View Full Version : My Belgian FN 98 safety
I have looked at a few reviews, ect. and haven't seen another rifle with the safety on the right hand side like mine. Maybe FN did it? I'm thinking the owner had it modified. I like the safety like this. Another question. It has a scope mount. Did FN ever set these commercial rifles up for a scope or is this another modification by an owner?
I have come to the conclusion that this rifle was made in the early 1950's.
53044
Looks like a Buehler safety . . . .common on sporting Mausers.
Vern Humphrey
06-18-2023, 02:21
Looks like a Buehler safety . . . .common on sporting Mausers.
That's what it is -- I've had several rifles with Buehler safties.
I have looked at a few reviews, ect. and haven't seen another rifle with the safety on the right-hand side like mine.
I do not want to waste your time so please tell me the position of the safety when in the fire position and safety position.
F. Guffey
If the rifle has been cocked and the switch is in the down position like in the picture, the rifle is ready to fire. If flipped up, it isn't. I didn't know the name of the safety, but the blue kind of told me it was an add on.
But the other question is: Did FN drill and tap for scope mounts? I see lots of these rifles with scopes and I'm sure hunting was the main purpose of them. Did FN figure this into their plan? In the rear right side of the receiver(in the picture) there are holes for a Williams peep sight. I don't recall the exact name of that sight. So, did they figure, that's plenty; If someone wants a scope then the buyer had to get it done.
I think FN did D&T the receiver . .
Being that the hole spacing is the same on a Lyman 48 or 57, AND a Williams Foolproof, this option is available to you.
If the rifle has been cocked and the switch is in the down position like in the picture, the rifle is ready to fire. If flipped up, it isn't. I didn't know the name of the safety, but the blue kind of told me it was an add on.
But the other question is: Did FN drill and tap for scope mounts? I see lots of these rifles with scopes and I'm sure hunting was the main purpose of them. Did FN figure this into their plan? In the rear right side of the receiver(in the picture) there are holes for a Williams peep sight. I don't recall the exact name of that sight. So, did they figure, that's plenty; If someone wants a scope then the buyer had to get it done.
All of my Mausers flip to the left to fire, yours flips to the right. I do not have a Mauser that flips to the right to fire, if it did you safety would have to stand straight up to set safety. I have to go see a doctor, I do not know which one but it seems everything has run together.
F. Guffey
Vern Humphrey
06-19-2023, 12:59
All of my Mausers flip to the left to fire, yours flips to the right. I do not have a Mauser that flips to the right to fire, if it did you safety would have to stand straight up to set safety. I have to go see a doctor, I do not know which one but it seems everything has run together.
F. Guffey
That's a Maynard Buehler Low Scope Safety. It replaces the standard Mauser 3-positon safety. It has only two positions -- up for safe and down for fire.
If the rifle has been cocked and the switch is in the down position like in the picture, the rifle is ready to fire. If flipped up, it isn't. I didn't know the name of the safety, but the blue kind of told me it was an add on.
But the other question is: Did FN drill and tap for scope mounts? I see lots of these rifles with scopes and I'm sure hunting was the main purpose of them. Did FN figure this into their plan? In the rear right side of the receiver(in the picture) there are holes for a Williams peep sight. I don't recall the exact name of that sight. So, did they figure, that's plenty; If someone wants a scope then the buyer had to get it done.
All of my Mausers flip to the left to fire, yours flips to the right. I do not have a Mauser that flips to the right to fire, if it did you safety would have to stand straight up to set safety. I have to go see a doctor, I do not know which one but it seems everything has run together.
F. Guffey
Did FN drill and tap for scope mounts? I see lots of these rifles with scopes and I'm sure hunting was the main purpose of them. Did FN figure this into their plan? In the rear right side of the receiver(in the picture) there are holes for a Williams peep sight. Iname of that sight. So, did they figure, that's plenty; If someone wants a scope then the buyer had to get it done. don't recall the exact
I have FN receivers, all use 98 Mausers parts, some Belgium Mausers were different. The ones that were different required different parts. There was one that would allow the bolt to be assembled and installed into the receiver without the safety. The safety could be installed after the bolt was installed, if the proud owner of the strange rifle pointed the rifle straight up, the safety would slide out. It is unlikely anyone will come across a Mauser with a right hand safety.
F. Guffey
Three position safety: the third position locks the bolt but if the safety fires when turned to the right the safety locks the bolt when turned to the left.
F. Guffey
JOHN COOK
06-20-2023, 09:15
ALERT…ALERT. You guys are trying to explain the correct position of the safety to someone who invented HEAD SPACE and has hundreds of gauges. Good luck..
John in S.C.
barretcreek
06-20-2023, 07:33
All four of my FN commercial Mausers have that type of safety. I will check my 1955 Gun Digest to see if it mentions the receivers are D&T.
The Buehlers 'fire' position is down to the right. Some FN commercial rifles on GB show the 'fire' position to the left, with a two position safety.
There are a lot a variation with military safeties, which I think Guffey is getting at. I don't have a "real" K98 anymore, but I think it had a three position safety. Thanks.
There are a lot a variation with military safeties, which I think Guffey is getting at. I don't have a "real" K98 anymore, but I think it had a three position safety. Thanks.
The flag safety on Mauser rifles is one of the most universal features of these weapons. From the back all the way to the right is safe and locks the bolt, straight up is safe but is the "lock and load" position which allows you to open the bolt and load the rifle on safe, or for a quicker move to the fire position, all the way left is fire.
Since the military safety is awkward for low 'scope mounts companies came up with modifications, probably the most common is the one on the rifle in the OP which was used by both commercial manufacturers and gunsmiths converting military rifles into sporters. It simply replaces the military flag safety with a similar flag safety that was two positions and, because it only rotated up about 45 degrees, didn't interfere with a 'scope mount, IIRC up fire down safe. The Winchester had a different solution for a bolt mounted safety on the Model 70 which used a three position safety which moved fore and aft instead of up and down.
Here is a tutorial on disassembling (the video title incorrectly says "removing") a Mauser 98 bolt with a Buehler safety.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35D9Af1jV3E
A few years ago I was asked to clean-out, sort and separate and then organize the contents of an off campus office of a professor. I thought he should have started years earlier, I did not think he should have waited until I approached 80 years and he approached 90. I accepted the request with the understanding I knew what he wanted done with the his life time of work. This included the contents of his shop at his home in Denton, Texas. At the same time I was asked if I was interested in making an offer on the contents of parts , tools and merchandise from his partners shop. Seems others were asked to make offers but the offers were too low.
In the mix were 6 rifles that he had built but were returned for various reasons. I went through them to identify the problems. one had a a right handed safety. I went through all of his bolt Mauser parts and found enough parts to build 3 right hand safety bolts; meaning he purchased three 3 Mausers with right hand safeties. Nothing was predrilled, one rifle was drilled and tapped incorrectly, that one I had to align the Buller base and rear ring, to avoid adding holes I used a spacer with longer/shorter screws. The was one increasable accurate rifle. The rifle came to me with a scope with a short tuber, the bells on the scope did not fit the rings so I used a very long scope, I liked the looks of the rifle and the glass was very clear. No one complained, I did not charge them and I gave them the short scope as in JIC, 'Just in case some one wanted to argue'
And then there was the rifle with the stuck JAG. I found a bullet ahead of the jag and a .250" drill bit broken off and stuck in the barrel ahead of the bullet. I was told I could stick a 257 barrel on the rifle and then be done with it. I had a 7MM Remington Mag barrel that was identical in profile and length to the 257 Weatherby. Problem, the barrel was not tight meaning hot high pressure cutting gas cut the face the face of the barrel 'C' ring.
William T. Watts came for a visit at that time. We took out time to find an antenna for his radios.
F. Guffey
More safeties:
I have a Parker-Hale .243 that has a safety on the custom trigger. Kind of like the case & dime trick used above you cock the bolt, remove it from the rifle and then using some Delrin material (in the picture) you pull the action back far enough to put a little pin in a hole. Then you can separate the pieces.
53090
About the safety: I think it's awful. Looks like something you would put on a pellet rifle.
53091
Ready to fire.
53092
Safety stops here. Is is safe? NO
53093
With some effort you "go over the click"
and cover the red dot. Now it's safe. Before I lubed it I needed a screw driver to get it all the way back.
It's still hard to move and I can see how someone might just pull it halfway and "feel" like it's back. A rinky dink safety in my opinion.
Oh, but I love this rifle.
Many years ago I had no interest in becoming the Mauser expert on safeties. I did find members that became experts on the South American rifle with the safety that was different. I was told they had an instructor that required the shooter to stick their nose up and on top of the safety. I understand he had complaints from shooters so he had the safety moved to the right side and everyone lived happily ever after. Anyhow, all of this happened before the Internet; back then when these rifles became available I had friends that did not know what held the safety in place. I asked, where is the safety, he replied; "In my pocket".
F. Guffey.
ALERT…ALERT. You guys are trying to explain the correct position of the safety to someone who invented HEAD SPACE and has hundreds of gauges. Good luck..
One small South American country ordered a 30/06 chambered Mauser with a right hand safety, the safety was a three position safety. They thought the safety that was designed to fire when on the left side was in the way and they thought it hindered accuracy. My opinion about sights and accuracy? I would choose a thin, skinny one ever time.
F. Guffey
That one little country ordered the rifles from FN.
ALERT…ALERT. You guys are trying to explain the correct position of the safety to someone who invented HEAD SPACE and has hundreds of gauges. Good luck..
One small South American country ordered a 30/06 chambered Mauser with a right hand safety, the safety was a three position safety. They thought the safety that was designed to fire when on the left side was in the way and they thought it hindered accuracy. My opinion about sights and accuracy? I would choose a thin, skinny one ever time.
F. Guffey
Vern Humphrey
06-30-2023, 03:21
One small South American country ordered a 30/06 chambered Mauser with a right hand safety, the safety was a three position safety. They thought the safety that was designed to fire when on the left side was in the way and they thought it hindered accuracy. My opinion about sights and accuracy? I would choose a thin, skinny one ever time.
F. Guffey
If I had designed the '03 Springfield, it would look like the '03A3, with a peep sight and a wider front sight, a gas baffle for the left raceway, and forged scope bases on the receiver -- with an appropriately bent bolt handle.
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