For Sale FN Supreme Mauser 358 Norma

[rookhawk]

For sale is a very clean FN Supreme Mauser in 358 Norma. I’ve never used it, only checked headspace to ensure it was safe before selling it. (I got it in a combo deal awhile ago)

I’m not sure it’s been used at all, the paper decal for the original optic is still on it.
Includes Redfield scope. The 358 Norma barrel was done by a famous US barrel maker, Harry McGowan, and his firm is still in business in Montana.

Here’s a gun in a caliber suitable for all living things in North America that will work great for a Safari too. From what I hear, the FN Supreme action was one of the best ever made.

$1800 to your FFL.

 

[Shootist43]

Rookhawk, this is an awesome rifle. McGowan normally builds barrels for Benchrest shooters. The Redfield scope was made in Denver so it should be a good one. Do you know who put the McGowan barrel on the rifle? I have a Win Mod 70 converted to a 404 Jeffery with a McGowan barrel that was done by Randy's Custom Guns who btw is located in Montana as well.

 

[rookhawk]

Rookhawk, this is an awesome rifle. McGowan normally builds barrels for Benchrest shooters. The Redfield scope was made in Denver so it should be a good one. Do you know who put the McGowan barrel on the rifle? I have a Win Mod 70 converted to a 404 Jeffery with a McGowan barrel that was done by Randy's Custom Guns who btw is located in Montana as well.

Hi @Shootist43

This is conjecture, but I here is what I believe to be true.

Harry McGowan lived in Illinois. During that era (this rifle looks early 1960s?), Harry built many FN Supreme mausers, including more than a few 358 Normas and 308 Normas. Interestingly, I see the identical stock from this era on Roy Weatherby guns so I suspect they had a shared supplier. At any rate, at this time Harry McGowan was alive and building custom guns, was importing FN Supremes, and was installing barrels at this shop.

Harry sold McGowan Barrels to a group out west (Montana?) 10-15 years ago and Harry McGowan passed away not long ago having long retired from the custom rifle business. This rifle has nothing to do with the western USA McGowan barrel business, this gun was made by its founder Harry McGowan while he was still working mid-century.

A google search of "McGowan FN Supreme" in their images section, or "358 Norma FN Supreme" will turn up many images of other guns he made of similar quality. (although all of the ones like this sold for higher prices...there is a trashed one at William Larkin Moore right now for the same price I'm asking)

Regards,

Rookhawk

 

[Shootist43]

Will somebody please buy this rifle quick so I can stop thinking about it?

 

[rookhawk]

"Back in the post World War II years there was a boom in barrel making. Prior to the war, there were very few barrel makers outside of the big manufacturers like Winchester. However, after the war, names like P.O. Ackley, Atkinson & Marquart, Bliss Titus, Bill Sukalle, and Harry McGowen all became known for high-quality barrels.

Most of these names have since passed into history and young shooters would not recognize them. With a possible exception, Harry McGowen was about thirty years old when he started out in the barrel-making business in 1959. He continued making barrels all those years and earned a good reputation for accuracy. In 2007, Harry decided that he would prefer to scale back, so he sold the business. Harry continues his gunsmithing activities in Illinois.

McGowen Precision Barrels, LLC was formed in 2007. Retaining the storied name was essential in communicating to the shooting public respect for the traditions of customer service and accuracy that kept McGowen in business for nearly half a century. With that spirit in mind, the new management set about the task of improving on the tooling and machines purchased from Harry."

 

[Rick Cox]

Beautiful gun in a fantastic caliber.

 

[rookhawk]

Trying to pinpoint the date of manufacture for the group.

Dates of note for the rifle and its original optic:

-McGowan started his Illinois shop in 1959
-RedField 3x-9x optic started production in 1962

The Redfield scope has a P serial number prefix.

Serial number prefixes of Redfield scopes ended in 1974.

My gut says this gun was made 1967-1970 but I'd welcome corrections or more precise triangulation.

 

[Ray B]

Rookhawk-

The date of your McGowen barrel should be stamped on the bottom of the barrel immediately forward of the receiver ring (other side of the stamping that says McGowen Barrel and cartridge. The other indicator, and I don't have the dates immediately available, but Redfield purchased manufacturing rights of the Bear Cub scopes form Kollmorgen. The Kollmorgen scopes were made with 26mm tubes and shortly after the purchase Redfield changed over to 1 inch tubes. This was seen as an advantage because far more mounting systems used 1 inch. So Redfield wanted to advertise that the tubes were 1 inch, as noted on your scope. Later they dropped the 1 inch notation in favor of Widefield and other designations. But in dating, that would put the scope in the early period of Redfield production of the Bear Cub scopes.

 

[Ray B]

The one digit is the month then the two digits are the year. the 5 digit number is the barrel number.

 

[rookhawk]

Rookhawk-

The date of your McGowen barrel should be stamped on the bottom of the barrel immediately forward of the receiver ring (other side of the stamping that says McGowen Barrel and cartridge. The other indicator, and I don't have the dates immediately available, but Redfield purchased manufacturing rights of the Bear Cub scopes form Kollmorgen. The Kollmorgen scopes were made with 26mm tubes and shortly after the purchase Redfield changed over to 1 inch tubes. This was seen as an advantage because far more mounting systems used 1 inch. So Redfield wanted to advertise that the tubes were 1 inch, as noted on your scope. Later they dropped the 1 inch notation in favor of Widefield and other designations. But in dating, that would put the scope in the early period of Redfield production of the Bear Cub scopes.

Awesome data, @Ray B

I didn't recall a date code under the McGowan barrel and had to go back and check.

Indeed, I think the serial number prefix of 91465XXX means the rifle was made 9/14/1965 which corresponds to its style, the era of the original scope and mounts, etc.

Thanks again, @Ray B

 

[sestoppelman]

The scope is an Accu Range which is the same make and model used by the Marines on the M40 sniper bolt rifle in Vietnam. Should have the so called tombstone yardage marker on the right, with double lines across the top called stadia wires for distance reference. We call this the first gen. Redfield, 2nd gen changed the font to a slanted style.

 

[rookhawk]

The scope is an Accu Range which is the same make and model used by the Marines on the M40 sniper bolt rifle in Vietnam. Should have the so called tombstone yardage marker on the right, with double lines across the top called stadia wires for distance reference. We call this the first gen. Redfield, 2nd gen changed the font to a slanted style.

The more we learn! It appears Generation II Redfields came out around 1968. The fact this scope says ' 1" tube ' on the turret base and that the text is block, not script, points this to a Generation I model from 1965-1966, just like the date code on the rifle.

I hadn't realized that the scope was quite valuable from this era and sought after for the M40 crowd. I guess the fact that it still has a paper decal affixed to the optic is a testament that this gun hasn't been used much since it was assembled in 1965.

 

[sestoppelman]

Yes, I have two of them. Marines had theirs done in a greenish anodizing that sets them apart from the commercial scopes, however its said that very early M40 rifles may have actually arrived in VN with the gloss version and later Red made a matte black for the later guns.

 

[Rifle57]

Rookhawk, this is an awesome rifle. McGowan normally builds barrels for Benchrest shooters. The Redfield scope was made in Denver so it should be a good one. Do you know who put the McGowan barrel on the rifle? I have a Win Mod 70 converted to a 404 Jeffery with a McGowan barrel that was done by Randy's Custom Guns who btw is located in Montana as well.

Do you mean Randy's Custom Rifles in Cody Wyo. Or is there a Randy's Custom in Montana also?

 

[Rifle57]

For sale is a very clean FN Supreme Mauser in 358 Norma. I’ve never used it, only checked headspace to ensure it was safe before selling it. (I got it in a combo deal awhile ago)

I’m not sure it’s been used at all, the paper decal for the original optic is still on it.
Includes Redfield scope. The 358 Norma barrel was done by a famous US barrel maker, Harry McGowan, and his firm is still in business in Montana.

Here’s a gun in a caliber suitable for all living things in North America that will work great for a Safari too. From what I hear, the FN Supreme action was one of the best ever made.

$1800 to your FFL.
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That is a very nice rifle!!!

 

[CoElkHunter]

Great looking rifle in a very intriguing caliber!

 

[BC.Pat]

Great rifle, great caliber. Good luck with the sale.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Will somebody please buy this rifle quick so I can stop thinking about it?

Art I can see another rifle coming your way soon.
Bob

 

[sambarhunter]

.358 Norma Mag,one of the great medium calibres. I am waiting (still) for mounts for mine otherwise she would have been out and about this year again.
I would be happy with the above action and barrel,the stock with that ROC and the scope do nothing for me.

 

[rookhawk]

Surprised. Thought there would be more love for this gun considering an FN Supreme Mauser Action is one of the more costly actions to procure. Heck, FN Supreme action rifles beat to heck in pedestrian calibers like 30-06 and .270 seem to be going for nearly the asking price. Go figure. Covid.

I should mention that the bottom metal is forged or milled, not cast. The bottom metal alone would be a $350-$400 purchase.