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Make: Fabrique Nationale
Model: Model of 1950 short rifle
Caliber: .30-06 Springfield
Location: Vista/San Marcos/Bonsall
Price: $600 SOLD 4/23
Will ship (Y/N): No*
Other info: Included is the rifle, repro leather sling, bayonet and scabbard, and 40 rounds of Fiocchi ammo w/ 5 stripper clips
Post-WWII Colombian Contract rifle in caliber .30-06.
The Model 1950 is a rebarreled/rechambered M1930 short rifle, built by Fabrique Nationale d'Armes de Guerre, Herstal-Belgium; the M1930, being a modernized M1924, altered to be compatible with more German surplus parts. This is a Mauser M1898 action similar to the Kar98 pattern but with a straight bolt handle and a handguard that extends to the receiver, with a 26" barrel. The included stripper clips are US issue 1903 style .30 cal clips; Colombia wanted to re-standardize their small arms and decided to buy US surplus, as America was switching over to .308 at this time and was liquidating reserves.
Colombian crest on the receiver and stock. Bore appears to have deep and sharp rifling, no pitting. Matching number bolt and receiver (serial doesnt seem present anywhere else), barrel has FN proof marks. Comes with a Czech VZ.24 bayonet, which was a model used by Colombia, and issued with these rifles, but I cannot confirm that this one is Colombian.
According to World of Bayonets: "In the 1950s, Colombia reworked their 7mm Mauser rifles into clones of the FN .30-06 caliber M1950 Short Rifle. The reworked rifles were given new F-prefix serial numbers to indicate rework at the State military factory, Fabrica Material de Guerra (FAMAGE), in Bogota." The Colombians also contracted FN directly for new M1950 short and carbine length rifles, which this one most likely is.
This example does not have an F-prefix before the serial number as described, however, it may have been rearsenaled, as it has a parkerized finish; although, this may have been done by the importer. Stock has wood spacers filling where the unit disk and where a more forward rear sling swivel either were, or could have gone. I do not know if this stock is the one which came on it from FN as it is not serialized, but it does have a Colombian cartouche on it. Again, it is possible that it was mixed up or swapped by the importer during a refinishing job. Stock is coated in a polyurethane varnish.
"The bayonet was made in Romanian, this one has the acceptance marks (the overlapped CM stamp). The Colombians did have some Brno Vz.24s and Vz.12/33s but the Colombian Vz bayonets had a unique scabbard. The stock may be a Steyr M1912 short rifle with an incorrect long bayonet lug and modifications to make it similar to a 1950 stock."
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