I recently glommed what I believe is a first gen FN Special Police rifle. It was at a

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Mustang51

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I recently glommed what I believe is a first gen FN Special Police rifle. It was at an estate auction and just arrived at my FFL to begin the 10 day "cooling off" period. Have a few pictures from the auction site and a brief description.

Here are the pics...

7gfRUOq.jpg
XG4Imyj.jpg


Auction description advised:

*FN Special Police Rifle .308 Winchester caliber, 26" round barrel, S/N FG106xx. Black finish, with black synthetic stock. Condition: Excellent.

It looks like an early FN SPR, and haven't found much information about this rifle. Anyone have one?

Thanks.
 
Neat find! Basically a Winchester Model 70 dressed up as a tactical rifle. Check the trigger. I believe the 1st gen ones still had the old-style M70 trigger, instead of the new, enclosed MOA trigger.
 
Thanks, OBD.

I went over the rifle when it arrived at my FFL, before it went into his safe for the waiting period. I'm not sure about the trigger.

I will say that the rifle was in excellent shape and looked little used. Here is a link to some excellent "zoomable" pics. Give them a look, if you are of a mind, and let me know if you can tell anything about the trigger.

Thanks

http://cowanauctions.com/auctions/item.aspx?id=168847#

Click on "full screen" in the upper corner of the picture, then you can use the zoom in bar at the bottom.
 
cool, in that case, order LOTS of bullets and powder and primers too! what part of the country are you in?
 
Live near Sacramento, CA and am a member of Sacramento Valley Shooting Center. It is an excellent club and range facility.

My sons and I shoot in the vintage military rifle silhouette matches there. Looking forward to branching out a bit.
 
If it has a 26" barrel, it's a 1st Generation model of which only about 650 were made. I've got one as well, although it has been thoroughly customized by G.A. Precision, and resides in one of the first 12 McMillan A-5 stocks made.

Don

fnsprnew1.jpg
 
If it has a 26" barrel, it's a 1st Generation model of which only about 650 were made. I've got one as well, although it has been thoroughly customized by G.A. Precision, and resides in one of the first 12 McMillan A-5 stocks made.
Click to expand...

It does have the 26" barrel? Does yours still have the original barrel? Wondered how it shoots and if there were problems with the original 1st gen SPR's.

Thanks
 
Yes, mine still has the original 26" barrel. What with a chrome-lined barrel, you will likely never wear it out. Problems? Yeah, there's this little problem of it wanting to shoot .75 MOA with Sierra Gold Medal Match ammo, and even less with good handloads. You'll just have to live with it.:)

Don
 
The reason the 20"+ barrels on precision guns went away was they didn't really do much. Far LE precision work in particular you don't need a barrel that long. Past about 22" you loose any velocity advantage in .308 with most precision loadings, and you actually gain accuracy as you start to shorten the barrel. Rifles Only, or possibly one of the other major precision schools literally cut off the barrel an inch at a time and tested it for grouping. They were at SBR territory when they stopped cutting, and never had a drop off in accuracy. All things being equal a shorter barrel is stiffer, which means it'll be more accurate. If your engagement range is going to top out at 200 yards, you really don't need much barrel to get a .308 BTHPM round there with sufficient authority.

-Jenrick
 
Yes, mine still has the original 26" barrel. What with a chrome-lined barrel, you will likely never wear it out. Problems? Yeah, there's this little problem of it wanting to shoot .75 MOA with Sierra Gold Medal Match ammo, and even less with good handloads. You'll just have to live with it.

Don
Click to expand...

LOL, thanks, Don. I guess I'll just have to put up with it...;)
 
The reason the 20"+ barrels on precision guns went away was they didn't really do much. Far LE precision work in particular you don't need a barrel that long. Past about 22" you loose any velocity advantage in .308 with most precision loadings, and you actually gain accuracy as you start to shorten the barrel. Rifles Only, or possibly one of the other major precision schools literally cut off the barrel an inch at a time and tested it for grouping. They were at SBR territory when they stopped cutting, and never had a drop off in accuracy. All things being equal a shorter barrel is stiffer, which means it'll be more accurate. If your engagement range is going to top out at 200 yards, you really don't need much barrel to get a .308 BTHPM round there with sufficient authority.

-Jenrick
Click to expand...

Thanks, Jen.

The matches that I'm contemplating start at 200 yards and go out to 1000
 
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Mustang51 said:
Thanks, OBD.

I went over the rifle when it arrived at my FFL, before it went into his safe for the waiting period. I'm not sure about the trigger.

I will say that the rifle was in excellent shape and looked little used. Here is a link to some excellent "zoomable" pics. Give them a look, if you are of a mind, and let me know if you can tell anything about the trigger.

Thanks

http://cowanauctions.com/auctions/item.aspx?id=168847#

Click on "full screen" in the upper corner of the picture, then you can use the zoom in bar at the bottom.
Click to expand...
I looked it over and it looks like a very well cared for piece. To see the trigger mechanism, you'll have to take the rifle out of the stock. If the trigger mechanism is open and there are 1/4" adjustment nuts, it's the old-style M70 trigger. If the mechanism is just an enclosed unit, it's the newer MOA trigger.

I only mention the old style trigger because some folks prefer the open design on a hunting or other hard use rifle that may be exposed to foul weather or poor conditions on the theory that it is less likely to gum up and fail when needed. They can be a little tricky to tune but get them right and they are an excellent trigger. Then again, so are the MOA triggers and they're more easily user adjusted.

Either way, it's a very fine rifle. Congratulations!
 
It was at an estate auction and just arrived at my FFL to begin the 10 day "cooling off" period.
Click to expand...

It's finally cooling off in South Carolina. Thank God.

Temperatures are are only in the high 80s now after many weeks straight of ~100 degree temperatures.
 
It's finally cooling off in South Carolina. Thank God.
Click to expand...
.

Is it legal to pick up a gun from your FFL on a hot day in SC?

The scope I ordered for it arrived yesterday--now I'll be all set as soon as I "cool off"...
 
The legend was that they made them out of selected M240 blanks.

Short range benchrest shooters like short stiff barrels.
If you want to stretch the range, a long barrel and its free velocity are a help.
 
The legend was that they made them out of selected M240 blanks.
Click to expand...

Not a legend, Jim, FN made the barrels out of M249 blanks in South Carolina, then assembled the rifle on a special line in New Hartford, Connecticut.

If you want to stretch the range, a long barrel and its free velocity are a help.
Click to expand...

Yep! The .308 can use all the help it can get when shooting out to 1k.

Don
 
Mustang51,

What are the bases on your receiver? They are not the typical 20MOA picatinny rail, so I'm wondering if there's any slope built into them and if your rings will fit them.

Don
 
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