Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Browning FN Safari Rifles...Question..For Collectors

After searching the net, saw a post on a Browning Safari 30-06' that a guy said he wished it had the original pad. Had a waffle type on it. Someone posted a photo of his 30-06' Safari exactly like the one posted with the incorrect pad, showing the original pad that came with the respondent's rifle....exactly like the one on my .257 Roberts.

Another .257 I saw just had the plastic butt plate with BROWNING on it.

I too wondered, but pleasantly relieved to find out it's original.

Before I purchased the rifle I had the Gun Store remove the barreled action out of the Stock. There was no signs of rust or salt anywhere. I looked it over for ten minutes.

Standard caliber Safaris came with a plastic butt plate marked Browning. Special order recoil pads ordered were usually brown Pachmayer made pads marked Browning. They would put any pad the customer wanted on one (all pads were installed at the Arnold, MO repair facility-not at FN) but collectors consider any padded standard caliber to be an add on unless in the original box with RECOIL PAD stamped on the description sticker. Any pad installed in '69 at Arnold would look like it grew with the wood and retain the exact lines of the stock.

Salt Wood. I have had three. Two Superposed models (12 & 20) Were purchased new with the warranty card. Browning gave me a lot of grief over the 20 ga. A two page letter to the president of the company and a recall of the retired manager of the Arnold facility, finally made it right. The old hand had already come back when the gun made the second trip. I had two or three conversations with him, and he really did not believe my description of what had been done to my gun. When he got his hands on it, he called again and said, "The S.O.B is just like you described it," and discussed the repair procedure.

The other was an Angelo Bee engraved Olympian .270 that I bought used w/o the warranty card, in the mid 80s. Can't locate the records w/year on that one, but IIRC it was a late 60s. I took the action out of the stock before the purchase. I actually thought I had beat the odds on that one. It was never shot and kept in a climate controlled environment. Then in 2000, i noticed a very slight discoloration at the tang. I pulled the action and the slightest amount if rust was beginning to form. It cleaned up without any permanent damage. Great! Then I started to back the butt swivel stud out and it twisted off. I took a dental drill and got it out to make repairs.The butt plate screws were also rusty, but not nearly so bad as the stud. Thirty years had gone by before the trouble came to a head. I recently bought a hand engraved Gd III BAR from 70. I took it apart including the butt and butt plate, before accepting it. I hope it stays trouble free.

Again, never say never, but the small ring Mauser action was a 1960 to 1964 production for .243 and .308. I have one each. they are also hard to come by. The .308 was cut and padded a bit short, but it works just fine in winter clothing and my daughters like it. The .243 is all original. They wear the pencil barrel and weigh around 7.5# w/sling and scope. I had several hard to find models come through my hands in my trading days, often not realizing what I had. Perhaps that is why some were so easy to turn for a profit?

Again, you folks have very rare Safaris. Enjoy them, jack

Jt402: If I could join in here with this inquiry regarding what I was told is a "rarish" Browning Safari Rifle?
I have a Browning Safari in caliber 222 Remington Magnum - it is built on a Sako action with serial number 1762Y*.
Any information on date of manufacture and rairty would be greatly appreciated by me.
The wood stock CLOSELY resembles the original posters pictures with the floor plate and trigger guard having the exact same gold inlaid engraving on them as the original posters Rifle.
My Rifle has a hard black plastic buttplate with the name Browning on it.
The barrel has no sights and appears to never had them - the barrel is also a three diameter one ending in a pencil thin style sporter weight and is 22" long.
I bought this Rifle used about 20 years ago and did not think to ask of these things at that time.
Thanks in advance for any info in this regard.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Varmint guy. Sako made barreled actions for Browning on the L461 action chambered in ,222 Rem. and .222 Rem magnum. They came both with and without sights in both the 3 step 22 inch pencil barrel and a 24 inch 2 step heavy barrel. The Sako was a ROUND top variation - no dovetail scope base. The heavies are much more scarce. They made about 6000 in the two calibers combined from 1962 through 1975.

In my opinion, they seem more rare because folks just do not part with them, even yuppies that inherit them, because they are so nice. Also, we do not know how many stayed in Europe. The calibers are still popular for roebuck. The combination minature Sako action and the grace of the Safari stock is a GREAT product. One of my great gun regrets is that I did not get one in '75 on close out. Daughter #1 neeeded a car worse than I needed a rifle. I see the medium action L579 fairly often, but rarely a L461. Oh yes, yours was made in 1962 - should be salt free. It is assumed that the split on the two calibwes is about even. Super nice rifle, enjoy, jack

Jt402....sent you a Pm. Did you get it?

Yes, but I did not see it until a few minutes ago. response sent in PM to you. Apologies, jack