The author found FNH’s new TSR XP USA rifle to be exceptionally accurate. Its best 300-yard and 100-yard groups with factory ammunition were sub-MOA.

Can a classic bolt-action rifle be modernized without compromising the factors that made it a classic in the first place? Can it even be improved? Based on my recent experience with the new FNH USA Tactical Sport Rifle (TSR), I’d have to say, “Yes.”

The TSR series is a state-of-the-art transformation of the classic Winchester Model 70 Pre-’64 action into a high-performance master work that will satisfy all expectations of today’s demanding rifleman. Easy to handle, a pleasure to shoot, and super accurate, the TSR rifles are built at FN’s high-tech ISO 9001 firearms factory in Columbia, South Carolina, and they are available in a variety of chamberings and configurations.

Redefining A Classic
The FN TSR XP series is offered with a short-action magnum receiver in .308 Winchester and .300 Winchester Short Magnum (WSM) and feature a traditional Mauser-type Pre-’64 Model 70 controlled-round-feed bolt (CRF) with a claw extractor that secures approximately 0.25 inch of the cartridge base and fully controls the cartridge as it enters the chamber. This design also allows the cartridge to be extracted even if it is not fully chambered. The .308 Win. TSR XP chambering is available with either a 20-inch barrel or a 24-inch barrel. The .300 WSM is offered with a 24-inch barrel only.

Also available are two TSR XP USA models, which feature a half-inch shorter Ultra-Short action receiver that is similar to the Winchester Super Short Magnum (WSSM) receiver originally developed by FN/Winchester/Browning for the WSSM family of cartridges. These are available in .223 Remington and 7.62x39mm with 20-inch barrels; they are 0.5 inch shorter overall than the 20-inch .308 Win. version of the TSR XP model due to their shorter receivers.

The TSR XP USA rifles have a controlled-round-push-feed (CRPF) bolt, which, like the CRF bolt on the longer-receiver versions, securely captures the base of the cartridge for straight alignment with the chamber when feeding from the magazine to protect the bullet point and allow for easy extraction even if the cartridge is not fully chambered. But at the same time, as with conventional push-feed designs found on other makes of rifles, the CRFP extractor also easily rides over the cartridge rim for manual, direct-to-the-chamber loading from an open bolt position. (For those who might wonder, this explains why the 7.62x39mm TSR rifle carries the USA designation, since the push-feed system was originated in America, as compared to the European-developed Mauser-type controlled-round system.)

All TSR rifles feature blade ejection and the three-position, Mauser-type safety of the classic Winchester Model 70. The controlled-round mechanism and the blade-type ejector allow full control when ejecting a fired case. When pulling the bolt back slowly, the empty case pops out gently, which is perfect for target shooters and varminters. Pulling the bolt back rapidly causes the empty case to clear the port with greater force. The blade-type ejector also helps to eliminate short-stroking mal-functions.

The TSR’s three-position safety has also been improved, eliminating the sticking point in the middle of the three-position movement that afflicted post-1964 Winchester Model 70 commercial-production generations manufactured in New Haven, Connecticut. With the safety fully engaged, the firing pin is moved out of contact with the sear, as in the previous version. However, in the current refinement, the firing pin needs to travel less to separate from the sear. Because the swing of the three-position safety is the same as it was before, and it is moving the firing pin less, it operates with greater mechanical advantage in its stroke, causing the operation to feel smoother. When the safety selector is in the middle position, the action can still be operated, allowing unfired cartridges to be cycled with the safety “On.”

The TSR XP USA model features FN’s new Ultra-Short action that is similar to Winchester’s Super Short Magnum action.