Spanish FR 8

[Calamity Jake]

Any one have one? Commets?

http://photos.gunloads.com/images/CalamityJake/spanishfr8002.jpg

It's a cutey. With an 18 inch barrel, in .308

http://photos.gunloads.com/images/CalamityJake/spanishfr8001.jpg

I just picked it up Saturday.

http://photos.gunloads.com/images/CalamityJake/spanishfr8003.jpg

Doing a little looking on surplusrifle says it should shoot cast real well.

[Dutch4122]

FYI mine slugs out at .309". Haven't done anything else with it yet. You might not want to assume a .308 bore.

HTH,

[Johnch]

I had one for years

A fun rifle

If needed a Cetme bayonet fits it :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Mine had a .310 bore and was rough ( slug your barrel )
But with .312 bullets it shot well enough
I just spent more time cleaning it than I did shooting it
Maybe lapping the bore would have helped ??

Just a FYI , I have seen several reports of rifles that had execessive head space over the years

I was told the actions tended to be "softer" and the military ammo tended to be on the hot side

But all that I have seen were fine and in what I would call shooter grade

I sold mine because my eyes need a scope and I didn't feel like grinding off the rear sight


Hope you got a gem

Enjoy

Johnch

[Larry Gibson]

Call me Bubba!

I have had my FR8 for 15 years. Hated the rear sight, hated the front sight as it would not zero without sight being way off tho the side. Took off rear sight and replaced with Lyman SME. Forged the bolt handle for easier manipulation from shouldered position. Pulled the barrel, set back 3/4 turn, finished reamed the chamber with match 7.62 reamer. took off the phoney CETME hardware, recontoured for SA Scout mount, Re-crownded muzzle, installed M14 flash suppressor and front sight. Groove diameter is .308 on mine. Inletted handguard for scount mount. Installed forward sling swivel and added cartridge carrier on side of butt stock. Recut stripper clip guide for M1903 strippers (use the surplus ones for the Swedish Mauser). Mounted a 1.5X Burris scout scope in low Weaver rings. All in all one very fine scout rifle now and probably comes a lot closer to Cooper's original intent than the Styer.

Some FR7s are reputed be soft and have setback problems but I've not heard of any such with the FR8s. I've several thousand M80s through mine with nary a problem.

Larry Gibson

[mtnman31]

I purchased an FR8 last year that was in fairly decent shape. The bore was dark but the rifling looks fairly crisp. Wood was in good shape with not much more than a few dings and handling wear. I fired five rounds through it and called it day. It grouped decent with the five rounds I put through it. It does show excessive headspace. The bolt closed on my NOGO gauge, but I don't have a FIELD gauge to put in it.

My rear sight appears to be missing a detent or something. The rear aperture does not have sufficient tension to stay put; it rotates around practically on its own. Other than those two faults, it is a nice rifle and I don't regret the purchase. I also picked up a bayonet at a gunshow at a bargain price. I still need to slug the bore and when I get the time this fall I will work on the headspace and sight issues. All in all a neat rifle with an interesting history.

For safety's sake, check it out with a headspace gauge (if available) and look your cases over after you've fired a couple.

[sturf]

The FR8 was orignally a 98 Mauser pattern Spanish Mauser chambered for the 8X57 mm cart. They were reworked in the 50s to conform to NATO. Rechambered to the 7.62 NATO (not 308) cart. Working pressure is lower in 7.62 than .308. They should handle modern loads ok if headspace etc. check out. I kept mine original for a long time but finally "sporterized" it mainly because of the sights. It likes the Lee 30 cal 170 gr fn at 1800 fps. using lino bullets.

[EMC45]

Nice one Jake! I got one about 4 months ago. I really enjoy it! Had the opportunity to get one 5 years ago and passed. Real dumb! I got this one at a pawn shop sidewalk sale for 77 bucks out the door!!!!! It slugged at .308 and the bore is like a mirror! The follower didn't have brass marks nor did the bolt face. I don't know if it was a re-park or if it was a nonissued gun? It is quite nice though. BTW the FR7 is the softer of the 2 from the research that I have done. My gun likes cast more than jacketed. I shot it last week with a Lee 160 gr. RNGC pure WWM over a charge of 11 gr. Unique lit with a WLR primer. Over the Chrono it averaged about 1550 fps. and I shot a 4 shot "group" standing at 25 yds and they all touched and were 7/8 in. CTC Experiment with this gun you won't be dissappointed and if you are I'll take it! Also with this short barrel the thing will really bark with full house jacketed loads. That is why I may relagate it to cast loads.:castmine:

[35 Whelen]

Call me Bubba!

I have had my FR8 for 15 years. Hated the rear sight, hated the front sight as it would not zero without sight being way off tho the side. Took off rear sight and replaced with Lyman SME. Forged the bolt handle for easier manipulation from shouldered position. Pulled the barrel, set back 3/4 turn, finished reamed the chamber with match 7.62 reamer. took off the phoney CETME hardware, recontoured for SA Scout mount, Re-crownded muzzle, installed M14 flash suppressor and front sight. Groove diameter is .308 on mine. Inletted handguard for scount mount. Installed forward sling swivel and added cartridge carrier on side of butt stock. Recut stripper clip guide for M1903 strippers (use the surplus ones for the Swedish Mauser). Mounted a 1.5X Burris scout scope in low Weaver rings. All in all one very fine scout rifle now and probably comes a lot closer to Cooper's original intent than the Styer.

Some FR7s are reputed be soft and have setback problems but I've not heard of any such with the FR8s. I've several thousand M80s through mine with nary a problem.

Larry Gibson

Oooo, Larry! Check this out:
http://www.opticstalk.com/photoserver/images/photos/2002.jpg

Great minds think alike, eh? LOVE my FR-8! It's my "....if I could have only one rifle..." rifle. You did a great job on yours.
Sounds like we did similar work on ours 'cept I had a 'Smith buddy pull the barrel and turn the flash hider down to a nub. Sorta protects the muzzle. I welded another bolt handle on (wish it were longer), bedded it, filled all the old voids in the stock left from removing the military hardware with tinted AcraGlas gel, had the same 'Smith install a Patridge type front sight then I mounted a good ol' steel Redfield reciever sight. Believe it or not, that's the original stock in the picture.
It shoots like this:
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6/308Scout/FR8groups1a.jpg

The group on the left is a 311291 ahead of 22 grs. of 2400. I have a 311291 hollowpoint mould that this rifle LOVES. Shoots groups easily rivaling jacketed loads. The group on the right is a jacketed handload. My daughter killed her first three deer with this rifle and the cast hollowpoint load.
35W (Proud Bubba)

[Calamity Jake]

I hope mine shoots like that, I just got it decoppered. If I get time tonight I will slug it and see what size it is.
The lands and grooves look real good.

[practical_man]

Oooo, Larry! Check this out:
http://www.opticstalk.com/photoserver/images/photos/2002.jpg

Great minds think alike, eh? LOVE my FR-8! It's my "....if I could have only one rifle..." rifle. You did a great job on yours.
Sounds like we did similar work on ours 'cept I had a 'Smith buddy pull the barrel and turn the flash hider down to a nub. Sorta protects the muzzle. I welded another bolt handle on (wish it were longer), bedded it, filled all the old voids in the stock left from removing the military hardware with tinted AcraGlas gel, had the same 'Smith install a Patridge type front sight then I mounted a good ol' steel Redfield reciever sight. Believe it or not, that's the original stock in the picture.
It shoots like this:
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6/308Scout/FR8groups1a.jpg

The group on the left is a 311291 ahead of 22 grs. of 2400. I have a 311291 hollowpoint mould that this rifle LOVES. Shoots groups easily rivaling jacketed loads. The group on the right is a jacketed handload. My daughter killed her first three deer with this rifle and the cast hollowpoint load.
35W (Proud Bubba)

35 W -- that looks very much like what I have planned for my FR-8. What scope mount did you use?

thanks.

[35 Whelen]

35 W -- that looks very much like what I have planned for my FR-8. What scope mount did you use?

thanks.

That scope mount came from Ashley Outdoors in Ft. Worth. I think they're now defunct, but maybe Brownells handles their stuff.
35W

[practical_man]

Thanks. I'll check into it.

[Finn45]

They are XS Sight Systems nowadays...:

http://www.xssights.com/store/scope.html


Ashley Outdoors in Ft. Worth.

[versifier]

I have an XS scout mount on my 98 Mauser and I love it. It was a real pain getting the epoxy into it to bed it properly, and I probably didn't get it filled completely. However, it shoots great and the mount is rock steady with a Leupold on it. Very well made and about 2.5 hours work - one for getting it leveled and epoxied onto the action, and the rest with the Dremel to inlet it into my B&C stock.

[twoworms]

I have a FR8, love it. I reworked the front site and it shoots much better now. I just need to work out a good cast load for it.

Tim

[Calamity Jake]

I got it decoppered and slugged it the other night, .309 X .301. I got my dies yesterday, I will see if 314299 will shoot in it.

[chevyiron420]

i have a FR-8 sitting in the corner. my wife bought it years ago and took it apart to refinish the wood. she got the wood mostly all preped and gave up. when we moved i found all the parts and put it back together. its odd, but she doesnt seem to want it but wont let me work with it.??????? maybe i need to trade here out of it?-phil:castmine:

[Dead Calm]

I had a FR-8 many, many years ago when I used only Jacketed bullets. Took it to the range with Factory Winchester 180 gr bullets. Recoil was unplesant. Sold it!! Wish I haad one now with the cast. It is a fun rifle!! Art