My FR8's. Update and new photos

[Potashminer]

For certain is a lot of merit in big bear post #40. Maybe goes about cost - I think into the 1960's milsurps were super cheap to buy - way cheaper than buying a commercial made rifle - was very common out here on prairies to hunt with guys using WWI or WWII made milsurps - cheap and they worked well. But do some reading. The VERY BEST Lee Enfield No. 4's - the British Sniper T's - selected because of unusually good performance from run-of-the-mill - then sent off and carefully tuned by Holland and Holland - and only needed to put 6 out of 7 rounds into a 10" circle at 400 yards - that is 2.5 MOA if you do not count one shot fired - and "good enough" to go - as a sniper's rifle - no doubt some would do better than that, but was the minimum standard, then - of THE BEST OF THEM. So like most Axis bought today will do that with no-name scope. And pricing has pretty much turned around - except for maybe some made-in-China SKS or similar, not too many "cheap to buy" milsurps are left anymore.

 

[MiG25]

Based on serial numbers, the FR7 was produced in less than 1/10th the numbers of the FR8. IMO the FR7 is a nicer rifle.

As far as a bush gun, a Parker Hale 303 is excellent and cheap, has a peep site and a detachable mag.

 

[Craig0ry]

Based on serial numbers, the FR7 was produced in less than 1/10th the numbers of the FR8. IMO the FR7 is a nicer rifle.

As far as a bush gun, a Parker Hale 303 is excellent and cheap, has a peep site and a detachable mag.

I do have a few parker hale delux's as well, great guns, but for general plinking in no mans land, surplus 7.62 is is good to go

 

[Can-down]

So what’s the point of this thread? Buyers remorse?

Take the time and research what you wanting to buy. There are resources to study online… allot. Learn your sheet before you buy… simple as that.

Seems more like a live and learn post, takes some balls to post about lessons learned the hard way.

This thread is educational and the feedback spans the gamut from "these guns will never be worth much to a collector" To "Don't refinish it or you will reduce it's value"

Both maybe slightly correct..... At the end of the day some people think they are a cool gun to own and others not so much it would seem.

 

[Can-down]

Based on serial numbers, the FR7 was produced in less than 1/10th the numbers of the FR8. IMO the FR7 is a nicer rifle.

As far as a bush gun, a Parker Hale 303 is excellent and cheap, has a peep site and a detachable mag.

Do you know roughly how many were converted back in Spain?
Any idea what the numbers are in Canada?

 

[Can-down]

I always wonder why everybody on the EE has a 100% trader rating when misrepresentation is so rampant. Can't trust anybody.

By the sounds of it some people are reluctant to post a negative or neutral when the "If you didn't ask, I don't need to tell" sellers get snarly.

I've only had to deal with a few "special" people here and have had overwhelmingly good transactions from the majority.... but the special folks are out there!

Some with hundreds of transactions.

 

[Can-down]

The bayonet alone is rather unique and different, and unlike say a Jungle Carbine bayonet, rather affordable!

 

[MiG25]

Do you know roughly how many were converted back in Spain?
Any idea what the numbers are in Canada?

I saw a SN survey on another forum, the SN's imply 4,000 FR7's were made vs 50,000 FR8's.

 

[Claven2]

For shoot8ng 7.62 out of milsurp Mauser, I'd rather have any of the Brazilian conversions like the m1954 (in '06), m1934, m1968...

All are better fit and finished than a Spanish FR.

Even 1908's cut down into short rifles with Springfield '03 barrels are a nicer gun. Just saying. (yes, a legit variation)

The Spanish mausers were always very crude. Worse than a yugo m48.

 

[Can-down]

For shoot8ng 7.62 out of milsurp Mauser, I'd rather have any of the Brazilian conversions like the m1954 (in '06), m1934, m1968...

All are better fit and finished than a Spanish FR.

Even 1908's cut down into short rifles with Springfield '03 barrels are a nicer gun. Just saying. (yes, a legit variation)

The Spanish mausers were always very crude. Worse than a yugo m48.

I think part of the attraction to the FR's for people that dig it, is the "steampunk" Frankenstein, one foot in the past and one in the future vibe they put off.... that and maybe up until recently the cheap price for something different.

 

[Can-down]

I saw a SN survey on another forum, the SN's imply 4,000 FR7's were made vs 50,000 FR8's.

No where near as common as a Winchester 94 eh..... I wonder how many millions of those were made and look at the prices lately.

 

[MiG25]

For shoot8ng 7.62 out of milsurp Mauser, I'd rather have any of the Brazilian conversions like the m1954 (in '06), m1934, m1968...

All are better fit and finished than a Spanish FR.

Even 1908's cut down into short rifles with Springfield '03 barrels are a nicer gun. Just saying. (yes, a legit variation)

The Spanish mausers were always very crude. Worse than a yugo m48.

My FR7 is a very nice rifle. The FR8 that I had was nice enough but rough cycling, would probably have smoothed out.

I disagree about the Yugo vs Spanish Mausers. The Yugos are bottom of the Mauser barrel.

 

[Can-down]

I've never handled an FR7, a set would be ideal....

 

[Can-down]

I was curious if anyone had bubba-converted one over to mag fed but could only find this picture of an extended box online. Looks like it was done possibly without modifying the rifle much?

 

[Potashminer]

I never tried a mag feed conversion - but it is a 7.62 NATO Mauser 98 - so likely internal magazine for 8x57JS was blocked at front wall of magazine - like the Israeli's did on their conversions - so whatever can or could be done with GEW98 or k98 can be done to that one?? I believe OP's intent is to go with a Trench Magazine - pluses and minuses to that, but nothing is irreversible that way. Is probable that something is needed within the trench mag to work with 7.62 NATO versus 8x57JS.

There is an AIA in 7.62 NATO here, marked as No. 4 Mk 4, as well as other markings - with a couple extra 10 round magazines - not so sure that I would want to pack that thing around with much more weight on board than those 10 rounds?

 

[Craig0ry]

I was curious if anyone had bubba-converted one over to mag fed but could only find this picture of an extended box online. Looks like it was done possibly without modifying the rifle much?

There is a few online where people had done an m14 mag conversion. One was fixed on place and one was removable, both needed to be heavily modified. as Potashminer said above and was ever so curtious to sell me a trench mag he had, I will run that from time to time, it doesn't fit the FR7, but it does fit the FR8.

Your comment about steam punk is absolutely correct Can-Down, the old mixed with new definitely drew me to this rifle. I liked it years ago when I used to see them aswell, wish I would have grabbed one or two then.

 

[Can-down]

I never tried a mag feed conversion - but it is a 7.62 NATO Mauser 98 - so likely internal magazine for 8x57JS was blocked at front wall of magazine - like the Israeli's did on their conversions - so whatever can or could be done with GEW98 or k98 can be done to that one?? I believe OP's intent is to go with a Trench Magazine - pluses and minuses to that, but nothing is irreversible that way. Is probable that something is needed within the trench mag to work with 7.62 NATO versus 8x57JS.

There is an AIA in 7.62 NATO here, marked as No. 4 Mk 4, as well as other markings - with a couple extra 10 round magazines - not so sure that I would want to pack that thing around with much more weight on board than those 10 rounds?

I forgot about the AIA's, they are heavy with the teak furniture but are pretty cool .308 lee enfield clones... I picked up one of the 7.62X39's jungle carbine looking, ak mag versions when wolverine had them available in small numbers.

 

[Can-down]

There is a few online where people had done an m14 mag conversion. One was fixed on place and one was removable, both needed to be heavily modified. as Potashminer said above and was ever so curtious to sell me a trench mag he had, I will run that from time to time, it doesn't fit the FR7, but it does fit the FR8.

Your comment about steam punk is absolutely correct Can-Down, the old mixed with new definitely drew me to this rifle. I liked it years ago when I used to see them aswell, wish I would have grabbed one or two then.

Well you've got a couple now....
Good luck with the projects, post a range report when you get a chance.

 

[Potashminer]

Regarding magazine conversions for Mauser 98 - is a number of Parker Hale sporters here in various chamberings - most have the hinged floor plate - but one is a detachable magazine - PH magazines are not latched in very well, I do not think - but the upper end of it seems to feed well, so long as the box mag does not fall out of the rifle. Might be possible to adapt like an M14 or other fastening system - use the PH top end idea - likely could make something to work as a detachable magazine, on a former mil-surp Mauser 98?

Alternatively - I just set an AIA 10 round 7.62 NATO mag against a Mauser 98 receiver - some small amount of milling and I think it would fit and feed - and still allow top loading. Then would need some creativity for the latch mechanism - then modifications to the stock, then probable significant alterations to the integral magazine box on the Mauser trigger guard unit. Mostly depends what you have on hand to start with, and how motivated one would be to make it work?

Is perhaps a bit confounding on a Mauser - the magazine feed lips are milled into the underside of the receiver rails - to hold the cartridges down - so that milled out shape seems important to get the thing to feed correctly when altering chambering or magazine? I have two here that I can make work nicely using the "Score Hi" single shot followers - rifles are heavy barrel Mauser 98 converted to 243 Win - but I am missing something subtle in the feeding - can not get either to reliably feed from the magazine, without the single shot follower in place.

So a detachable magazine likely needs some "lips" to hold cartridges in there when the magazine is out of the rifle, but then the same lips need to work with, or work as, the feed lips on the underside of the Mauser receiver, when the magazine is inserted into the rifle. Why I suspect that the Israeli's had to insert that block at the front of their 8x57JS conversions to 7.62 NATO - to reliably get the 7.62 NATO cartridge body to work with the milled feed lips for 8x57JS.

 

[Hitzy]

I love peep sights, but man...for a beater bush gun, I'd sort out a #4 sporter for a few hundred bucks.