husqvarna bolt action (need some advice)

[Roland from Calif.]

Recently picked up a Husquavarna that is chambered in .243 with a kimber barrel. Nice rifle and appears to be fairly accurate. My problem is the bolt doesn't have very good scope clearance? I'm using a Leupold 4x compact. Is this rifle worth fooling with it or should I just leave it alone and live with it. It also has some type of aftermarket composite stock.

[ACTIONS BY R.A.K.]

ROLAND,
I ASSUME THAT THIS IS A MAUSER 96 OR 98 ACTION, WELL THIS COULD BE THE KIMBER IMPORT FROM A FEW YEARS BACK, IF EYE RELIEF IS A PROBLEM YOU CAN GO WITH EXTENSION RINGS WHICH WILL ALLOW A WIDER VARITY OF OPTICS, ALSO YOU CAN INSTALL HIGHER RINGS TO HELP WITH THE CLEARANCE. IF IT SHOOT`S WELL AND YOU WISH TO INVEST THE MONEY THEN BY ALL MEANS GO FOR IT!

RON KONTOWSKY
ACTION BY R.A.K.

CUSTOM GUNSMITHING CUSTOM PISTOLSMITHING

[halcon]

It sounds like one of the rebarreled mauser actions that kimber was selling . They were rebarreled ,restocked Swedish military rifles .Husqvarna made some of the actions for the swedish mausers .

[Roland from Calif.]

thanks for all your help. Just curious as to what this rifle might be worth? And if it is worth trying to have to the bolt modiflied for better clearance?

[Briman]

You could buy a really nice Carl Gustav 96 for anywhere between $120 and $250 depending on the source, the Husqvarna model 96 and 38's should be worth about $100 more. A sporterized 96 is worth whatever someone would give for it- probably about the same as a typical used hunting rifle, though the Husqvarna will have much higher quality than pretty much anything else made today for hunters.

Is the bolt straight? it could probably be cut and rewelded to give good scope clearance.

If it looks like this its a 96 action:



Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms... who's bringing the chips?

Edited by - briman on 10/17/2002 12:14:01

Edited by - briman on 10/17/2002 12:21:19

Edited by - briman on 10/17/2002 12:23:57

[Roland from Calif.]

Briman,
I believe it is a 96 action. Since I didn't pay much for the rifle it only makes sense that I try and get the bolt reworked. In your opinion is it worth putting a new trigger (Timney) in?

[Briman]

I don't know much about aftermarket triggers, but if you still have the original 2 stage military trigger, a good gunsmith should be able to grind the front hump off the trigger and polish it up to give you a decent single stage trigger.

Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms... who's bringing the chips?

[Roland from Calif.]

Briman,
thanks for the tip. I'll keep that in mind.

[RemingtonLover]

Hey guy,
Listen here. My preacher who is a former Fish and Wildlife officer in Alaska used a Husquavarna rifle in his days up there. He told me that he had this problem and that he brought it to a gunsmith. They took a Matchbook cover and but it under the bases almost like a shim. He said that it snowed and sleeted hard one day and the matchbook cover kinda fell apart so he went home and put a little peice of aluminum under the rear base. It worked out real well. I shoot the rifle every so often and he has had that little peice of aluminum under there since the 70's. Its a really accurate rifle and hes got a leupold scope on there thats just as old. Man its a shooter!

Curtis J. Graf

[thndrchiken]

I have a Husqvarna commercial, in 6.5x55 on a M96 action, the original 2 stage trigger with the front hump ground down produced 2-3" groups. After installing a Timney sportsman trigger and a little bit of stock work, the rifle started producing really nice 1/2-3/4" groups. A stock military trigger from what I've read sits around 8 lbs of pull with a good amount of travel, the Timney comes factory preset at 3.5 to 4 lbs with virtually no creep or travel. If your don't feel comfortable performing the trigger work take it to a smith and have him modify the bolt and drill and tap the receiver at the same time. I would also suggest Timney's Buehler style safety, which will allow you to mount the scope significantly lower.