FN 1900 #4577

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kumpe
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Joined: Sat Feb 24, 2018 4:31 am

FN 1900 #4577

Post by kumpe »

My 1900 is finally home and has gotten some care. Haven't shot it yet, .35 Remington ammo is nearly impossible to find here in Sweden, and brass and reloading dies hasn't showed up yet.
The serial number is 4577. It's in decent condition but of course has some dings and scratches. Looks like it's been used quite a lot but was taken care of mechanically at least.

The worst part was that someone shortened the stock quite a bit, and fitted a thick hideous rubber buttpad.
The short stock didn't fit me at all so something had to be done.
Luckily they had kept the original buttpad, and even more luckily I had a spare stock for an Auto-5 which was more or less broken but the backend was fine.
Seeing that the 1900 stock and the Auto-5 stock are virtually interchangeable it was an easy task to cut the end of the Auto-5 stock and fit it to the butchered 1900 stock. Of course I also mounted the original buttpad again.
The result is far from perfect when it comes to looks but now it fits me, and I bought this rifle to use it for hunting, so who cares. Might redo it some day if I can find some better matching piece of wood.

While lengthening the stock I took the opportunity to recut the chequering. I was surprised how crooked it was. Unless someone recut it before, which I doubt, it must either have been an apprentice or hungover worker at FN who did it.
Redid the forend as well, which was a lot better but still worse than I would expect on a FN rifle.

Other than that, someone drilled and tapped the barrel rib. Which I don't really see as a bad thing. I'm not what you might call an avid iron sight shooter, so I've mounted one base so I can use a holo sight. I do plan to use the iron sights as much as possible though.
Anyhow, it was a neat job so no real harm done.

Here's some photos;

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It will probably look better once I get a couple more layers of oil on the wood.

Now it's on to load development. As I mentioned in another thread, I'm going to use this rifle on driven hunts where we usually hunt for moose, wild boar and elk. To do this I have to push the loads a bit to fulfill the legal requirements to hunt these animals. Can report back with results if anyone's interested.
canuck
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Re: FN 1900 #4577

Post by canuck »

Great work on the wood!
Looks very nice
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Bandersnatch
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Re: FN 1900 #4577

Post by Bandersnatch »

The attachment of that rail is terribly interesting. What sort of optic might you place there?
I am the cat who walks by himself. And all places are alike to me.
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Phyrbird
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Re: FN 1900 #4577

Post by Phyrbird »

I should think a fibre optic, a reflex with differing reticles, a short light scope. Keep in mind: the back can't hang over the chamber -- ejection is up, eye relief will be too long for most ordinary scopes. we're limited :x :x
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kumpe
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Re: FN 1900 #4577

Post by kumpe »

Bandersnatch wrote: Mon Jul 23, 2018 9:23 am The attachment of that rail is terribly interesting. What sort of optic might you place there?
What I'm going to try first is the Aimpoint Micro H2. Simply because that's what I already use on other rifles for driven hunts. But even though it's a relatively small sight, it feels kinda clunky on a rifle this sleek. Might swap it for a Burris Fastfire or Docter sight.
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81police
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Re: FN 1900 #4577

Post by 81police »

Looks great from the photos. With FN's it's a tossup on condition, but all are extremely collectible particularly here in the USA.

I'm personally very interested in a follow up with hunting photos!!!!
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kumpe
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Re: FN 1900 #4577

Post by kumpe »

81police wrote: Tue Jul 24, 2018 8:31 am Looks great from the photos. With FN's it's a tossup on condition, but all are extremely collectible particularly here in the USA.

I'm personally very interested in a follow up with hunting photos!!!!
Here in Sweden they are wildy underappreciated and underpriced. We have pretty low prices in general when it comes to used guns due to our gun laws but when it comes to Browning/FN's it's shockingly low.
Looking around the internet I see what kind of money these go for in the states. Crazy.
Let me put it this way, in the last two years I've bought an late 20's Auto-5 in decent condition, a mid 60's Trombone in near mint condition and this 1900. For all three I paid less than $300 altogether.

Will of course report back once I get it out on a successful hunt.
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Bandersnatch
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Re: FN 1900 #4577

Post by Bandersnatch »

kumpe wrote: Tue Jul 24, 2018 12:42 am
Bandersnatch wrote: Mon Jul 23, 2018 9:23 am The attachment of that rail is terribly interesting. What sort of optic might you place there?
What I'm going to try first is the Aimpoint Micro H2. Simply because that's what I already use on other rifles for driven hunts. But even though it's a relatively small sight, it feels kinda clunky on a rifle this sleek. Might swap it for a Burris Fastfire or Docter sight.
Zeiss Z-Point reflex sight. My favorite. :)

And hunting photos are always in order.
I am the cat who walks by himself. And all places are alike to me.
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