I was talking to a friend today, and he has a old FN factory chambered in a 300 H&H. He was saving it for a gunsmith project but he has dozens of projects in front of this and it was really just a project rifle he was going to get around to somewhere in the distance future.

The rifle is all original concerning the metal side but the stock has been replaced with a black synthetic, metal is in very good condition though. Anyway this is an old friend and a straight shooter and he as soon as I started asking him about rebarreling another rifle to 300 H&H he said why don't you just buy his FN.

My questions are I am figuring the stock is scrap pile, but what options are available for a stock, without going into a custom wood stock and thousands of dollars? I have a custom in the works right now and another custom isn't in the cards right now.

Second question is I have another FN chambered in 30-338, so I am very aware of the the rifle and quality I am looking at. One item I am not crazy about is the safety, I prefer a three position, and not the shotgun style, who makes parts to make this happen?

Ray A, I know your a big 300 H&H fan, how about shedding some wisdom on this, if I want this rifle its mine, and the price will be be excellent, I also really want a factory chammbered 30 mag, I don't really care for the 300 Win Mags, from past bad experiences with the cartridge, and mainly Ruger rifles but there was a couple of Winchesters in that mix, anyway long boring story but I don't want a 300 Win Mag.

THe 300 H&H appeals to me from a couple of angles, its a factory round, its a excellent cartridge, in that I get get flexibility of downloading to 30-06 levels to full magnum loads and it handles heavy bullets well ( which I am a big disciple of heavy for bore bullets )

THoughts?

Seriously I think the 300H&H makes a nice rifle. It will do everything a 300Wmag will do withing a few FPS.

As to the safety. You can get a Winchester style 3 postion or pick up a military 98 shroud and have it converted to a 2 postion. For a stock any 98 style will pretty much fit.

As to factory round you will not find ammo for it many places.

If you don't want it I would be interested.

quote:

I think you would be wasting your time with this.

??????

I am not following you on this, wasting time on the safety or the stock or the cartridge.

I am aware that 300 H&H isn't the most common of ammo, me buying ammo really means I can buy brass, as I don't use factory ammo very often just a backup when I am lazy or pressed for time, otherwise I handload.

Sorry just joking.

While there are several newer hotter 30 cal magnums I like the old ones. The 300H&H would do basically anything a normal 30 cal mag would do. Yes the ultra or 30-378 have a couple hundred FPS but not many times would that REALLY matter.

As to the stock. Easiest would be some type of 98, MKX type sporter take off. If you want new then you can spend a little or a lot. Boyds is one of the cheapest. Laminated or walnut. Around $100. There are several cheap synthetic stocks but I would doubt they would be any better than what you have. A little epoxy and a paint job will do wonders.

The safety is your choice. Jim Kobe is charging around $100 exchange for a 2 postion conversion. A 3 position will be $125-150 plus installation. A M98 military with the lever changed out for scope(assuming you want a scope) would be the cheapest.

Oh I understand now. Let me state I am not cheap on my gun projects, frugal yes, cheap no. I just am into a pretty expensive Model 70 right now and it has my gun budget tied up for any large outlays for a while, I have done many customs over the years and for me more than two gun projects going at one one time doesn't really work, so I tend to get on one project and work it till its finished, or parellel two projects cause of timeline issues. Beyond that they become projects in the wings so to speak.

My thoughts on stock were get a blank turned or a good synthetic like a rimrock or a McMillian that amount of dollars doesn't concern me, I just don't want to fund another full custom wood stock, I get picky on wood and details I like start getting expensive quick, I further would rather use this as a hunting tool, and a mountain/plains hard hunter is what I had in mind.

Yes some paint might fix this but again, this is a friend, he has built several rifles for me and knows what I like and dislike, and if he tells me I won't like the stock, my guess is I can take that to the bank, he has no reason to misrepresent this, another thought is he has a bunch of blanks and I might talk him out of a semi inletted blank at the same time. Last time I saw him he was digging through his blanks looking for one to give me, so if he has a mauser blank it won't be hard to get him to throw one in on the deal. ( he was cussing chipmunks though the last time cause they been into his blanks and chewed on a couple ). I know he has a lot of semi inletted blanks, many are old Fajens, and some sweat labor will do me good, keeps me busy.

quote:

One item I am not crazy about is the safety, I prefer a three position, and not the shotgun style, who makes parts to make this happen?

Dakota safetys from Brownells are three position and this one is actually better than any M-70 I own. Unfortunately it's about a $250 add on. There are others but they are all expensive.

Vapodog,

Is this the safety your talking about?

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/ProductDetail.as...OUD+WITH+WING+SAFETY

I also see a Gentry, any benefits to one over the other?

that's the one all right.....it requites some precision machining to your bolt to install.....and it's done to the section that is hardened and requires carbide tools to do the machining.....I did one and it worked well.....but was all day setting up and doing it.

I have not installed a Gentry...IIRC they cost more.

quote:

...IIRC they cost more.

Yeah but its only $5, that wouldn't be my decision point, quality and installation cost would be the gate on this.

Is your installed on a FN or another mauser? Just curiousity.

I installed it on a vz-24 from czecklosvakia

It will install on almost any mauser.

quote:

vz-24 from czecklosvakia

Neat action, did you change out the bolt handle?

For $95 you can get a M-70 style 2-position safety that just screws on. It looks a lot like the one above but is FIRE-Safe (and locked bolt)

there is no position to open the bolt while the safety is still on.

Jim Kobe (posts here) has them in stock.....you send him your shroud and he sends you a new one altered with the wing safety.

He also did the bolt handle alteration for me as I'm a piss poor man with a tig torch.

I think I have talked myself into this, seriously FN made good barrels, one of my 30-338's is a factory 30-06 rechambered and it is a shooter, very tight groups, 1-10 twist rate. Bottom line is this action, and barrel combo has me convinced, a little effort and this would be a nice addition to my gunsafe, almost a no brainer really I like the action, and I like the factory chambering., just stock and safety details.

I'll bet your glad I never mentioned rebarreling to .375 H&H.....eh?

Actually that is why my friend had saved it. I just briefly talked with him, and he told me just come up and take a look at it, and it isn't going anywhere until he gives me the chance to eyeball it. He dug it out of the safe and looked and gave me some better details. I won't be home for a month or so, he wants me to see it first, like I said its just been sitting in his safe, and I'll look at it next time I'm home.

Just curious, what is the "shotgun style" safety on an FN? Is it a tang safety like on a SxS?

If so, will it leave a hole if removed?

Just for my own info,


Thanks, Rob

quote:

SxS

Whats that?

I think it's one of these side safetys.....I don't care for them at all.

Yup, thats the side safety. Don't care for them, they work, I have gotten used to using mine but I prefer the 3 position.

quote:

Originally posted by schromf:

quote:

SxS

Whats that?

SxS = Side by side shotgun. The picture I had in my mind was of a similar type safety actually in in the metal tang, I didn't realize it was to the side, in the wood.

If you want a 3 position safety, call Gentry's Monday morning. Last time I looked it was $150 and if you buy from them and not Brownells the price includes installation. I'm a big fan of the .300H&H If it's factory, I'd be all over it.

Terry

If the barrel is numbered to the action, I would not rebarrel.

quote:

Originally posted by fla3006:
If the barrel is numbered to the action, I would not rebarrel.

Interesting.....I've never seen the barrel numbered.......just the several critical parts of the action.

Every factory FN Deluxe or Supreme sporter I have owned (last count 29) has/had a matching receiver and barrel, like this:



Custom rifles using someone else's barrel or those made for Sears, Marlin, Colt, Monkey Wards, etc. may not.

quote:

Every factory FN Deluxe or Supreme sporter I have owned (last count 29) has/had a matching receiver and barrel, like this:

I agree that is what I am expecting to see for an original barrel. I really am expecting a Sears or a rebarrel. I think thats why my friend wants me to take a look. He said it was labeled 300 Mag, but he has done a chamber cast and its a 300 H&H. I'll look it over when I get home, then make a determination.

Thanks....I stand corrected.

quote:

He said it was labeled 300 Mag, but he has done a chamber cast and its a 300 H&H.

It's possible that when that gun was made the .300 H&H was the ONLY .300 mag a going.

Very possible, I have seen some old 300 H&H so labeled, there was a time it was the only factory 30 Mag.

quote:

schromf: He said it was labeled 300 Mag, but he has done a chamber cast and its a 300 H&H. I'll look it over when I get home, then make a determination.

Many early Mausers and Winchesters chambered in 300H&H are labeled 300Magnum. You should seriously consider buying that rifle if the price is right and the gun is righteous, even if it is not a factory sporter. I bought a 50's vintage semi-custom FN 300H&H recently and was happy to get it. Great caliber.

Another thing to consider is the action if the rest of the gun is crap (the stock and barrel). Magnum FN actions are desirable for making 375s, not that easy to come by.

quote:

Magnum FN actions are desirable for making 375s, not that easy to come by.

Truer words were never spoken, and the magazine is set up for long cartridges, gives me a lot of potential if I was looking at medium to big bore cartridges.