FN Actions of the '50s, '60s, and '70s, Particularly Those Used by Browning

[South Pender]

I recently ran across an ad for a used Browning Safari grade rifle and realized that I have never really learned much about the line of fine FN Mauser actions. I understand that many Browning rifles of that era were built on FN actions (although the shorter-action rifles were built on Sako actions), with the standard action the controlled-round version until later when that action was replaced by a less-expensive "short-extractor" push-feed variation. This has got me to wondering about the series of FN Mauser actions over the years between, say, 1950 and the early 1970s.

I've run across references to FN Supreme, FN Deluxe, FN 300, and FN 400 actions, but can't seem to find a coherent explanation of these and the history of the FN actions of that period. Can anyone on this forum lead me through the evolution of FN actions of that period, or, failing that, point me to a good source that will provide the details about these FN actions. I'm particularly interested in the FN actions used by Browning in their Safari-, Medallion-, and Olympian-grade rifles

 

[Big Mc]

I recently ran across an ad for a used Browning Safari grade rifle and realized that I have never really learned much about the line of fine FN Mauser actions. I understand that many Browning rifles of that era were built on FN actions (although the shorter-action rifles were built on Sako actions), with the standard action the controlled-round version until later when that action was replaced by a less-expensive "short-extractor" push-feed variation. This has got me to wondering about the series of FN Mauser actions over the years between, say, 1950 and the early 1970s.

I've run across references to FN Supreme, FN Deluxe, FN 300, and FN 400 actions, but can't seem to find a coherent explanation of these and the history of the FN actions of that period. Can anyone on this forum lead me through the evolution of FN actions of that period, or, failing that, point me to a good source that will provide the details about these FN actions. I'm particularly interested in the FN actions used by Browning in their Safari-, Medallion-, and Olympian-grade rifles

Fn,s are great actions for hunting. Not so good for BR . Lock time is really slow. Just my two cents Tommy Mc

 

[riflewoman]

The major difference between FN commercial actions and the Browning was the bolt stop. The FN had a basic Mauser 98 Bolt stop and ejector housing. The Browning had a slimmed down bolt stop and ejector. The other major differences were the barrel profile and stocking. But these were largely cosmetic. They were a good functional rifle, but they weren’t the most accurate,and they were expensive for what you really had.

 

[jackieschmidt]

My wife had an uncle that passed away a few years ago and had in his arms collection a JC Higgins Mauser model 51 that he had bought at Sears back in the 1950’s. It was built on a FN action. I tried to get it from his estate, but his adopted son would not part with it.

It was a beautiful Rifle Chambered in 270 Winchester.

 

[Will Henry]

The JCHiggins rifles were a great rifle and I liked to pick them up for the actions when I could. They were definitely a donor you didn't dare to shoot. I never saw one that didn't shoot well.
Here, in Canada, Eatons sold a rifle (The Eatons Model 100) which was their variation on the 51.The Eatons rifle was a Sako barreled action which featured and FN action with aluminum bottom metal, a Sako adjustable trigger, and a micro groove barrel (12 groove, as I recall). The barreled action was set into a really fat, homely, stock of walnut. On the bright side, there was plenty of wood to work with if you wanted to sleek it up a little!
I don't particularly like the Sako trigger but since it came that way, I've left it on mine. The FN actions are a very nice example of a commercial Mauser action. Polishing is good and surfaces are true. I rebarreled mine to 257 Roberts and reshaped and recheckered the stock. I had to add some length to it too. Apparently, the average Eatons customer was 5'6" and chunky instead of a lanky 6'1".
The Browning FN's were OK except that they were sometimes over polished. Also, that boltstop/ejector was as much a cost cutting measure as anything else.
There were a lot of variations. Triggers (two-stage military, single stage simple, one trigger was similar to the Winchester Model 70 trigger) standard bolt face, magnum boltface, full length magnum, single shot, and the Browning variants.
Like all Mausers, the FN's were most notable for their reliability, ruggedness, and simplicity. In general, I have always felt that every step away from the original 98 design was a step down the wrong path but the FN's were pretty solid, nonetheless.
I had one rifle come into the shop which showed the FN ability to take abuse. This had actually quit working. Pull the trigger and nothing happened. It was pretty rusty and, when I pulled it out of the stock, a 1/16" of wood came with it. The aluminum bottom metal was just powder and the trigger mechanism was rusted until it was seized. The pitting on the bottom of the receiver was incredible. I took the bolt apart and the striker spring was rusted nearly through. The barrel was, not surprisingly, pretty bad too. I took the trigger apart and cleaned it up, replaced the striker spring with one out of the junk box (the owner wanted to stretch that repair dollar) and put it back together. I scrubbed the barrel out with some steel wool and lapping compound. I covered the pitting on the sides of the receiver with some scotch tape so I could glop some epoxy around the recoil lug and gave it the world's cheapest glass bedding job. When it was all done, I took it out and shot it (open sights only) and it put Winchester factory loads into about 3 inches at 100yd. When the owner came in to pick it up, I told him I had never seen a rifle so badly rusted and asked if the rifle had ever been exposed to salt water. He said it had not but, when it had been frozen shut with snow packed around the action, he had thawed it out by urinating on the action. More than once. He hadn't cleaned it because "the rain washed it off". A rugged rifle, for sure.
On the opposite side of the coin, I had a fellow bring in two Olympic grade FN Brownings. He had been in a car accident and the rifles had gotten wet. He was on the way up to the hospital to drop his wife off to get her broken leg taken care and wanted to get the rifles looked after before they rusted.
When I first started BR shooting, in the mid-seventies one still saw the occasional single shot FN on the line. Usually in 22/250 or 308 and usually in unlimited guns. Most used Canjar triggers. WH