Info: Belgian Browning Safari Grade

A

Alakar

New member
I have a FN manufactured, Mauser action, Browning Safari Grade in .300 WinMag, that I aquired from a friend about 20 years ago. He wasn't the original owner, and I don't have any date of manufacture or really any other info on the rifle.

The serial number is 5 digits (59###) and has a "L70" following it. Stock is +90%, Bore and chamber are like new, exterior metal is +85%. It has a hooded front sight and a flip up rear sight, has scope rings mounted, but I don't know the manufacturer.

I've seen other rifles like this for sale from $1100.00 for a .243 to $1500.00 for a .308 Win. I'm curious about the value since my friend, gave me the rifle instead of paying me back $200.00 dollars he owed me.
 
They sell for about $400-600 in good used condition. Yours sounds like closer to the $400 end, possibly a little less. I passed on a good 30-06 a year ago that the owner was asking $400. For $1500 I would expect the rifle to be close to mint condition, a real collectors item.

The FN High-Power rifles are nice examples of a commercial M98, but the stocks were salt-cured (as I understand it, a method used to dry wood quickly rather than seasoning the wood or kiln drying), which usually means the action will be pitted under the stock line unless the inside of the wood was finished or glass bedded. This can be a problem especially in humid environments.
 
That price doesn't sound right. From all the ad's I've been looking at, the lowest price I could find for a Mauser action Safari Grade is $695, and from the pictures in the ad, that one is very beat up. Tho one's closer to mine in condition, seem to be in the $1100 to $1200 dollar range, but they are all smaller calibers. The larger calibers seem to be closer to $1800 (.375 and .458) including a mint one .300 H&H that the guy is asking $2395 for. I don't believe I have one of the salted stocks, because I have no corrosion on the surface anywhere on the rifle.

I still like to find if anyone has a serial number reference to show when it was made and what the production numbers were in different calibers.
 
375s and 458s are always more expensive, especially in mint condition. 2 reasons:
* Not that many of them made to begin with, so more desirable to collectors from a sheer numbers point of view. Not very many 300 H&H made after about 1958 when the 300 WinMag was introduced.

* Of the rifles in any particular grade, the heavy rifles (375, 458, etc) will be more expensive because manufacturers use better wood, reinforced recoil lugs, and hand-regulated sights, often multi-leaf sights.

If the price doesn't sound right, look on gun selling sites like GunsAmerica. In fact, you can sell it on GunsAmerica and let people all over the country bid on it. Or get a copy of "Gun Values" or the "BlueBook of Firearms Values" and look it up yourself. Anyway you look at it, you made out OK.
 
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