Just received this FN (R. Famage) Columbian 1957 30/06 length M98 action from a friend. He bought it from Sarco about ten years ago. It is brand spanking new. Greased & in the original oiled wrapper. They don't come any better than this.
What to build?

9.3 x 62....

quote:

Originally posted by jimatcat:
9.3 x 62....

He's got one of those.

A .404 sounds about right to me.

Nice friend.

How about a lightweight 25-06 with a 19 1/2" featherweight barrel, you probably don't have one of those.

Better check the lug seats on it. I bought 3 of them back then, and the seats on all 3 were very rough.

Everything else on them was very nicely machined, excpet for those seats.

I think they can be worked down, but mine have a will require quite a bit of work, and probably re-carborizing.

quote:

It is brand spanking new.

Not saying your example is not new old stock, but most of these actions were rebuild projects on rifles of several old contracts. Take a close look at the left rail and you might see evidence of a rough grind, The front ring also shows evidence of being surface ground and refinished, although to a higher degree than the rail. The Columbian crest doesn't match that found on the 1950 FN contract.

Possible candidates for the original manufacturer:

DWM 1904
Steyr Gew 98 copy of 1912
Brno VZ 23 of 1929
Steyr-Solothurn 1929
FN 24
FH 30
BRNO VZ 12/33
FN 1950

All the FN 1950s were delivered in .30-06, the rest in 7 x 57. At some point post-WWII Columbia decided to convert to .30-06 and began to refinish some older contracts. Before this project was compleated they decided the day of the bolt action battle rifle was past and moved to semi-auto rifles. The unfinished parts were packed away in storage and Sarco picked them up 40 years later. (Which raises the question, WTF happened to all the bolts?) As these actions are blued, I suspect they have been re-heat treated. There were major advancements is metalurgy and manufacturing between 1904 and 1950 so I, for one, am interested in tracking down the OEM.

I believe all the original contracts had two lines of stampings on the left rail with the exception of the FN 1950. I have examined several R. FAMAGE examples under a 50 power binocular microscope and can't find anything to help identify the original manufacturer. I only checked a couple, but they both had a 32 degree rear bridge flat, so FWI if you plan to scope your project.

Do a search here, there have been a few threads over time on the R. FAMAGE Columbians. In one, someone posted that R. FAMAGE is Belgian for rebuilt or remanufactured.

I would go for a 404 Jeffery!

Interetsing comments about the lug seats etc.

quote:

Originally posted by z1r:

quote:

Originally posted by jimatcat:
9.3 x 62....

He's got one of those.

A .404 sounds about right to me.

.458 lott though it will be tough to fit.

Go old world with it. A 10.75X68 Mauser with open sights or 7X57.

Terry

What Terry and Mike said! all three good choices depends on where you have a gap, or imagined gap in your lineup. open sighted 10.75 or 404 in a type a or b stock pattern, open sight only, preserving that rear crest would look sweet.

Red

7x64 ...

or a 10,75x68, but chambered for a 3.345 long round. or however long a hornady .423 bullet is on the crimp groove .. no, wait, that's what *I* am doing now

quote:

Originally posted by TC1:
Go old world with it. A 10.75X68 Mauser with open sights or 7X57.

Terry

Long throated 22-250 with a 1:10 twist, LONG RANGER!! roger

Sorry I havn't abswered the post. So many calibers to chose from. Kitchen I didn't know about the other manufactures of these actions. I've been out the last several days. Had catarac surgery on my shootin ege. 20/30 now! Deer better watch out! Here's a closeup of the receiver ring. The wings on this crest are different from others that i've seen. The lugs are not rough at all but they will get lapped anyway. I think the left side of the receiver has been scrubed but if it was it was extremely well done.