Stole it.

[ShadeTree]

Hello all, been off the boards for a while, life gets busy sometimes.

Thought I'd post a new acquisition. Been keeping an eye out for 1 of these for a few yrs, ran across very few honestly, and the few I've seen have either been priced way to high, or beat up. I figured sooner or later I'd run across the right one.

JC Higgins M50. A bonified FN Mauser with the FN logo and made in Belgium. Camouflaged as a run of the mill rifle because of the Sears Roebuck that came stamped on the barrels. I've never owned 1 before, but the barrels are from High Standard and are chrome lined bores.

Like the few others I've handled the action runs slick as melted butter. This one is chambered in America's cartridge, 30-06. :grin: $275. :shock: :grin:

 

[DrMike]

That is for sure a steal! I remember the JC Higgins very well. A quality firearm. You've done well.

 

[cloverleaf]

That and a vintage 250 as well. I gotta know where you shop :grin: Nice rifle! CL

 

[ShadeTree]

That and a vintage 250 as well. I gotta know where you shop :grin: Nice rifle! CL

Thanks. I've come to realize that I live in a rifle rich area. There's 2 flea markets in particular that I hit when I'm on the prowl for either a bargain or a hard to find rifle, or both. My favorite way to buy. No fees of any sort to purchase something that is already my Constitutional right to freely own.

I have 2 rifles here that I bought online including that 1920 Savage, but as coincidence would have it, that rifle happened to be just down the road from me and I was able to go look at it in person before bidding.

 

[Guy Miner]

Excellent! What a great find.

Guy

 

[Gun nut]

Wow! Congratulations on a great buy.
Duane

 

[ShadeTree]

Thanks all. I am of course anxious to try it out but that likely wont be until after hunting season, or spring.

The actions on these are the same as FN produced for the early Brownings, as well as the early Sako's. FN is top of the heap in a commercial mauser, IMO. Barrels on these are supposed to be known for accuracy and long life. We will see.

Somebody has a wrong rear scope base on it so I'll have to change that first. I'll shoot it first as is, but will likely give it a simple bedding job (if there is such a thing as simple bedding on a mauser) and free float the barrel. The quality is there, I'll know about the accuracy in a month or 2 probably.

 

[JD338]

Nice find. Can't beat the price.

JD338

 

[sako2]

Shadetree shoot it as is before you do anything. I have 3 fn mauser and all 3 are great shooters with nothing done to them. Nice find.

 

[ShadeTree]

Shadetree shoot it as is before you do anything. I have 3 fn mauser and all 3 are great shooters with nothing done to them. Nice find.

Yep I plan on it. A good bedding job is a good thing, but if a rifle shoots well the way it is I generally let them alone. I've got a few that to this point I've seen no reason to mess with them. I'll be tickled if this is another one.

 

[sako2]

Mine likes 140 gn bullets over 150's. My load is a 140 gn speer bt over imr7828ssc. Soots dime size groups at 100.

 

[PJGunner]

I have one that was gifted to me, a 30-06. The friend that had it couldn't shoot it anymore due to problems with his shoulder. He was an amateur gunsmith and it had a really nice stock. Well it was nice until I too a fall into a steep canyon and it was me or the rifle. The stock was broken as the grip and not repairable. I still have it but it now sits in a Butler Creek synthetic. Gun definitely looks worse for the wear but it's one I'll probably never part with. I took quite a few deer with it while living in Nevada and few more here in Arizona. They're kind of addicting as I have three more, all in 30-06 and had one that was a .270 until I rebarreled it into a 7x57 and put it in a Husqvarna Husky stock. I know someone will ask why change from the .270 so I'll tell why and hopefully avoid questions. Early Higgins M50s had the rear sight mounted bass ackwards. The dovetail groove for the sight was situated right in the middle of the chamber. I just was not comfortable with something like 60KPSI in that thin spot right by my face.
BTW, if the OP wants an owners manual for hisM50, I can send him one if I can get my printer to work. I've had more trouble with Apple computers and printers. Drives me sane.
Paul B.

 

[ShadeTree]

Anybody know how to get this stuff off the metal without affecting the bluing? I've run into this before with older rifles, my 98 Mauser has some of it on it but that gun is scarred up enough here and there that I don't worry about it.

This picture shows some of it, most noticeably to the right of made in belgium on the receiver, and also some on the front receiver ring.....looks like old pitting marks but it's not, it's dried on cosmoline that somebody never cleaned off. My understanding of it was that it was an excellent rust inhibitor, but it dries on like a hard varnish.

 

[sako2]

Mineral spirits. Don't use a paper towel.

 

[Rednek rampager]

I’ve used Hoppes #9 and very fine steel wool to get that off of old mil surp rifles before too.

Took it off & didn’t hurt the bluing at all.


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[ShadeTree]

I’ve used Hoppes #9 and very fine steel wool to get that off of old mil surp rifles before too.

Took it off & didn’t hurt the bluing at all.


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I've used that exact formula many times to remove light surface rust......Hoppes and fine steel wool. Works great. This here appears it's gonna need some heavy scrubbing, I figured I was gonna need a different approach. But if you've done it before I'll try it. Maybe at a non obvious spot first. Thanks.

 

[filmjunkie4ever]

Heck of a deal! And one can always use another .30-06!

My only complaint with these is that they should’ve come with a 24” tube instead of a 22”. Just my personal preference.


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