Indians For Guns

Sharing some pics of my Husqvarna (model 640 I think) in 8mm Mauser. These are very well made rifles and are available at prices at par with the bottom of the line synthetic models from manufactures like Savage, Remington etc. They also don't have any collector interest like the German sporting Mausers. I am sure manufacturing a new rifle to these specs will be quite expensive. This one is made in the early 1950's, not bad for a 60 year old rifle.

The actions were made in Belgium by FN and are at par with the best actions available, Mauser 98 actions with no thumb cutout. These would be an excellent platform for a custom rifle. Most that I come across are fairly beat-up but is a good buy if you run into one in good, original unmolested condition.









Here is an old ad. from 1953



Herb

Super Nice.. Is it a .270? How long have you had it? Has it been put to good use in the fielf or just kept as a collectible? Cheers ...

herb wrote:Sharing some pics of my Husqvarna (model 640 I think) in 8mm Mauser. These are very well made rifles and are available at prices at par with the bottom of the line synthetic models from manufactures like Savage, Remington etc. They also don't have any collector interest like the German sporting Mausers.

Herb,

Congratulations and I am jealous! Seriously jealous. That is a nice looking rifle you have there.

I really like the Huskies and the Savages and Remingtons cannot compare to these bad boys in terms of quality,IMO. For a connoisseur like you, the situation you describe is a dream coming true. I will take a good rifle without a name over a mere name.


Best-
Vikram

Sweet !
Not exactly shabby for a 60 year old rifle is it ?
That is a genuine `find` - and a seriously under-rated rifle !

Great rifle, Herb! Your post makes me feel bad, as back in the early 80s, I borrowed a pair of these from my buddy at the rifle shop and tried them on the range. One was in 270 and the other in 30-06. Both shot quite nicely, but unlike yours, they were stocked in Arctic Birch. (After owning my Finn M39, I have come to appreciate Arctic Birch as a gunstock wood more, although it still isn't walnut.)

I fully agree with your appraisal of the FN M98 action: with no thumb cutout and machined to commercial, rather than military tolerances, these guns were very fine rifles. I wish I had bought one of the ones I shot years ago, but the $250 or so was beyond me at the time.

Thanks for sharing the pics -- a fine rifle!

Great rifle, the Husqvarna.

Originally made in the Royal Swedish factory that supplied arms for the Swedish Army.

I visited that factory a few years back:

And while they were proud of their great arms building heritage, I was rather disappointed that today they manufacture sewing machines there

What an intereting rifle herb, thanks for sharing.

Checked out the website of the company - Link here:

http://www.husqvarna.com/int/internatio ... nnovation/

What makes a Husqvarna? How come people all over the world expect a certain feel and finish when picking up, or getting on, a Husqvarna product? We’d like to think that our significant experience has a lot to do with it – of which we have almost 400 years. Here’s how Husqvarna became Husqvarna.

1620–1689: Setting sail
Husqvarna was founded as “Jönköping Rifle Factory” by decree of the Swedish king, and during the first years the factory produced about 1500 musket pipes annually. The signature product inspired the classic “gun sight” logo that, although updated, is still used today. When Sweden began to boost its army in 1689 the company started a separate site for boring and grinding musket pipes 7 km from the head office in Jönköping – at Huskvarna falls (formerly spelled Husqvarna). A place that now marks the spot for the modern Husqvarna factory complex.

1967: Good-bye rifles
In 1967 Husqvarna presents its last hunting rifle, the 1900-series. The weapon was regarded as ahead of its time and became a model for civil weapon manufacturers worldwide. Even now, most modern hunting rifles are based on Husqvarna’s innovative bolt construction.

Sheer Nostalgia!

After Huskvarna ceased rifle production the 1900 machinery first went to Greece, the "Hellenic" rifle, and then to Italy (Zoli). It lives on.

captrakshitsharma wrote:Super Nice.. Is it a .270? How long have you had it? Has it been put to good use in the fielf or just kept as a collectible? Cheers ...

It is in 8mm JS (8x57) Mauser .323 bore.

There is a some confusion around old 8mm rifles, some were .318 bore (8mm J/I), newer ones are .323 (8mm IS/JS). It started after the Germans changed the bore size of the 8mm from .318 to .323 and designated it as the S bore. One has to be careful when shooting any pre-war 8mm rifles with modern 8mm ammunition as they are normally .323. This gun is manufactured in the 1950's so bore size is .323.

Thanks CK/TwoRivers for the link and related information.

Herb,
I will take a good rifle without a name over a mere name.


Best-
Vikram

Share the sentiment. I once owned a Defourny (Leige, Belgium) in 8x60S based on the FN98 action. Very sweet rifle, unfortunately I let it go during a weak moment, have the pictures still on my computer.
Regrets, either not buying one like Timmy said or letting one go.









Herb

Very nice rifle you have herb,Thanks for shearing with all of us.


Baljit

herb wrote: There is a some confusion around old 8mm rifles, some were .318 bore (8mm J/I), newer ones are .323 (8mm IS/JS). It started after the Germans changed the bore size of the 8mm from .318 to .323 and designated it as the S bore. One has to be careful when shooting any pre-war 8mm rifles with modern 8mm ammunition as they are normally .323. This gun is manufactured in the 1950's so bore size is .323.

"Bore" size actually stayed the same. But after its introduction in 1888 grooves were gradually deepened until groove diameter had increased to .323 by 1895; groove depth from .004" to .006". When the lighter pointed bullet with much shorter bearing surface was adopted in 1903, it was again made groove diameter. This cartridge was designated Patrone S, from "Spitzgeschoss."

Meanwhile, though, the original cartridge 8x57 I(nfantrie) as it was called in civilian use had become well established, and sporting rifles produced for it did not follow the changes in military barrel dimensions until the 1930s In those years industrial standardization was enacted. As a result, two separate 8x57 I cartridgesr were established, "I" with .319" grooves, and "IS" with .323" grooves. The "J" is simply an old font.

To sum up, military 8mm 98 Mausers will always have .323 grooves. Older sporting rifles should be checked for groove size. Any rifle produced after WWII will have the larger groove diameter.

herb wrote:

Herb,
I will take a good rifle without a name over a mere name.


Best-
Vikram

Share the sentiment.

So true! Regarding the Husqvarna being made on an FN action, I found many years ago that, in the 50s and 60s, FN workmanship was excellent -- far beyond what we can get in even expensive guns today. Nowadays, even the old Interarms (from Yugoslavia, if anyone here is old enough to remember that country) would look great, but compared to a fine old FN, these they had dished scope mount holes from over polishing, machine marks, second rate bluing, etc. Now, so much of this is overlooked because the "old stuff" is long gone.

Anyway, the old FNs were tight and smooth, not made to loose tolerances, like a lot of the military rifles. The finish was impeccable, too. Places like Husqvarna used these FN barreled actions and their craftsmanship in bedding, fitting, and finishing the firearm were done to the same standards.

Many firms used these FN actions or FN barreled actions. From Frank de Haas's book "Bolt Action Rifles":

One of the first large scale custom rifle makers to adopt the FN action was Waetherby of South Gate, California. They used these actions almost exclusively for their expensive custom rifles in the standard and Weatherby Magunum calibers until 1958, when they introduced their own bolt action.

…

Several large gunmaking firms also chose the FN actions on which to build rifles bearing their firm names.

As already mentioned, FN made rifles on these actions. The Browning firm, which is associated with FN, also made several fine grades of high power rifles on the slightly modified version of the FN action. A number of other firms formerly made rifles on these actions, including Sako, Parker Hale, Colt, Marlin, High Standard, Winslow, Harrington & Richardson and others. No bolt action could have a more distinguished endorsement than the wide use of the FN.

Mr. de Hass's list is by no means complete. Other firms that one doesn't usually associate with fine firearms used the FN action, such as Sears & Roebuck (Under the Ted Williams brand). I believe the Sears rifle that used the FN action was the Model 51. So, as herb points out, these rifles have not seen a lot of collecting pressure, and if you want a real FN action rifle, something better than 99% of what you can buy today (in my opinion, of course), you can still find real FN action rifles, if you know what to look for and what you are looking at.

A Good looking rifle there, Herb.