M62 Hunting rifle.

Technical information:

Name: M62 Hunting rifle, (gift gun)

Production year: 1970 and 1963?

Serialnumber: 1499, 1553 and 1462

Experimental started:

Calibre: 308 and 30-06

Magasin capacity: 5

Weight:

Produced at: Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk

Stockmaterial: American walnut

Lockmechanism: Bolt action

Approved by the army: Civil production.

Number produced: About 30 acording to some literature, possibly as many as 90.

In 1962 Kongsberg våpenfabrikk came up with a new modell of the gift rifle, hence called M62 and goes under the name Hurlen rifle, after the managing director at the time, Bjarne Hurlen.

These rifles are three out of about 30 (80) produced. The rifle with serial number 1499 was given to Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces Stig Gustaf Synnergren, as a gift from Folke Hauger Johannessen, Chief of Defence of Norway, when he visited Sweden September 1971. Later, the rifle was used as a prize in a military 15 km biathlon race in 1979 which was won by Hans Andersson, a young officer in the Swedish army. He won the competition with more then 4 minutes to the second best. He had only 1 minute added on the shooting range and several professionally Swedish biathlon athletes participated in this competition so it was a rather impressive race by Hans Andersson.

The next rifle, also used as a gift, was given to Ragnar Christiansen in 1982. Mr. Christiansen was a Norwegian politician within The Labour party. He was both Finance minister, (1971-72) and Minister of Transport and Communications, (1976-78). In 1982, when he actually received this rifle, he was county governor in Buskerud. (Kongsberg is located in Buskerud county). This rifle is almost identical to the one mentioned above. The serial number tells me that there has to be produced a lot more than 30, as some literature informs. The serial number on this rifle is 1553. There are no reason for the factory to make a large gap in the serial number range. The next rifle also has a peculiar serial number, 1462. This number is actually in the middle of the M55 serial number range, so I guess they had some minor logistic problems at Kongsberg.

The last rifle, with serial number 1462 has almost kept the original bolt handle, and the safety is the original model. The rifles with serial number 1499 and 1553 has a totally new design on both safety and bolt handle. The safty is a Parker Hale model. One more major difference is the rear sight that on this last rifle is an ordinary V-notch and post, while the other two has a peep sight.

When it comes to the finish of this rifles, it is very much the same as with the M55. It looks very ordinary and there is no luxury at all. The M62 used ordinary Mauser M98 actions and they were delivered in 308 and 30-06.

The serial numbers on the M62 should acording to some literature start with 1474 and end with 1505. My to rifles tells me different.