What is it about 404 Jeffery?

[Grz63]

Here is mine, found in a auction sale for succession. It is a FN with Brevex box. very seldom. (less than USD 1700) with 57 rounds and a Schmidt & bender scope. Yes I know a very very good deal.
May I enter the club ?

 

[ZG47]

Here is mine, found in a auction sale for succession. It is a FN with Brevex box. very seldom. (less than USD 1700) with 57 rounds and a Schmidt & bender scope. Yes I know a very very good deal.
May I enter the club ? View attachment 374880

Was that the ‘tin arse’ club you were talking about? Beautiful rifle, thanks for showing it off.

 

[Grz63]

I mean "404 owner" club ...

 

[ZG47]

I mean "404 owner" club ...

It is an Australasian reference to being extremely fortunate.

 

[AZDAVE]

Welcome to the club

 

[John Telford]

Your in! Welcome!

 

[Grz63]

With the serial number (especially the syntax) , I know it has been produced before 1958 .
If I remember well (but I can't find it anymore in the forum), someone had a contact with the FN or Browning company about all the rifle register. Don't hesitate to PM me for the SN, I would be curious of its history. Thanks. Philippe

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

I am having Reto Buehler build a .LH 404 Jeffery for me on a Granite Mountain magnum Mauser action with Pacnor barrel. Delivery next year... can't wait.

@Nevada Mike did you get this rifle? Would love to see some photos.

 

[Grz63]

@Major Khan , @peter1983 , @Red Leg , @One Day... ; May I ask you to help me find the age of my FN 404 shown above ? Thank you in adavance.

 

[One Day...]

Bonjour Grz63;

It is hard to say what year exactly the rifle was produced but there are some clues. I am no expert, but to the best of my knowledge(?):

1. In 1946 and until mid 1947, FN used standard military actions with thumb cut in the left action wall and charger clip cut and hump at the front of the rear bridge (see internet picture here under).
   
2. While the actions themselves were still unchanged from the military K98 pattern, the shape of the bolt handle was modified as early as 1946 with a distinctive sweep down and back to clear a scope (see internet pic here under).
   
3. Starting mid 1947, the action inner ring still had only one cut on the right side to clear the extractor, but the thumb cut and the stripper clip cut were removed, although the hump was still there.
4. Starting mid 1948, the action inner ring had two cuts, one of each side, but the hump at the front of the rear bridge was still there (see internet picture here under).
   
5. Early 1949, the hump at the front of the rear bridge was removed; the rear bridge was drilled and tapped for a receiver peep sight on the right side; and the new bottom was introduced, with hinged floorplate and plate catch at the front of the trigger guard.
6. Mid 1949, the low profile safety was introduced to clear a scope.
7. Late 1949, the front and rear bridge were drilled and tapped for scope mounts.
8. In 1956, the "Supreme" action was introduced. The classic Mauser bolt stop was replaced by the "improved" FN bolt stop monstrosity (a bolt stop attached to a spring blade riveted to the action); the classic Mauser bolt-mounted, firing pin-blocking safety, and the traditional Mauser style cocking shroud were replaced with an "improved" action-mounted, sear-blocking safety and a new style lower profile shroud; and the FN logo roll-engraved on the top of the front bridge was removed. However, standard (i.e. non Supreme) actions were still produced for a few years and assembled into base model rifles after the introduction of the Supreme action.

In this rifle's case:

1. Because the action does not have the thumb cut, stripper clip cut and hump, and because the rear bridge is drilled and tapped for a receiver peep sight on the right side, it was made no earlier than 1949.
2. IF the safety is the classic Mauser flag safety (see left internet pic here under), the rifle was likely made in mid 1949.
3. If the safety is the low profile safety (see right internet pic here under), the rifle was likely made anytime after 1949 (and before 1958, based on your serial number research). It could also be a mid 1949 rifle on which the safety was later changed for a low profile safety.
   
   

It does not look like the rifle has a Brevex magazine box / bottom metal. The bottom plate on this rifle is typical FN, with rounded trigger guard and catch release outside the front of the trigger guard. The Brevex trigger guard had a very distinct shape, and a different release mechanism (see pic here under).

One note of caution if I may. Because of the mount type, the scope is mounted quite high and quite far back. With fairly high recoil rifles, this increases significantly the risk of the scope cutting the forehead under recoil. Further, this generation of S&B scopes did not have as much high relief as modern scopes do. This puts your eye closer to the scope. Be sure to keep your neck straight when you shoot this rifle. Moving your head forward on the stock, in modern shooting form, is almost guaranteeing a scope "kiss"...

 

[steve white]

What's great about the 404...balance

 

[Ridgewalker]

A friend bought a new CZ550 recently in 375 H&H. He read up on the 404 J and immediately sent it to Pac Nor for rebarreling. Then it will go to AHR for tweaking. I’m as excited as he is to get to see it! We are already planning (fingers crossed) a trip to either the Caprivi or maybe Tanzania for DG for our 75th birthdays. I want to borrow it for an “own use” elephant!

 

[Grz63]

@One Day... Thank you for the analysis. My answers:

• no hump at the front of the rear bridge
• the shape of the bolt handle is like the one you showed off (sweep down and back)
• the action inner ring had two cuts, one of each side, with no hump
• the front and rear bridge are drilled and tapped for scope mounts. (obviously, the scope is here)
• There is no FN logo nowhere
• the safety is the same as on the picture , the classic Mauser flag safety . It can switch from left to right via vertical position (not on the right on my 375 HH, with a 1912 mauser safety). It is not a low profile safety as in the picture.
• The bottom plate is with a rounded trigger guard, sure. It is not a Brevex box. The expert said "a kind of Brevex" but it's confusing and means nothing, as the steel quality remains the one of FN.
• the scope high mounted allows the safety to be cleared.
• on the stock, there is a brand: Irupe

then conclusion: --> 1949 !
merci beaucoup, a true detective

 

[colorado]

What I want to know is why there is so much love for the 404 Jeffery and so little for the 500 Jeffery? Both are shorter and fatter cases than the Rigbys (416, 450). Both have rebated rims (which is a feeding problem for the 500 but not the 404?). I also think the 500 Jeffery is vastly underated as an elk and bear round for North America

 

[Nevada Mike]

@Nevada Mike did you get this rifle? Would love to see some photos.

The rifle is in the works. i expect it to be finished within a few months. I will post pictures when I get it in hand.

Thank you for your interest.

M

 

[Patrik D]

What I want to know is why there is so much love for the 404 Jeffery and so little for the 500 Jeffery?

404 fits in standard length action. Feeds well. Mild recoil. John ‘Pondoro’ Taylor wrote about it and we all like a good lovestory...

500 is just more then we need...

 

[Rule404]

 

[Rule404]

Sorry guys, having trouble putting all this together. My custom modified FN action 404J. Work done by Bob De Vries, Kudu Services..Australia.
tasteful engraving, not a bad piece of timber.1.5-5x 20 Leupold. Found a passable load. Should have stopped at that one.lol

 

[sierraone]

View attachment 416012View attachment 416012

Good looking rifle...tell us about it.

 

[Rule404]