doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com NOT a Tikka Forest NOT a FN Mauser HEYM! Probably

Apparently these rifles are rare, as other than a few pictures and one or two old sales, I couldn't find much information on the internet.

Does anyone have any history of these rifles?
Someone added additional bases to the top of the factory mounts. Probably couldn't find a set of the correct rings.
I'd be curious what are the correct rings?

Left side rail is stamped: "FOREST".

Obligatory pictures. (Not the best quality. Auction pics from the sale.)

If the pics don't show up, you can see them here: https://www.gunboards.com/threads/t...rs-built-on-an-fn-mauser-action.1213819/
I don't use a photo hosting sight any longer with so many sights hosting their own.

[img]https://www.gunboards.com/attachments/gun_0387-jpg.3941667/[/img]
[img]https://www.gunboards.com/attachments/gun_0380-jpg.3941668/[/img]

Can someone explain this claim? what does "rare" mean? just because of the name?

Please help us understand what the significance of this rifle is?

Very limited production. Apparently.
This is the third forum I have posted this question to.
So far........nothing.

If you have some information about the history of this(these) rifle(s), please share.

Not a Tikka....
It does have a very similar mark (to FN) on the bolt handle but once I cleaned the years of dried oil off the metal, it is not an FN mark.

The "Forest" name led first the auction house and then myself astray. Wasted many searches including the word "Tikka" which turned up the few examples I mentioned. Probably people who made the same mistake.

It is a "hardware store gun" made for Waffen Frankonia of Wurzburg, Germany. (Similar to JC Higgins Model 50)
Rifle was roofed in Munich in April of 1966
Can't prove this, but based on the font/style of the serial number I suspect the action and barrel were made by Heym.

Spent a few minutes here and there over the last few days looking up pages and using Google translate and found similar examples.

Mike,
If it helps, Heym made the Model 2,000 , 3,000 , and 4,000 Mauser rifles during the same time period. If you can find photos of these rifles to compare to yours, it may help. Also, if you post photos of your rifle someone may recognize it. BTY, because of factories in the area, including Heym in Muennrstadt, the Munich proof house had a sub-facility at Mellrichstadt. Your rifle was likely proofed there, they used the Munich house mark. The Heym made Mauser actions of that period had a tubular receiver with the recoil lug welded on. This was different than the Mauser 98 so would serve as an identifier for you. Waffen Frankonia had an "in house" shop that built sporting rifles from surplus mod. 98s, if your rifle doesn't have the Heym type receiver it might be one of these.
Mike

Mike,

I have had a couple of 2000 & 3000 series rifles that were "Mauser" marked but made by Heym.

This rifle is a commercial 98 Mauser action. I have a commercial Heym 98 barreled action, so I was able to compare the "font" of the s/n's in hand.

Mike,
Did the commercial Heym action have the thumb slot? What does the boltstop look like, is it a military type or the FN type? I was in their office in 1971 and there were examples of rifles they made before that, but I didn't have a chance to examine them. They were making the 2000 series, etc, then but I don't know when they started. On my second tour, the Heym family (Frau Heym) had won a court case and recovered full ownership of the company, so they didn't make them anymore.
Mikew

Mike,

The Heym(barrelec action) action does not have a thumb slot.
Has the late FN/Browning style bolt stop. Sadly, those parts are missing. I have acquired FN parts, but the designs are not identical and either action or bolt stop will need modification to be fitted to the Heym.

I would modify the bolt stop then, it would likely be easier to work on. Can you tell if the action is cast steel? Tip up actions of that period are.
Mike

i believe this is an intermediate large ring Mauser manufactured by Zastava in Yugoslavia using their tooling either purchased or licensed from FN to manufacture the model 24 and 48 action. Some were barreled and stocked and marked Heym on the barrel. Some were sold as Western Field model 720, Herters sold some and some were sold by Franconia. Actions only were sold as the VZ500 by Zastava as I recall. Most I am aware of had lever release floorplates. Some have Browning ejector housing and some have the Mauser ejector box. i believe none had thumb slots. They were machined and not cast.