FN Mauser question

pbslinger · Mar 25, 2011

I bought a Mannlicher stocked Mauser in 243 apparently built with an FN commercial barreled action. Everything about the action looks just like other actions I have seen that are marked FN, but my action has no brand markings. The barrel says in small letters "made in belgium" and " chrome vanadium steel" There is a full compliment of Belgian proofmarks on the left of the barrel and receiver, but the action has no other marks other than serial number, some random assy numbers on the base, and a mark on the left of the rear tang. The bolt, barrel, and receiver all have the same serial number, and the top of the bolt handle is stamped with a mark, maybe a lion with a couple of letters under it. I'm pretty sure the stock is Fajen, and I suspect the rifle was built with a FN made barreled action.

If you bought a barreled action from FN would it come with no brand marks? The quality of the action is excellent to amazing, with nice polish. The bolt, shroud and bolt safety are in the white, and show very nice workmanship with a nice medium polish. The bottom of the bolt knob is flat and checkered. I think my wife has the digital camera but I will try to post some pics at some point.

handejector · Mar 25, 2011

I'm not sure if you have pulled it from the stock?
If not, look below the woodline.
Fajen stocks usually had buttplates that said so.

pbslinger · Mar 25, 2011

No markings other than discussed above below the woodline. The buttpad is pachmyer.

gregintenn · Mar 25, 2011

Evidently, a bunch of companies in the 50's, 60s, and maybe into the 70's bought Mauser actions and built and sold their own rifles. I recently got rid of one similar to yours, but mine did have a brand; "Musketeer" was stamped on the barrel. It was a quality gun, but the stock was very heavy and bulky. It was also in 243, and had a mannlicher style stock.

It came from another member here. I've seen mauser actioned rifles from this era with all kinds of markings, and also like yours, with no markings. If someone published a book about them, I'd like to have a copy.

pbslinger · Mar 25, 2011

gregintenn, When I heard this rifle for sale I did some research and thought it likely would be a FIC Musketeer. I was surprised that it wasn't when I saw it. I think it is a custom. It would make sense if FN made unmarked actions available to smiths for custom rifles.

walnutred · Mar 25, 2011

Don't forget that in that era there were companies polishing military markings off the millions of surplus 98 actions and offering them to gunsmiths "in the white". I'd be surprised if FN offered an action made by them without their mark somewhere.

45Wheelgun · Mar 25, 2011

About 1947 FN started making commercial mausers actions in "American calibers" for import to the US. They also made complete rifles.

The earliest still had military features, but within a few short years those military feature went away.

Many of the actions were imported and assembled into complete rifles by multiple companies who would mark them "as their own". FN would brand them for anyone who needed that.

My impression is that if the action is mark "Belgium" then it is an FN action. I am not aware of any other Belgian company manufacturing FN actions in American calibers in that time period.

I have a friend who collects FN mausers (both FN marked and unmarked) who would be interested an any of these guns. I don't believe he has one with a mannlicher stock.

45Wheelgun · Mar 25, 2011

Here is his '47 vintage:

Note the thumb cutout for use with stripper clips. The clip cutout is there as well but under the scope mount.

His '51 vintage is identical in every way except for those features.

pbslinger · Mar 25, 2011

No thumb cut. I suspect my gun is made in the sixties. It looks like the action shown in this thread about a Weatherby Mauser. The proofmarks are mostly the same, the bottom shows the same "ML" on the front left, and a row of 4 dots in the middle.

Mauser Central :: View topic - Weatherby w/a FN Mauser action

2152hq · Mar 25, 2011

You should be able to at least date the age of the piece by the proof marks.

There should be date code letter mixed in with the proof marks somewhere. 1947 was 'z'. Then they started over using the Greek(?) letters.. Alpha, Beta, etc. When those ran out they went back to standard small case letters with a bar underneath.

Here's link with a couple of charts with the date codes on them. One of them has the the Greek letters printed out in cursive so you can kind of figure out what they are.
http://damascus-barrels.com/Belgian_All_Proofmarks.html

There's also a proof controllers stamp in there too. A capital letter with a '*' above it. That's separate from the date code. It is a stamp assigned to a specific individual at the proof house.

The action if sold as a component alone may not have had an FN stamp on it then. The action in many European countrys is/(was) not considered the 'firearm' as it is in the USA.
In some, the bbl is. In the case of the Hi-Power pistols from FN,,when they shorcut the mfg process a bit and abbreviated the serial numbers on the bbl and frame,,the full serial number on the slide of the pistol was kept as the slide was considered the major firearm component at the time.

pbslinger · Mar 25, 2011

2152hq, Thanks for that link to the Belgian proofmarks and the info about the controllers of proofs. This link offers more detail than my Blue Book of Gun Values. From the table of proofmarks on your link, the proofs on the barrel are in order from muzzle, star over x, twenty, 19, 13. On the receiver, star over X, 19,1. The controller of proofs indicated by star over X spanned from 1937 until 1964, so this fits into my assumption that the rifle was made in the sixties. I don't see any date code whatsoever. It seems most are date coded, but I can't seem to find one that defines it better than the range given by the controller mark.

pbslinger · Mar 26, 2011

Thanks for the help. After doing internet research I have concluded my action is an FN Deluxe, made in the late fifties or early sixties. The unmarked action has really grown on me and I think the normal FN markings detract and are a bit gaudy compared to unmarked. If anyone knows where I can find the year of manufacture based on serial number please post a link. Unmarked FN Commercial Mausers might be pretty rare, I hope to find another someday.

pbslinger · Mar 31, 2011

Another question about FN Mausers. The bolt and shroud seem to be in the white, but I never see them rusted. Are they plated with nickel or chrome, or is the steel alloy corrosion resistant.

pbslinger · Feb 18, 2013

pbslinger said:
Thanks for the help. After doing internet research I have concluded my action is an FN Deluxe, made in the late fifties or early sixties. The unmarked action has really grown on me and I think the normal FN markings detract and are a bit gaudy compared to unmarked. If anyone knows where I can find the year of manufacture based on serial number please post a link. Unmarked FN Commercial Mausers might be pretty rare, I hope to find another someday.

I stated in this old post that I hoped to find another unmarked FN Mauser. I found an unfinished 50 year old project. I bought it from the nephew of a gunsmith from Ohio. WD CAMPBELL CUSTOM GUNSMITH is the only marking on the barrel, the action has FN in an oval and some random assy numbers on the floor of the receiver. He was told the customer was to make periodic payments and progress on the rifle would continue.

The unfinished project sat neglected and he finally sold it to me. The stock is a Fajen tiger maple target/varmint style with crotch walnut grip cap and fore end. The action is barreled with a fairly heavy 26" barrel and chambered in 22-250. I had to draw file the barrel since it had rusted, but the final polish came out great. The stock is coming along nicely.

feralmerril · Feb 18, 2013

I have one something like that. I understand my action is a mauser supream commercial action. Not a number on it. There is the makers name that I have researched seems he was a custom gunsmith of some note. H.W. Creighton. The gun is a heavy very well built beast in .270 with no safety. I would say its a bench rest and/or heavy varmint rifle.

Snapping Twig · Feb 18, 2013

Several years back I found a Browning labeled FN mauser in 30-06. I find it to be an excellent rifle in every aspect.

Mine was made in 1972 and was one of the famous 'salt guns'. Very limited finish problems from the stock, in fact almost nothing and what was there was easily cold blued and blended in to perfection.

I later found a Parker-Hale from the same era and the only differences between it and mine were the bolt release lever dimensions and the stock.

Very fine rifles!

FN Mauser question

pbslinger

Member

handejector

Administrator

pbslinger

Member

gregintenn

Member

pbslinger

Member

walnutred

US Veteran

45Wheelgun

SWCA Member

45Wheelgun

SWCA Member

pbslinger

Member

2152hq

Member

pbslinger

Member

pbslinger

Member

pbslinger

Member

pbslinger

Member

feralmerril

Absent Comrade

Snapping Twig

Member

Similar threads

Latest posts