FN Browning Safari in 222 Mag (now with pictures)

T

Tim Bogle

New member
I have a chance to get one in 222 Mag. It has the SAKO L461 action. The metal is in excellent shape. The wood shows normal dents and dings from being 50 years old. Bore is very sharp. It has not been molested in any way. Has anybody here ever had one in the 222 or 222 Mag?

Tim
 
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Tim, what kind of money are you talking? Some of the older guns are going for what a custom could be built for...look before you leap.

On mine, I felt as if the magazine was a little too short for the 222 Mag case, so I ended up shooting it as a single shot.

I shot the barrel out in one season shooting p. dogs, red hot dog town 11 miles long and 3 miles wide...no one was shooting dogs then.

Good luck!
 
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Tim, what kind of money are you talking? Some of the older guns are going for what a custom could be built for...look before you leap.

On mine, I felt as if the magazine was a little too short for the 222 Mag case, so I ended up shooting it as a single shot.

I shot the barrel out in one season shooting p. dogs, red hot dog town 11 miles long and 3 miles wide...no one was shooting dogs then.

Good luck!



The price is not an issue. The gun is priced in the SKS range and it comes with about 300 rounds of mixed ammo. I know I'm getting a deal..I just wandered they shoot.

Tim
 
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Good luck finding brass...



Brass is no problem. I have a 700 chambered in 222 Mag and it came with several hundered cases and I bought new remington brass from Mid South.

Tim
 
Since it's priced that low and not in collectable condition anyway, I wouldn't hesitate to buy it. If it's shot out,, you wouldn't have to worry about "molesting" it with a new barrel.
IMO the L461 is the best small cal action ever made.

As a matter of fact I'm planing on shooting mine tomorrow.

Please post pix if you do buy it...

Good Luck
 
As long as it's not a salt gun.

If it is truly 50yrs old, I don't think it can be. Salt guns were more often in the larger calibers, also. I forgot the exact years. I'm thinking like 1963-71 or something. I'd look it up, but I gotta go rack out. Just something to think about.

You could always remove the stock and check for rust to be sure.......
 
I didn't know of any of the sako actions to be set in salt wood? I have seen
and have a few safari grade mausers that were in salt wood and it did very
minimal pitting to them.
 
I had one in a 222 not a mag, sold it for $1400 it had been shot a little, guy said he had been looking for one for a long time. I think they still book at $1400 for NIB but that never means much.

Booger
 
If the rifle is not a salt wood gun as 2mg mentioned, and if the price is anywhere close to being good, buy the rifle, and treat it right. I have two rifles chambered for the 222 Mag. Each will deliver 5 shot, 1/2" accuracy at 100 yards. I think the 222 Mag is a tad better design then the standard 223, but there's not enough difference between the two to quibble over w/r to balistics
Brass is readily available from Huntingtons.come, RCBS. I just bought a bag of 250 pieces of 222 Mag brass from them about 3 weeks ago.
Also, Nosler makes custom loaded 222 Mag ammo for Midway. I bought a box of it before finding out that RCBS had brass available. That ammo Nosler makes is absolutely the most accurate factory ammo I ever shot. It's the ammo I shot two 1/2" five shot groups at 100 yards with each rifle I have, totaling four groups...

Martyn
 
Congrats,,,, /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif we still need pix though... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif
 
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I bought it. No salt damage at all. I found a scope base online. When it comes in I will scope it and she what she will do.

Tim



hey tim, before you wreck that gun, you should know that most of them long duces were designed for shooting north of the 49th, something to do with magnetic pull. if you send it to me, i'll send you a proper south of the 49th long duce; otherwise known as a 223. congrats on the rig, can't wait for target pics, lee. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
I think I'll be keeping it just like it is.
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