Got an FN49 at last!

[nwilliams]

I ended up picking up this FN49 the other day. I've been wanting to add one to the collection for a long time, there's just something pretty cool about them.

This is one of the 8mm Century ones built on Egyptian parts and I feel like the price was ok at under $600 but all the same I have my fingers crossed that it will be a good one. I just need to order some ammo online so I can take it out and shoot it and I need to track down some stripper clips as well.

 

[451 Detonics]

I know I liked mine right up till the day I sold it to fund a FAL. Kicked pretty good and I replaced it later with a Hakim which I honestly feel was an improvement despite the 49 replacing it in their military.

 

[JustinJ]

When and where did this rifle serve?

 

[56hawk]

This is one of the 8mm Century ones built on Egyptian parts and I feel like the price was ok at under $600 but all the same I have my fingers crossed that it will be a good one.

Is this a rebuilt/refinished rifle, or was it built from a parts kit?

 

[PercyShelley]

When and where did this rifle serve?

This rifle in particular, or the SAFN-49 generally? The OP's rifle is assembled in the US from Egyptian parts (didn't know they US-assembled SAFN-49s. Aren't they 922 cool to begin with?), so it didn't serve anywhere.

More generally, the SAFN-49 saw some use in the Egyptian Army in their various scuffles in the 1950's (alongside their locally-produced Hakim rifle, a quirky design which was apparently extremely sensitive to sand, of all faults for an Egyptian service rifle to have), and also some use in the Korean war with various UN contributor nations.

 

[BoltActionPrepper]

if the rifle is in decent shape you got a good deal.....thought i'd tell you that samco global arms has 198gr. iranian 8mm mauser ammo on sale for $219.00 for 1,000 rounds!...it's corrosive,but everything i hear about it says it's darn good ammo.....the fn49 is a great gun and i hope you enjoy it.

 

[TurtlePhish]

The action looks a lot like that of an SKS. Just an observation..

 

[Trebor]

What buttplate did Century use on their built up rifles?

I have one with a brass buttplate and I'm trying to figure out if it's "real" Egyptian (according to the markings) or one of the Century build up guns.

What does yours have?

 

[czhen]

Nwilliams, nice finding the FN49 always look to me a very slick rifle. Argentina´s navy had them I do believe they had in 30.06 though, before migrate to a FAL configuration.

Henry,

 

[nwilliams]

What buttplate did Century use on their built up rifles?

The Century ones typically have a plastic buttplate.

 

[Cosmoline]

Great rifle! I still miss mine.

The action looks a lot like that of an SKS

It's actually very close to its successor the FAL. As I understand it, the design predates WWII in large part. Saive fled the German invasion and offered to make an earlier version of the FN-49 for the British Army, but they were never terribly interested. Did some prototypes. If they'd put the resources into the project, they could have had the finest repeater of WWII.

 

[Limey46]

The FN 49 did in fact see serious combat, in the hands of Belgian troops fighting alongside US, British, and other forces in the Korean war -- caliber .30-06, select fire variants. None of those guns made it onto the civilian market.

 

[PercyShelley]

The action is actually eerily reminiscent of an SKS, and beyond the broad strokes like "it uses a short stroke gas piston and a downwards-tilting, rear locking bolt." A lot of the incidental details are similar too, like the little lever, trigger-blocking safety, the takedown lever that holds on a top cover that doubles as a return-spring holder are similar in ways that seem unlikely to be chance.

I would just assume that one is based off the other, but that's almost impossible historically. The FN team working on the rifle before the war escaped to the UK before the Germans took over Belgium. It seems highly unlikely that they would send those plans to the Soviets. If the Germans did manage to capture some drawings, plans or blueprints it's also unlikely that they would have given them to their mortal enemies (I guess there was a period of Soviet/German cooperation, but I think that was largely over when the Germans captured Belgium). It also seems unlikely that the Soviets, who were legendarily paranoid and secretive, would share one of their rifle designs with a private Western company.

So... I dunno.

But yes, she's the SKS's much more attractive big sister.

 

[m1dbob1944]

Congrats. I've had mine for 17 yrs and believe me, you will enjoy shooting it. Have fun

 

[ifit]

very nice, thanks for sharing. a friend has one which he just recently purchased, except has 2 piece stock, shorter barrel i think a carbine version and i beleive front sight that folds up for grenade launcher and has a cool factory muzzle brake, and the mag lock secures on the outside of the receiver. such a joy to shoot, was wondering what kind of round, so looked at the brass which reads 6.5x55, and said it was necked up for a bigger bullet.

 

[PercyShelley]

That would be a MAS-49/56, different rifle (confusing, since they're both something-49 and they look somewhat alike). The SAFN-49 is Belgian, the MAS-49 is French.