I recently came by a barreled action acquired from a friend who once owned his own gun shop. He put together the package as a project in the early 80s but it never fully got off the ground.

It has a NIB FN long action with proof marks and a serial number -- 916x -- but no other identifiers -- name, model etc. The bolt handle has been bent to accommodate a scope and it has a serial number 4296X engraved on the under side. The action is drilled and tapped -- the rear hole is through and through. It has a rollover safety.

He got the barreled action from a supplier in PA in the early 1980s who is now out of business. It then had a 30.06 barrel with no markings -- which I now have too -- and an ER Shaw Bridgeport .300 RM barrel serial #GD 89x -- unfired -- now mounted to the action. No iron sights. The bolt face has been opened to the magnum caliber.

There is no floorplate or action screws.

I have a very nice piece of dense English walnut begging to be a project around this action. But I have a lot of questions about what I really have and whether it is worth the further investment as a high end project. Other options are to just get a floor plate and decent bolt-on stock too or junk the action.

Thanks for any help on this one.

1B

When you say it is an FN action, how do you know if there's only a (presumably Belgian) proofmark and serial number? No FN markings on the side of the receiver? Most FN Mausers, even military rifles, would have those.

I assume that it is a Mauser 98 action? If it is a real FN and not just any old 98 proofed in Belgium, it must be from a military rifle, with that low a serial number.

As far as I know, FN military actions from the 1920s and '30s, even those they sold to the Chinese, are among the best Mauser actions around.

But I'd wait for a real FN expert and/or a real custom gunsmith before taking my word for it....

Photo would help a lot.

Does it have a thumb cut? Military safety?

Bruce

Unfortunately I can't post picts here.

There is a thumb-cut.

The safety is on top of the bolt shroud and turns left to right over the top in three stages.

The trigger is nothing special with some takeup and a heavy release point.

All of which suggests military origin to me.

1B

Inet to the rescue!

I searched for "FN Mauser Military action" and bingo that's the one! Exactly like mine except for the bolt handle on mine which is modified for modern, bigger, scopes and the drill and tapping for a scope.

Hate to tell you what I paid for it.

1B

Excellent basis for a custom sporter.

Finally got the answer.

There is a proof mark near the serial # that is all but illegible. It was unscrambled for me by a guy who knows his FN Mausers as a B for Belgium with a crown superimposed on it. This mark was used after WW II to differentiate between that period of production and prewar issued rifles in which the crown and B were stamped separately. Beneath that proof mark is a small square containing the capital initials RV -- Republic of Venezuela?.

One mystery solved. Thanks for the help.

1B