Gents: Has anyone modified the FN Browning safety so it had a bit more purchase for the thumb? I have a couple of Safaris that I enjoy, but I occasionally slide over the relatively flat trigger safety with gloves. Not wanting to convert them to a shroud safety. Thanks.
Posts: 151 | Location: MI | Registered: 01 February 2002
other than the aluminum bottom metal the safety button on those is the only thing i was never crazy about for the reason you mentioned. small and tucked into the inletting is very hard to work.
can't help w/ mods as never heard of one. if parts were available could likely get a spare and have someone weld an extension on.
one bit of trivia if you didn't know it - and i never did as many as i'd had till read in eastmans book - but those rifles, sako actions included, have 3-position safeties. there is a middle position that allows bolt rotation but no trigger movement. hard to detect going from on to off but discernable in the other direction. not the most confidence inspiring feeling tho which is why we don't touch the trigger unless we're gonna shoot, right?
i don't even own one now. i'm assuming weight was as big a driver as cost in the decision to use aluminum as the safari's aren't lightweights - in an era when flyweight rifles seem to rule. what shocked me, i had an olympian grade and it's bottom metal was also alum.
but champlins right now has a nice FN action, in the white never used with some engraving on it and the bottom is exactly the same as the safari's in every respect except is steel. so it would seem that FN was making trigger guard/magazine units out of both.
I have a browning FN action 30-06 which was a salt wood. It has steel bottom metal. I have seen some that did have steel, but most are alloy. It does have a faint center position that locks the bolt and disengages the trigger. Mine was parkerized by the previous owner and has only minimal dammage, and no new damage. However all the metal in the stock is going or gone. Rear sling swivel post fell off. I did seal the stock with cut marine varnish. I am looking for a synthetic stock. I am told the Butler Creek Mark X long action will work.
i'd expect any stock for a mark x to work - or at least be "workable" w/ minor mod. i've owned mark x's and safari's at same time and while never deliberately swapping stocks i sure didn't see anything that'd preclude it. the mark x has a much bigger trigger assy but that works in your favor anyway in this case.
not being nosy, if youdon't mind, what year is your '06? i had safari's from year 1 to year 71 (not all that many but covered almost every single year in that range; don't think i ever had one from 1963) and don't recall a single one w/ steel mag box.
Modified one once yrs ago. I took a thumb release from a S&W pistol and soldered it on the top of the safety bar,like your having trouble with.Worked super.vangunsmith
quote:Originally posted by mikethebear: I have a browning FN action 30-06 which was a salt wood. It has steel bottom metal. I have seen some that did have steel, but most are alloy. It does have a faint center position that locks the bolt and disengages the trigger. Mine was parkerized by the previous owner and has only minimal dammage, and no new damage. However all the metal in the stock is going or gone. Rear sling swivel post fell off. I did seal the stock with cut marine varnish. I am looking for a synthetic stock. I am told the Butler Creek Mark X long action will work.
quote:Originally posted by mikethebear: I have a browning FN action 30-06 which was a salt wood. It has steel bottom metal. I have seen some that did have steel, but most are alloy. It does have a faint center position that locks the bolt and disengages the trigger. Mine was parkerized by the previous owner and has only minimal dammage, and no new damage. However all the metal in the stock is going or gone. Rear sling swivel post fell off. I did seal the stock with cut marine varnish. I am looking for a synthetic stock. I am told the Butler Creek Mark X long action will work.
Sorry about the post with no added information. I was being senile again. I bought the rifle at a pawn shop. I have no idea how old it is. I looked on the Browning web site, but they have no information on the FN rifles. It has been parkerized or coated with some kind of matte black finish. I got it really cheap so I tolerated a lot of the problems. And it shoots really good. The serial number begins with 9L. That is all the information I know.
9L would be 1969. the 1st 3 years just began with L, then in 1961 they started adding a single digit prefix to denote year which lasted thru 1969, then in 1970 they went to 2 digits for year code. except the medallion and olympian grades had a different letter prefix from L but same year scheme which also shows up on other brownings from that era, superposed, BAR's, etc. real easy to spot browning year of mfg between '61 and '74 or so. then they went to the goofball letter-for-year codes w/ the japanese models and that ended up throughout the line.
quote:Originally posted by vangunsmith: Modified one once yrs ago. I took a thumb release from a S&W pistol and soldered it on the top of the safety bar,like your having trouble with.Worked super.vangunsmith
Thanks Vangun. I appreciate the answer. Sounds like a good solution.
Posts: 151 | Location: MI | Registered: 01 February 2002
Hello, Method I have used in past on similar safety "buttons, pads, etc." was to purchase some liquid steel, Marinetex, similar epoxy, remove action from stock, wrap any areas not wanting compound to be on, simply place with swab stick mound of material on top of safety pad, let harden, file,sand to shape. Have even used checkering file to give tactile surface and you can get real fancy and drill small hole in front and rear of new surface and put red or white dots for on and off or leave as is. Most of the bedding material will turn out a dull, dark gray and appearance is quite good. Little bit of work, but can make very professional appearance and is durable and does help a great deal in giving the user a purchase for the safety. ( Should mention, be sure and remove all oils, solvents, etc. from the metal surface by simply using lighter fluid or alcohol to clean the metal surface.) Favor Center!! dsiteman
Posts: 1165 | Location: Banks of Kanawha, forks of Beaver Dam and Spring Creek | Registered: 06 January 2005
