Frank de Haas in his book "Bolt Action Rifles" states on page 174: FN actions were made at first with the full inside collar, just as in the M98 military action, with the collar slotted on the right side for the extractor. At some point FN began to fudge and, thereafter, slotted the collar on the left as well, leaving only partial collars top and bottom.
I have never seen one as the FN action on my Husqvarna is slotted on both sides. (I don't remember looking for it on a FN action in a Sears Model 50 I once owned.)
Hope that helps.
"It is wise, though, to remember above all else: rifle, caliber, scope, and even bullets notwithstanding, the most important feature of successful big game hunting is to put that bullet in the correct place, the first time!" John Jobson
I've got a 1955 Higgins 51 that is in the H configuration.
I'll bet this has been discussed before, but what's the practical difference between a "C" and and "H"?
Some folks claim the C ring to be a stronger action and essential for big bore applications, others will go as far as saying that H rings are not M98's because they don't follow the oringinal design.
A lot of us got over it a long time ago and use H rings without a second thought. They are both proven designs.
Wrong. It has nothing to do with strength. Gas handling was the reason for Peter and Paul to not have broached the action face with the left hand cut. This was to help prevent gas from running down the left bolt lug raceway. The thumbcut was intentionally made in that manner to vent the gas in the event gas did make it down the left side.
Just buy a Parker-Hale or Whitworth branded Zastava action and you are good. Or just use a nice m98.
You can piddle with the puppies, or run with the wolves...
I have several Brno VZ24 actions, they all have the 'C' cut, I thought that the early FN's were cut the same, minus the stripper clip notch and loading cut. I guess I have been incorrect all this time, not once have I seen an early FN made '98 here in Australia, they've all been 60's or later era actions.
I guess you missed the part "some folks claim.* I've heard many argue that gas handling was the main reason for C rings and thumb cuts and post patent drawings of gas coming out a thumb cut, but it's a fact that the Oberndorf Mauser factory produced C ring sporters WITHOUT the thumb cut! So much for that theory trying to be represented as fact. I think it's very possible Mr. Mauser himself abandoned that theory realizing the magazine was best place to dump the gas.
A lot of the things the man tried were just trial and error. That's why there are so many variants. He may have abandoned the C ring concept himself had he lived longer. There are many valid points to both sides of that argument. Truth be known he may have seen it as a duel benifit. Trying to get in the head of a 177 year old man and call others out on pure speculation is nothing more than mental gymnastics and a waste of time.
Some claim it was for strength Some claim it was for gas handling.
I have, use, like and feel very comfortable using both. That said, I'm glad my 100+year old case hardened models are C ring.
I've owned a couple of the Sears rifles and both had H rings. I think they were all made after the change. I also had a 1951 FN deluxe .270 with the H ring.
Last month, I picked up a sporter on Gunbroker built on a 1948 FN barreled action with a left-handed stock. It has the C ring. As noted above, 1948 appears to be the cut-off date for the C rings.
I was glad to get this rifle, but would have still bought it, C ring or not as it's a great rifle and was a bargain at $456. The C ring is a nice touch, but really not that big a deal. Any FN of that era is well worth owning and using. The C ring is supposed to handle escaping gas better. A better idea is to avoid doing things that generate escaping gas. That's how I've managed to hunt with the notoriously gassy pre-64 M70 for thirty-some years and keep my complexion as lovely(!) as ever.
Sarco has Dumoulin actions for $295 with M70-type safety and other goodies. Check out the Dumoulin website and be prepared to drool. I seem to recall seeing a photo of one of these that showed the C collar, but can't be sure. Like other actions offered in the white, these may require heat treatment. Ask before you buy.
I'm not sure if you meant to say so, but the thumb cut had nothing to do with gas handling; it's there to facilitate loading with a stripper clip. The potential gas relief was a side benefit. The elimination of the cut makes the action stiffer, and probably saved money too. IMHO, the thumb cut actually looks slightly more attractive, especially on a trim custom rifle.
I'm not sure if you meant to say so, but the thumb cut had nothing to do with gas handling; it's there to facilitate loading with a stripper clip. The potential gas relief was a side benefit. The elimination of the cut makes the action stiffer, and probably saved money too. IMHO, the thumb cut actually looks slightly more attractive, especially on a trim custom rifle.
When Paul Mauser applied for the patent on the thumb cut he submitted drawings on it's purpose and benefits. ONE OF THE BENIFITS HE CLAIMED FOR THE THUMB CUT WAS GAS HANDLING and the drawing submitted for the patent application plainly shows just that. I wish I still had access to the drawing but can't find it at the moment. There were NEVER any claims as to what the C ring was for. Some claim it was for gas handling others claim strength. It's all speculation and it may very well have been for both. The company clearly swayed away from this thinking on gas handling and thumb cuts because they later sold factory sporters without the thumb cut but with the C ring still in tact.
I'm in perfect agreement about the esthetics of the thumbcut and even had it added to one of my customs that didn't have it already.
The point of the post was in reguards to another post that claimed the C ring was only for gas handling. There is absolutely no proof that this was Paul Mausers only intention for this item. You have to remember that in his time these were only case hardened and little extra metal didn't hurt anything.