Heym 7x64

[thirdbite]

Well, could be. I have never heard nor seen any reference linking in any way FN to Zas so thats news to me. I am aware of the mil version M48 and that they were a little shorter than normal, but that was a mil action with a thumb cut.
On the one hand you tell me nobody said they were in business together, but it sure sounds like they were if they were making guns for each other doesnt it?

They weren't making guns for each other. FN first supplied the FN24 to Yugoslavia. They licensed Kragujevek Arsenal to produce the Yugo 24. I believe they may also have provided tooling. Just a supplier/customer relationship. The 48 was just a modified 24 and the commercial product was basically the same without thumb cutout and clip feed lips - an easy modification of the military action.

 

[sestoppelman]

OK, I think I get what you are saying. When you opened with Zastava had made the commercial actions for the Heym sporter my mind said Mark X which is not right as we know.
Now I am not familiar with a commercial version of the M24 or 48 with no thumb cut. Can you point me to some info on that or post a pic of same?

 

[Red Leg]

Don’t want to interfere with the hijacking, but the OP’s rifle has a cut out and is clearly of military configuration.

 

[sestoppelman]

Yes, it does. And you are right about the jacking, apologies to the OP.
But thirdbite referenced something I was unfamiliar with was why I asked.
He wasnt talking about the OP rifle but rather what action was actually used in the early Western Field Heym sporter, but not that one.

 

[thirdbite]

Sorry for the hijack. I originally responded to a poster's comment that the rifle in question might be a Western Field by Heym. Search for western field on this site to see a couple for sale.
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[sestoppelman]

Sadly the pics dont really show much. Going on just that I would have said those were FN actions.

 

[mark-hunter]

Of FN and Zastava.
In 1920ties, FN provided (sold) tooling to zastava. for their newly established mauser line, for their military contracts.

 

[austrianhunter]

You can buy such rifles over here for 500,—

Its nothing special. And you cant compare them to a SR21. The SR21 is a perfect and accurate rifle with the smoothest running action you can buy today in a factory rifle.

 

[Serbian Hunter]

Zastava is factory here in Serbia (former YU) and Sestoppelman is right, receiver you are referring is in production from 1969 till today. Name of that model is M70 which explains a lot. That action was often used by some western gun producer as a base for their very expensive models (I recall UK Whitworth and Austrian/Ferlach gunsmiths but also others). Zastava was selling their actions as a semi-product (we used to call it "unbarreled action in white phase")
Action of your rifle looks very much like Zastava's earlier model M48 which was our military Mauser-type rifle just after WW2. Pls note openings at left side of receiver and safety

 

[Scrumbag]

I think more FN tooling went to Zastava in early 1960s as well after the FN Commercial / Brownings stopped being produced.

The Former Yugoslavia stuck with 8x57 for a long time after the second world war having rather a lot of 8x57 chambered guns and ammunition "donated" by the Nazi's and it does seem to work well.

Also, between ~1936 and -1945, Nazi Germany ran quite a lot of countries with factories / arsenals that produced weapons for the German military

Austria - Steyr made a lot of K98s (Apparently rather well and tended to go to the SS)
Brno - The VZ24 is basically a Mauser 98
FN - Made 98 type rifles, Browning Hi-Powers (You can find them with Eagles / Swatikas) and other things
Santa Barbara in Spain made 98 type actions with a thumb cut (Even though not occupied)

(There are probably others I am forgetting)

Funnily enough during Nazi Occupation, these factories all got "taught" how to make decent 98 actions - I would be interested to know how much interfactory communication there was during WWII and if relationships persisted afterwards.

Scrummy

 

[mark-hunter]

I think more FN tooling went to Zastava in early 1960s as well after the FN Commercial / Brownings stopped being produced.

Actually the first tooling from FN came in 1920ties to Zastava. See below screenshot, from Branko Bogdanovic historical book, on Yugo mausers.
After ww2, hammer forging presses came to Zastava, most probably from Austria.

 

[Scrumbag]

Actually the first tooling from FN came in 1920ties to Zastava. See below screenshot, from Branko Bogdanovic historical book, on Yugo mausers.
After ww2, hammer forging presses came to Zastava, most probably from Austria.

Nice one! Learn something new everyday!