Help me decide what to do with a spare FN commercial action...

The Kurgan

The Kurgan

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Super GunNutz
Rating - 100%
110   0   0
Location
Steel Town and The Peg
I've come into possession of another M98 small-ring FN commercial action. These suckers are rare so I jumped at the chance to buy it. Now what to do with it?

Like every non-stainless part, it WILL get the full colour case hardening / lacquer coating treatment from Oskar Kob, that much is non-negotiable :)

I was thinking of a handy 18.5" medium heavy contour stainless barrel (are Pac Nor any good?) and perhaps a Boyd's thumbhole laminate stock with extra bedding to account for the smaller diameter receiver ring. Timney trigger.

But, at the end of the day, I just don't want this fine action sitting around dust-collecting.

These days, I lean towards handy, shorter rifles in the time-honoured classic calibres: 6.5x55, 7x57, 308, 30-06, etc.. However, I've also been toying with the idea of something different like a 6.5 Grendel or perhaps even 7.62x39.

Budget up to $2000.

What would you do?
 
Short handy rifles are great, and a carbine length rifle with a nicely figured full length wood stock is appealing to my eye.

Either the 7X57 or the 6.5X55 would be excellent choices, but I'd be inclined to pass on the 7.62X39, if I was to get one it would be in a mini Mauser like a CZ-527. Likewise I'd pass on the 6.5 Grendel which would require modification to the bolt, and probably the magazine. The 6.5 Creedmore might be a viable choice, although the .260 Remington is probably more readily available, but I'd choose the 6.5X55 or perhaps a 6.5X57 if you wanted something a little different. If your action is long enough for the .30/06 without modification, what about a 9.3X62? Ballistics of the 9.3X62 wouldn't be particularly disadvantaged by the short barrel, which is something that can't be said of high velocity small bores, particularly when the 9.3 is loaded with the heavier bullets that are available for it.

I've never owned a Pac-Nor barrel, but their reputation is good. But this brings up a question, with the poor shape of the CDN dollar, purchasing an American made barrel will be more expensive, when there are equally good Canadian made barrels readily available without the long wait times. Your budget is tight for a full custom rifle, so if you can save a couple of hundred dollars by buying Canadian, that would help. In the end, the finished rifle must meet your vision and expectations, so only you can decide how it will end up.
 
Does the 9.3/308 have any advantage over the 9.3/57?

I'd go 250 savage in a nice walnut stright English stock with the case colors and blued barrel with a twist fast enough for the 115-120 gr partitions but I like quarter bores
Your last action turned out great
 
Hi gents. Keep 'em rolling!

Just an update that I have settled on 6.5x55

I also just found a Pac-Nor heavy sporter contour M98 stainless barrel. Pre-chambered in 6.5x55 and pre-thread from Hirsch Precision (local sponsor). 1-8" twist.

How about a Boyd's Featherweight thumbhole stock?
 
The Kurgan said:
Hi gents. Keep 'em rolling!

Just an update that I have settled on 6.5x55

I also just found a Pac-Nor heavy sporter contour M98 stainless barrel. Pre-chambered in 6.5x55 and pre-thread from Hirsch Precision (local sponsor). 1-8" twist.

How about a Boyd's Featherweight thumbhole stock?
Click to expand...

If a thumb-hole floats your boat, go for it. I liked them at one time, because I thought they provided a superior trigger pull angle, but since that time I've lost interest since the advantage was small at best, and prevents the rifle from being fired ambidextrously, which I consider a serious disadvantage in a general purpose rifle. Be sure the one you get has a large enough thumb-hole for the size of your hand, I saw one not too long ago on a SAKO, although the make was unknown to me, and I couldn't jam my thumb through the hole.
 
Last edited:
yep... and if it looks ugly... off to Murdoc for nitro-carburizing.
I have, as they say, eccentric tastes :) (meaning, I will probably like stainless with CCH)

I have a Boyd's thumbhole on my Savage MKII, and I quite like it. Hole is big enough.
 
The Kurgan said:
These days, I lean towards handy, shorter rifles in the time-honoured classic calibres: 6.5x55, 7x57, 308, 30-06, etc.. However, I've also been toying with the idea of something different like a 6.5 Grendel or perhaps even 7.62x39.

Budget up to $2000.

What would you do?
Click to expand...
I'd build a classic 20" full stocked 6.5x57 topped with either an older Leupold 3x or Lyman receiver sight. No rear sight on bbl.

An action like that deserves a classic European chambering.
 
That action will look fantastic but in a butt ugly thumb hole stock... yuuch! It needs a nice walnut classic style stock...
 
You could sell it at a profit? .....but with respect to Pac Nor barrels, I have one on a .22-250 AI and it is a great barrel. Not a common choice for rifles here in Canada for whatever reason but very accurate. I have fluted version and 3 shot groups run sub-.5" all day.

And No to thumb hole stocks!
 
Thumb hole stocks look good to me. They transfer recoil well and are comfortable to shoot. The downside is I find them slow to bring up. I like fast handling rifles and shotguns. On a short barreled rifle built for handiness I would think the platinum or heritage style would be better suited. If you want from a stand or blind then it doesn't matter
Either way please post pics of the rifle. I love case colors

Can't wait to save up the money for a full custom but I have a few projects I need to finish first
 
wow... maybe I should conduct a poll on "who likes thumbhole stocks"? :)

at the end of the day, I am a big fan of them. I find them confortable and attractive. However, I am also a fan of traditional styles of stocks.

This rifle will surely be a love / hate thing depending on who you are.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom