French FR-F2 7.62×51 NATO Bolt Action Sniper Rifle w/SCROME J8 Scope
SOLD FOR: $4,900
WOA#: WY240215KN020
Make: Manufacture d’Armes de Saint-Étienne (MAS), France
Model: FR-F2
Serial Number: F05529
Year of Manufacture: Mid-late 1980s
Caliber: 7.62x51mm NATO
Action Type: Bolt action, detachable magazine fed
Markings: The left side of the receiver is marked “F.R. F2-7.62.N”, “M.A.S”, and “F.05529”. The bottom of the receiver has a small Navy Arms import mark. The underside of the bolt body is marked “F.05529” and “05529”. The rear of the cocking piece is marked “D M”. The underside of the forend is marked “F.05529”. The right side of the forend is marked with factory lot information. The left side of the scope mount is marked “02796”. The left side of the scope base is marked “No. 1929”. The top of the scope is marked “SCROME PARIS”, “ARMEE FRANCAISE”, “Designation: J 8 F 1”, “CODE FAB: FA1V6 B01/3308”, “De fin de Garantie”, “1997”, “1998”, “999”, “000”, and then with the first letter of each month (except December, which has been worn off).
Barrel Length: 25.6”
Sights / Optics: The top of the receiver has a 3 part proprietary mount machined into it. The black polymer handguard is topped with night sights. These are backup sights. The front sight is a post with an aiming reference. The rear sight has been removed. The aiming references glow when charged by exposure to light but dim quickly. A French Army surplus SCROME J8 8x40mm scope has been mounted to the top of the receiver. The lenses are slightly foggy and there is a chip in the left side of the rear lens.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stock is made up of a wooden buttstock and a black polymer forend. The buttstock has a serrated pistol grip and hard rubber buttpad. The top of the buttstock has two holes to secure a removable cheek piece that is missing. The black polymer handguard is a heat shield designed to conceal the barrel’s heat from early thermal imaging. There are sling loops on the underside of the forend and buttstock. The buttpad is worn along the edges and there is a large amount of dried adhesive around the sides. There are compression marks, scuffs, and scratches throughout wood and polymer surfaces. There is a crack coming off the rear of the receiver tang. There is a chip in the top of the comb. There is wear around the cheek piece holes. There is dried adhesive at the top of the buttstock along the sides of the receiver. The front and left sides of the pistol grip are worn near the bottom. There is a small chunk of polymer missing from the top rear left corner of the forend. The LOP measures 13.5” from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttpad. The stock rates in about Fair to Good overall condition.
Magazine Quantity & Condition: The magazine for this rifle is missing.
Type of Finish: Parkerized
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is light erosion in the bore with stubborn grease throughout.
In this writer’s opinion, this bore rates 8 out of 10.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 80% of its metal finish. There are scuffs and scratches throughout the metal surfaces. There is slight wear along the edges of the receiver. There is some light oxidation along the rear sides of the receiver and on the muzzle device. The bipod legs have many scratches and there is wear to the bipod mount. The scope exterior is heavily scratched. The bolt and action show usage wear. The screw heads show light to moderate use. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle rates in about Good condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this rifle. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This rifle comes with a SCROME J8 8x40mm scope.
Our Assessment: The FR-F2 is an upgraded version of the earlier FR-F1 sniper rifle which was initially chambered in 7.5x54mm French. The new rifles were chambered in 7.62×51 NATO to finally fit in with NATO standards. The FR-F2 was the standard sniper rifle of the French Army well into the mid-2010s. Navy Arms purchased the entire stock of decommissioned FR-F2 sniper rifles from the French Government and imported them in the early 2020s. The FR-F2 has a number of unique features: The stock can accept a spacer and different cheek pieces. The top of the receiver has a 3 part proprietary mount machined into it. The adjustable bipod legs attach to the barrel next to the receiver allowing the barrel to remain free floated while the rifle is aimed in multiple directions. The black polymer handguard is a heat shield designed to conceal the barrel’s heat from early thermal imaging. The adjustable and tunable muzzle device allows the flash ports and barrel harmonics to be adjusted. The stock on this example has wear to it, with a crack at the rear of the receiver tang. The metal retains most of its finish, with wear along the edges and some spots of oxidation. The bore is in good shape and should be a nice shooter after a deep cleaning. This rifle comes with a correct model of SCROME J8 8x40mm military surplus scope. It is, however, missing its magazine and will need to be single-loaded to use. These are very rare and desirable rifles and this example would fit into any French or military sniper collection. Please see our photos.
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