I am considering a Kongsberg rifle at a local shop. 300 win mag. looks solid. anyone have any info on these?

Made in Norway, push-feed if I remember correctly.

George

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Shoot straight, shoot often, but by all means, use enough gun!

I seem to recall that there were questions/problems with the magazine design. Believe the NRA did an evaluation on one about 5 years ago and it convinced me to pass on it.

Kongsber 393 ( or Lakelander) , Made in Norway,(first made in Sweden I think..but under a different brand name), very good action ,stiff and smooth , it does however have a rotery magazine witch in some cases have caused problems. Some rifles would let go of the cartridges and you would be left with an empty magazine. It is for the most part an adjustment thing, many 393 owner I know have never had this problem.(I don't know if it is true but it might be that the older 393 is better,magazine wise..) They have also a bit of a strange recoil lug on the action, it's loose and left unbeded not al that good , but if you bed it it'll work great. Watch for cracked stocks and trigger guards(or missaligned triggergueards) , sometimes when you take the action out of the stock you will forget the magazine release button on the side of the action and break of a small wood chip on the side of the stock.
They shoot very accuratly, and for the most part they operate smoothly.
I do not know how good the part supply is , The company Kongsberg A/S went out of bussiness some years ago , but I know another company made them , and for al I know they might still be makeing them. (Bandak A/S, in Lunde , Norway).
Hope this is helpfull.

S

[This message has been edited by Shadrek (edited 04-17-2002).]

the company who now is making them is in Sweden, they are know as Varberger rifles. They have shown in the IWA Show in Nuermburg for the last several years. I beleive they are now located in Goteburg, Sweden. These guns were invented by a fellow named Lars Andersson, who now lives in Stockholm.

anyone have a website for the company?

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"Laws are like sausages, it's better not to see either being made"--Otto Von Bismark

When in doubt, do a nuclear strike.

I�ll try to sort this out a bit, it�s not easy but I�ll try.

The rifle you gentlemen are discussing have been made in Finland Sweden and Norway. For some time production was running in Sweden and Norway at the same time. Both the Swedes and the Norwegians clamed to have the patent and lawsutes was flying

The Swedish company (Varberger) whent bankrupt about 5 years ago and sold the buissnies to a company far up nort close to the Finnish border. A year ago, or so, that company whent bankrupt and sold inventory and machines to some Norwegians guys that moved the company to another small village in northern Sweden.

It�s getting complicated i know!

I really don�t know if the latest owners have actually made any rifles after the buy. At least I haven�t heard anything from them.

The first model of this rifle was called Lakelander and had 9 locking lugs a la Weatherby. The number of lugs have change over the years and there have been 3 lugs as well as 6. The latest rifles I have seen had 6 lugs.

There have been made some actions suited for UIT 300 m rifles as well. Heavy actions made to accsept Anchutz tiggers and aperature sigths.

Personally I don�t like these rifles. The bolt lift is wery stiff due to only about 60 deg. travel. The magasine is causing toubble as well on some rifles. The stocks don�t appeal to me, quite ugly in my eyes. These rifles shoots ok in most cases though.

Hope the fog have cleared a bit

Stefan.

The Kongsberg 393 is still being made by Kongsberg Small Arms, here in Norway!!
And as far as I know, they always has...
But maybe not the "Varberger"?