Shear_stress
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- Joined
- Apr 27, 2005
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Here's a weird one I recently picked up. Designed in Denmark in the late 1940s, the Madsen M47 is regarded as one of the--if not the--last bolt action infantry rifle introduced. My understanding is that this rifle was meant as a cheaper alternative to the semi-auto options that were still fairly new to the scene. Hard to believe that a walnut-stocked turnbolt could be seen as an inexpensive fall back at a time when the Kalashnikov was being developed, but that conservatism probably reflected the prevailing industrial knowledge of the time.
The Madsen did have some interesting features, though, including a muzzle brake, rubber recoil pad, and a rear sight with click-adjustable windage. The bolt bears two locking lugs behind the handle and cocks on opening. The length of pull is very short; it was probably assumed that prospective users would be on the smaller side. The finish seems to be some sort of black paint.
The M47 was catalogued for about ten years in a variety of chamberings. Literally nobody bought them. In the late 1958s, however, the Colombian Army ordered five to six thousand rifles chambered in .30-06 and this model is known as the "M1958". A lot of things about the Colombian order aren't so clear and it's hard to verify if the rifles ever even made it to Colombian soil. One thing is certain, though: a lot of the rifles found their way to the U.S.
I found this one locally on the used rack of a "big box" store. It is a later production gun, serial number 62XX-58, and it wears the Colombia Army crest on the left side of the stock. Funny story--it's actually the second Madsen I've seen at this store in a year. The other one lacked the "Fuerzas Armadas" stamp. After handling the last Madsen I decided I was wasn't going to let this one slip by.
Besides a couple of minor bumps and scrapes, my Madsen hasn't seen a lot of use. A very handsome rifle.
Anyway, just thought I'd share some pics of this unusual piece of bolt action history.
The Madsen did have some interesting features, though, including a muzzle brake, rubber recoil pad, and a rear sight with click-adjustable windage. The bolt bears two locking lugs behind the handle and cocks on opening. The length of pull is very short; it was probably assumed that prospective users would be on the smaller side. The finish seems to be some sort of black paint.
The M47 was catalogued for about ten years in a variety of chamberings. Literally nobody bought them. In the late 1958s, however, the Colombian Army ordered five to six thousand rifles chambered in .30-06 and this model is known as the "M1958". A lot of things about the Colombian order aren't so clear and it's hard to verify if the rifles ever even made it to Colombian soil. One thing is certain, though: a lot of the rifles found their way to the U.S.
I found this one locally on the used rack of a "big box" store. It is a later production gun, serial number 62XX-58, and it wears the Colombia Army crest on the left side of the stock. Funny story--it's actually the second Madsen I've seen at this store in a year. The other one lacked the "Fuerzas Armadas" stamp. After handling the last Madsen I decided I was wasn't going to let this one slip by.
Besides a couple of minor bumps and scrapes, my Madsen hasn't seen a lot of use. A very handsome rifle.
Anyway, just thought I'd share some pics of this unusual piece of bolt action history.
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