Fn 49

[crazysccrmd]

I just picked a very nice Egyptian FN 49 and want to order some general maintenance and replacement parts while they're still available. It has the older style recoil spring assembly and I can't find one of the two shorter springs. Can I upgrade to the newer style equal length springs and guide rod? It already has the two piece firing pin, whether factory or installed at a later date.

I plan to order the following:

Recoil spring guide, inner
Inner recoil spring x2
Outer recoil spring
Recoil return spring guide rod
Front and rear firing pin sections
Firing pin spring
Extractor
Extractor spring
Ejector
Gas piston spring

Anything else I should consider?

 

[barnbwt]

Might as well get a barrel, too. Until recently they were criminally underpriced (like 40-50$) but are still well under a hunsky. If you have no plans for corrosive ammo or much shooting is may be less of a priority for you. Get a bayonet, too, if you can find one; they are one of the nicer looking ones out there. A replacement gas regulator ring might be a good idea; I'm actually thinking of getting a second one and modifying it to have larger ports, since my Luxembourg 30-06 still wrenches up the rims pretty hard on the lowest (open-est) setting that actually cycles the gun, and opening the ports may make things more finely adjustable. I may also buy a second gas cutoff plug and drill it with a smaller port on the "off/grenade" setting for the same effect (Sarco and APEX have lots of parts, probably for the Egyptians since those were the only model with spare-anythings for some reason )

Have you been able to shoot it yet?

TCB

 

[longspurr]

FN 49
Years ago when I bought one the accuracy was only so-so. In shotgun news I saw a NEW barrel listed for a low price. I ordered it and had a local gunsmith install it. If memory serves that reduced the group size in half.

If you reload use MIL spec primers. I had a slam fire in mine before I did that.

 

[barnbwt]

Two-piece spring-returned firing pin eliminates slamfire risk.

TCB

 

[crazysccrmd]

I haven't fired it yet, only cycled the action by hand. After checking on the firing pin type I put a primed case with no powder in the magazine and let the bolt slam forward multiple times. There was never a mark on the primer so hopefully I'll avoid slam fires. I then modified a couple 8mm Mauser stripper clips to feed this rifle and hand cycled rounds out of the magazine. Everything chambered, extracted and ejected fine.

I also adjusted the gas port to fully open so I can dial it in for my reloads.

It might not be a bad idea to pick up an extra gas plug and regulator ring. Barrels are between $75-100 from what I've found.