FNH Patrol Bolt Rifle

[perdurabo]

I bought one of these recently sight unseen based on the following article:

FN Herstal Patrol Bolt Rifle

The article states "One of the first things people notice is that the action looks very similar to a new Winchester M70 with the new pre64 claw extractor."

When I think of "claw extractor", I think of a Mauser 98 style external controlled feed claw extractor as with a Ruger M77 Hawkeye. This thing didn't have a mauser style extractor once I got it, it had a bolt face that looked much more like a modern Win model 70 or Remington 700. Don't get me wrong, I like the rifle and how it shoots, but what I want is a modern precision rifle that has a mauser style controlled feed claw extractor and a receiver mounted ejector. Its my opinion that the mauser system is more reliable than the later model 70 or Remington 700 with the extractor and ejector installed in the bolt face.

Does FNH make a version of this rifle with the claw extractor? The FN SPR rifles are advertised as having "Controlled round feed (CRF) with external claw extractor", so Im assuming they do, but I'm still a little confused about why certain FNH guns would have have claw extractors and others wouldn't, since it was my understanding that all FNH rifles were based on pre64 Winchester model 70s.

 

[jcann]

I believe what you have is a controlled round push feed (CRPF). Look at your bolt face and you should see a relief cut at the bottom which allows the round to engage the bolt face from underneath.

Looking at the pictures in your link you can definitely tell its not a controlled round feed (CRF). There isn't a claw extractor. Whoever wrote the article was a little confused.

As far as did they make a CRF, I don't know, maybe someone more knowledgeable will chime in.

 

[2Shots]

I started with an FN PBR, purchased in 2010, it has the claw extractor as you described, I figured they were still that way but I'm not sure. That does look like a control round push feed, I don't see any exposed extractor looking at the bolt body. Sorry, you bought sight unseen, we've all been there, trust me. Price wasn't bad though!

 

[Niles Coyote]

https://www.google.com/search?q=win...ences&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&tbm=isch

 

[perdurabo]

Ok, I think I found my answer here:

http://www.snipershide.com/shooting/snipers-hide-bolt-action-rifles/148447-fn-pbr.html

"Your PBR is what is referred to as a "controlled round-push feed" (CRPF). It has a sliding plate extractor like the Winchester M-70 post-64 and Savage Model 10. The ejector is the same blade ejector of the pre-64 style M-70 and SPR. The PBR is a hybrid action that allows the cartridge head to slide up the face of the bolt and under the extractor as it is stripped from the magazine, so it is not a true push feed. It does not have the full external claw of the pre-64 and Classic M-70 or SPR, so it is not a full Controlled round feed, either. Ejection is the same, however. Trigger is the same as the SPR and M-70 two lever (pre-2008 and MOA trigger)."

So its a hybrid "controlled round push feed", which to me sounds like an oxymoron, but I get the gyst, I just would prefer that my bolt have a traditional mauser style external claw extractor. Maybe it doesn't matter, I'll run the rifle for awhile and see how it goes.

 

[msalm]

Is your rifle a 223 Rem? The small bolt face is the only one with a push feed as far as what I've seen so far.....oops, check that thought, looked at the link and looks like they did do some in the controlled push feed. All the SPR's I've handled were all full claw extractors.

 

[darrenk75b]

PBRs were push feed. The PBR-XP and SPR retained the CRF claw

 

[perdurabo]

Its a .308. it does not have a full mauser style claw extractor, but it doesn't have the small Remington 700 style clip over extractor either. Its apparently some sort of hybrid. Can someone tell me for sure that there are PBRs with the full claw like the SPRs?

 

[perdurabo]

What are the specific differences between the PBR and PBR-XP apart from the claw extractor? A google seach is giving me conflicting answers.

 

[cramey74]

I used to have one just like it. Nothing wrong with it at all. When you get sick of it you can make a nice build off of that action.

 

[Quarter Horse]

There have been a number of iterations of the PBR. CDNN had PBRs in both the hybrid bolt and the pre-64 bolt a few years ago. If I remember correctly the .308s and .300WSM were on the pre-64 and the .223s were the hybrid bolt (CRPF). I believe darrenk75b has the nomenclature correct. The current pictures on the FNUSA website of the TSR XP and XP USA appear to be of the hybrid bolt variety. My guess is there is no longer a PBR with the claw extractor. To this point, all of the SPRs are on the pre-64 style actions. Action Guy is the screen name for our resident FN bolt gun authority. He hasn't been very active recently but if you PM him, he will have the answers.

 

[tdow]

Yes, I can tell you for sure that there were PBRs with the claw extractor. The designation of the rifle that has the claw extractor is the PBR-XP. I believe that the only difference between the PBR and the PBR-XP was the claw extractor. The TSR-XP also has a claw extractor, but uses the new FN/Winchester "MOA" trigger while the PBR-XP used the old 2 lever trigger, which I believe is the only difference between those rifles.

Pics of the claw if you are still skeptical: Controlled Round Feed: Cutting Through The Hype | Art of the Rifle

 

[mark5pt56]

I used the PBR-XP for my Gap build and that old trigger is super easy to adjust and nice as well.

 

[c4xplsv]

The PBR XP has a claw extractor. It uses Controlled Round Feed. (I've owned one in the past). Other PBR's (non-xp) did not have claw and used push feed.

 

[Action Guy]

Perdurabo,

As you may have gathered, there are two different PBRs being referred to. One is the earliest version, the PBR, that you evidently own. The other is the later PBR-XP. To confuse the issue even more, these were replaced by the TSR-XP. Here is a little background and the differences in the three.

PBR: built in USRAC on M-70 style receivers with flat bottom, two-lever triggers, three-position safeties, blade ejectors. At the same time, Winchester had a similar M-70 action the market along side their "Classic M-70". They had the hybrid CRPF bolts with the sliding plate extractor. Other than that, they were very similar to the SPRs in design but did not get the accuracy enhancements of the SPR line. PBRs delivered with a black Hogue stock and a non-fluted barrel with only a 4 round DBM. Barrel lengths ranged from the recoil-reduced 16" model up to the 24" version. They were only available in .308 Win.

PBR-XP: also made in USRAC, made to replace the PBR and enhance appeal. Same action but now with the CRF claw extractor. Came with an OD green Hogue stock, fluted barrel and DBM or hinged floorplate magazine. They could be had in .308 Win and .300 WSM with 24" barrel. Only the barrel is marked as "PBR-XP", not the receiver. If you are looking at a PBR-XP (with fluted barrel) with a black stock, it has been cobbled together by someone other than FNH. All PBR and PBR-XP Hogue stocks carry the FN logo on the pistol grip cap area.

TSR-XP: made in FN Manufacturing in Columbia, SC starting in 2010. Same basic rifle as the PBR-XP except with three-lever "MOA" trigger. Four models were available: .308 with 20 or 24 inch barrel and 4 round DBM, .300WSM with hinged floorplate and 24 inch barrel. The TSR-XP USA was an "Ultra Short Action" in .223 Remington. It came with a hinged floorplate magazine, smaller profile Hogue stock, 20 inch barrel and only came with the CRPF sliding plate extractor of the original PBR.

All PBR/PBR-XP/TSR-XP have hammer forged barrels, non-chrome lined. They all had the three position safety, flat bottom receiver and fixed blade ejector. They were meant to shoot no less than 1.5 MOA, but many, if not all, shot much better than that. All had Hogue Overmold stocks of one type or another with aluminum block bedding. They are good rifles in their own right, but make very good base for custom builds as a few on the Hide have done. The TBM Kit will bolt right into any of these rifles using the DBM magazine assembly. Some slight fitting inside the magazine well opening on the stock might be required to make the magazines drop free.

Hope this helps.

 

[Quarter Horse]

Ben, thanks for showing up.