Anyone shoot a FN Rifle before

19 December 2002, 02:02

<bigcountry>

I have no experience with this brand before. I have been looking for a Winchester/US repeating arms Stealth in a .308 model with no luck. But some shops said this FN Special Police is about the same thing but better. It appears to have a Winchester 70 type action with a mauser claw type bolt. Only thing I didn't like was the 100 dollar more price tag and parkerizing was less than desirable. I could see bare metal on the crown due to the bad job.

19 December 2002, 04:57

Orion 1

FN: Fabrique Nationale d'Armes de Guerre. One of the world's most famous and respected firearms manufacturers. Based in Belgium, with manufacturing facilities in Belgium, Portugal, USA, and Japan. Owned by the Herstal Group Herstal Group website , which also owns Browning and US Repeating Arms company.

AFAIK, the FN Special Police Rifle is a CRF Winchester Model 70 with a heavy barrel, and a kevlar/fiberglass stock. I don't know if any internal accurizing has been done to it. I also don't know if FN purchases the action from USRAC and builds the rifle around it, or if USRAC makes the rifle and FN markets it. Either is possible. Winchester sells a very similar rifle (except that it is a push feed action) known as the Stealth.

FN USA

[ 12-18-2002, 20:03: Message edited by: ksduckhunter ]

19 December 2002, 05:02

jeffeosso

FN owns, amoung others
Winchester
Browning
Savage

yep, it's a model 70... dont' know the corporate politics to move it around.

jeffe

19 December 2002, 05:04

Orion 1

Don't think Savage is related to FN. It is not listed in the Herstal Group's website as one of their companies.

19 December 2002, 07:52

browningguy

FN building rifles with USRAC actions? I have a recently acquired Dumoulin rifle which uses a commercial FN Mauser action built in the late 50's early 60's. It's probably more acurate to say that the Mod. 70 CRF action is a near copy of the commercial mausers, I would have thought FN would use their own actions on a rifle with their name on it. However anything's possible in todays world.

19 December 2002, 10:28

<bigcountry>

Thanks guys, but have any of you shot them? I can't find the .308 Stealth anywhere, and a winchester rep said the FN might fit the bill.

19 December 2002, 10:38

Orion 1

quote:
Originally posted by browningguy:
FN building rifles with USRAC actions? I have a recently acquired Dumoulin rifle which uses a commercial FN Mauser action built in the late 50's early 60's. It's probably more acurate to say that the Mod. 70 CRF action is a near copy of the commercial mausers, I would have thought FN would use their own actions on a rifle with their name on it. However anything's possible in todays world.

Did you click on the links I posted aboove? If you had, you would have noticed that FN DOES indeed use USRAC pre-64 type actions for its SPR rifle. Why is that so hard to believe, particularly when it comes straight from FN's website?

21 December 2002, 09:26

Dave Jenkins

Damn thats a nice looking rig. Id like to have one in 300WSM. What do they go for? I owned a FN with a sporter weight barrel chambered in .257 Robts. it had double set triggers and a French walnut stock. My dad picked it up in the 50's when he was stationed in Bad Tolz with the 10th or 5th group cant remember which. The action was great and it shot handloads extremely well. I gave it to my little brother.

21 December 2002, 10:22

browningguy

Duckhunter, sorry to have offended.

What I meant was, it's hard for me to understand how a company like FN could bring themselves to use current Winchester actions in an FN branded product. FN has a long history of finely made bolt actions based on the Mauser. Now I'll offend the Winchester owners, the Winchesters don't compare to a commercial FN Mauser.

21 December 2002, 10:39

Orion 1

quote:
Originally posted by browningguy:
Duckhunter, sorry to have offended.

What I meant was, it's hard for me to understand how a company like FN could bring themselves to use current Winchester actions in an FN branded product. FN has a long history of finely made bolt actions based on the Mauser. Now I'll offend the Winchester owners, the Winchesters don't compare to a commercial FN Mauser.

No offense take, but some people refuse to give up their preconcived notions even in the fact of evidence. I now understand where you're coming from.

As to you latest question, the answer is parts commonality and corporate asset utilization. It's probably much cheaper for USRAC to manufacture Model 70 actions than it is for FN to make Mauser actions in Belgium, and why make them in their South Carolina plant when that plant is all dedicate to guns for Uncle Sam and USRAC is making something similar in Connecticut?

21 December 2002, 10:58

<bigcountry>

It was great looking gun, and I loved the action but decided to wait and get what I want. I just don't know anyone with experiences with newer FN rifles.