imported Colt, H&R, Marlin, Sears, et.al.

For all of them that must have been sold in the '50's and '60's, I find it odd that they are rarely found. I found my .308 Norma at Ron Peterson Guns in Albuqueque, N.M.

I really regret not buying that one in .264 Win. at a local MI pawn shop. (15 yrs ago...)

The .300 WM, I saw was carried by a local hunter, that I met while hunting Elk in SAGAUCHE PARK, CO in 1995. (IIRC, the fellow's name was Scott Mock!)

Thanks for dredging up the memories... I hope the above was of some help to you...

GH

As an amendment to my previous, I googled Firearms Int'l Corp. and one of the forums that I was directed to there was a post where the poster stated that F.I. Corp was bought out by Garcia in about 1970.

GH

The ones Ive handled seemed like typical high quality FN Mausers. I think they were built on the FN "Supreme" action with the checkered bolt handle. Most of the ones Ive seen have been 7 and 300 Mags, and of couse .30-06s.

My brother had a 270 many years ago and it was a fine rifle.

I have one and it is very accurate and has the fastest barrel of any of the 4 .270's I own. A guy I worked with bought it and his wife griped about him buying another gun so he sold it to me unfired for $75.00. It was the first .270 I'd ever owned. I thought the stock was ugly as hell so most of the time it has stayed home while other rifles have gone hunting. I'd do a estock on tht gun but I'm afraid and changes would affect the superb accuracy of that rifle. I still have a box or two of ammo I handloaded with milsurp 4831 for that rifle many years ago and it would push the 150 gr. Nosler partition at 2999 FPS average. Dunno if I could even come close to that with today's 4831s. I also have another commercial FN by FN that weighs a ton by today's standards that is also very accurate but the darn thing needs wheels.
Paaul B.

I've got a Muskateer FN in .300 Win Mag that will eventually wind up as a .375 Ruger when all is said and done.