FN Model 1949
Encyclopedia
The Fabrique Nationale Model 1949 (often referred to as the FN-49, SAFN, or FN AL) is a semi-automatic rifle
designed by Dieudonné Saive
and manufactured by Fabrique Nationale
. It was used by the militaries of Argentina
, Belgium
, the Belgian Congo
, Brazil
, Colombia
, Egypt
, Indonesia
, Luxembourg
, and Venezuela
.
While it is well regarded for its reliability in comparison to the rifles of the time, its practical use was limited, as it was not deployed in time for use in World War II
(when semi-automatic rifle
s were most popular) but later, after many militaries had already begun the switch to selective fire
assault rifle
s.
's then-chief firearm designer, experimented with a number of recoil-operated
rifle designs in the early 1930s. While little came of these experiments, they would become the basis for a gas-operated semi-automatic rifle
, which he patterned in 1936 and prototyped in 1937. (Photographs of these prototypes still exist, and they show a number of characteristics that would later appear in the FN-49.)
FN's new rifle was ready to begin series production in late 1938 - early 1939, and a version with a 5-round magazine was about to be marketed. But when German armies invaded Poland, these plans were delayed to increase production of bolt action rifles and machine guns.
The German invasion of Belgium in May 1940
interrupted any plans for the production of the new model, as Liège, home of FN's factory, was occupied by the German military. Despite this setback, Saive was able to escape to England via Portugal in 1941, where he continued work on what would become the FN-49.
By 1943, Saive was back to working on his experimental rifle, now in 7x57mm Mauser. Late that year, the Royal Small Arms Factory, Enfield
ordered 50 prototypes (designated "EXP-1" and sometimes referred to as "SLEM-1
" or "Self-Loading Experimental Model"). Based on tests with these prototypes, Enfield placed an order for 2,000 rifles for troop trials, but a last-minute problem with the moderation of the gas pressure (as well as the impending end of World War II
) led to the cancellation of this order. Despite this, Saive (who had returned to Liège shortly after its liberation in September 1944) continued work on the rifle, and finalized the design for the FN-49 in 1947.
The contracts for the SAFN 1949 rifle started in 1948 with the first order placed by Venezuela on March 31, 1948, delivered by May 31, 1949. The last production contract of complete rifles was ordered by Indonesia on December 19, 1960 and delivered by February 19, 1961.
Pre-production models for demonstration and testing were produced in 1948, making rifle ready for contract orders and mass production. FN started looking for customers, but the communist states were not an option (as they were required to buy or build soviet designs). The Western European nations had vast stocks of World War II firearms. They also could get American and British weapons aid, which was inexpensive or free. So FN decided to market to the non-aligned countries, who did not want to commit to Western or Soviet doctrine, which was inevitable when accepting aid.
The first contract production of the SAFN 1949 rifle was delivered to Venezuela by May 31, 1949 composed of 2000 rifles in caliber 7x57mm Mauser with an additional 2012 rifles including cut-away training demonstration rifles delivered by July 31, 1949. The entire Venezuelan contract of 8012 rifles were sold as surplus in the United States, and are prized by US collectors, sportsmen, and hunters because of the unique features ordered by Venezuela, the general good to excellent condition of the surplus rifles and the superb accuracy of the 7x57mm Mauser cartridge.
The second contract was for the Egyptian government ordered on May 30, 1948 and delivered by June 10, 1949, 100 rifles chambered to fire the 7.92x57mm Mauser
cartridge. While initially a small contract delivery Egypt would eventually purchase 37,602 SAFN 1949 rifles total.
The third contract was ordered by the Belgian government starting with thirty test rifles on May 12, 1949, received on August 31, 1949, and made a second larger order for 100 test rifles delivered by December 12, 1949. The Belgians would make a contract for production of the SAFN 1949 rifle on August 24, 1950 for 2000 rifles in caliber .30-06 Springfield
. The Belgians designated the rifle as the ABL SAFN-49, ABL is an acronym for the Belgian Army in both French and Flemish; "AB" for the French "Armée Belge" and "BL" for the Flemish "Belgisch Leger". SAFN stands for either Saive Automatique, Fabrique Nationale, or Semi-Automatique, Fabrique Nationale. The contracts for the SAFN 1949 rifle made by FN for Belgium totaled 87,777 rifles total, composing almost half of all SAFN 1949 rifles ever produced.
The rifle worked well in the Korean War in the hands of Belgian troops. Many military reports list the FN-49 rifle as both more reliable and more accurate than the US made M1 Garand
rifle. A majority of the SAFN 1949 rifles were manufactured in 7.62x63mm
caliber for the armies of Belgium
, the Belgian Congo
, Luxembourg
, Indonesia
, Colombia
, and Brazil
(rifles were ordered by Brazilian Navy, in 1954, and are marked "1954 - Marinha do Brasil").
Luxembourg was the fourth country to order the SAFN 1949 rifles with the first order placed on October 4, 1950 and taking possession of the first 1500 rifles by May 5, 1951. The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg would eventually purchase a total of 6,306 rifles including rifles specifically for Luxembourg's Gendarmerie, which were FN-49s that comprised standard models, training cut-away rifles, and sniper variants, all in caliber .30-06 Springfield
. The Luxembourg models except for the Gendarmerie contract were sold as surplus in the United States, some were distributed to purchasers in larger US chain retail outlets. The Luxembourg models are sought after for two reasons: first, because of the particularly good condition of the Luxembourg surplus rifles; and second, because of the fact that these FN-49 rifles were chambered for the US the caliber .30-06 Springfield
, a cartridge caliber that is popular and widespread among US sporting shooting and hunting communities. Very few .30-06 FN-49 rifles from other contracts have been imported into the United States, making the Luxembourg rifles the only affordable option for an FN-49 in that caliber.
Indonesia, the Belgian Congo, and Colombia would make up the fifth to seventh contracts all produced in caliber .30-06 Springfield
.
Argentina requested the eighth contract ordering 5,537 SAFN 1949 rifles in caliber 7.65x53mm Argentine on July 29, 1953 for use by the Argentine Navy
after an initial order of one test rifle in 1948.
Several prototypes were made in other calibers, including at least five in 6.5x55mm for testing in Sweden
, one in caliber 7.5x54mm French
for testing in Syria
, one in caliber .30-06 Springfield
for testing in the United States
, and one in caliber 7.62x51mm NATO for Brazil.
. Metalurgica Centro provided and installed in each rifle a new barrel in 7.62mm NATO, modified each extractor, and modified each trigger guard to take a new 20 round detachable box magazine. The converted rifles were provided with proprietary 20 round detachable box magazines manufactured by Metalurgica Centro to fit the SAFN 1949 rifle conversions. The 20 round steel magazines are proprietary but were made to share the magazine loading charger with the FN FAL
rifle used by the Argentine Army
.
A very small number were later used in the Falklands War
as sniper rifles.
Semi-automatic rifle
A semi-automatic rifle is a type of rifle that fires a single bullet each time the trigger is pulled, automatically ejects the spent cartridge, chambers a fresh cartridge from its magazine, and is immediately ready to fire another shot...
designed by Dieudonné Saive
Dieudonne Saive
Dieudonné Joseph Saive was a Belgian small arms designer who designed the FN Model 1949 and the FN FAL. He became the head firearms developer of Fabrique Nationale after the death of John Browning. After John Browning's death, Saive continued with several projects for modernizing and improving...
and manufactured by Fabrique Nationale
Fabrique Nationale de Herstal
Fabrique Nationale d'Herstal — self identified as FN Herstal and often referred to as Fabrique Nationale or simply FN — is a firearms manufacturer located in Herstal, Belgium....
. It was used by the militaries of Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, the Belgian Congo
Belgian Congo
The Belgian Congo was the formal title of present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo between King Leopold II's formal relinquishment of his personal control over the state to Belgium on 15 November 1908, and Congolese independence on 30 June 1960.-Congo Free State, 1884–1908:Until the latter...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
, and Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
.
While it is well regarded for its reliability in comparison to the rifles of the time, its practical use was limited, as it was not deployed in time for use in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
(when semi-automatic rifle
Semi-automatic rifle
A semi-automatic rifle is a type of rifle that fires a single bullet each time the trigger is pulled, automatically ejects the spent cartridge, chambers a fresh cartridge from its magazine, and is immediately ready to fire another shot...
s were most popular) but later, after many militaries had already begun the switch to selective fire
Selective fire
A selective fire firearm has at least one semi–automatic and one automatic mode, which is activated by means of a selector which varies depending on the weapon's design. Some selective fire weapons utilize burst fire mechanisms to limit the maximum or total number of shots fired automatically in...
assault rifle
Assault rifle
An assault rifle is a selective fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine. Assault rifles are the standard infantry weapons in most modern armies...
s.
Development
Dieudonne Saive, Fabrique NationaleFabrique Nationale de Herstal
Fabrique Nationale d'Herstal — self identified as FN Herstal and often referred to as Fabrique Nationale or simply FN — is a firearms manufacturer located in Herstal, Belgium....
's then-chief firearm designer, experimented with a number of recoil-operated
Recoil operation
Recoil operation is an operating mechanism used in locked-breech, autoloading firearms. As the name implies, these actions use the force of recoil to provide energy to cycle the action...
rifle designs in the early 1930s. While little came of these experiments, they would become the basis for a gas-operated semi-automatic rifle
Semi-automatic rifle
A semi-automatic rifle is a type of rifle that fires a single bullet each time the trigger is pulled, automatically ejects the spent cartridge, chambers a fresh cartridge from its magazine, and is immediately ready to fire another shot...
, which he patterned in 1936 and prototyped in 1937. (Photographs of these prototypes still exist, and they show a number of characteristics that would later appear in the FN-49.)
FN's new rifle was ready to begin series production in late 1938 - early 1939, and a version with a 5-round magazine was about to be marketed. But when German armies invaded Poland, these plans were delayed to increase production of bolt action rifles and machine guns.
The German invasion of Belgium in May 1940
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
interrupted any plans for the production of the new model, as Liège, home of FN's factory, was occupied by the German military. Despite this setback, Saive was able to escape to England via Portugal in 1941, where he continued work on what would become the FN-49.
By 1943, Saive was back to working on his experimental rifle, now in 7x57mm Mauser. Late that year, the Royal Small Arms Factory, Enfield
Royal Small Arms Factory
The Royal Small Arms Factory was a UK government-owned rifle factory in the London Borough of Enfield in an area generally known as the Lea Valley. The factory produced British military rifles, muskets and swords from 1816...
ordered 50 prototypes (designated "EXP-1" and sometimes referred to as "SLEM-1
SLEM-1
The SLEM-1 was a bullpup semi-automatic battle rifle of British origin. The weapon is gas-operated and uses a unique diverted recoil where the bolt slightly over the firers shoulder and is fed from the 10 round magazines from Lee-Enfield rifles and the grip section from Bren guns.-Development:The...
" or "Self-Loading Experimental Model"). Based on tests with these prototypes, Enfield placed an order for 2,000 rifles for troop trials, but a last-minute problem with the moderation of the gas pressure (as well as the impending end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
) led to the cancellation of this order. Despite this, Saive (who had returned to Liège shortly after its liberation in September 1944) continued work on the rifle, and finalized the design for the FN-49 in 1947.
Production lifetime
Pre-production models for demonstration and testing were produced in 1948, making rifle ready for contract orders and mass production. FN started looking for customers, but the communist states were not an option (as they were required to buy or build soviet designs). The Western European nations had vast stocks of World War II firearms. They also could get American and British weapons aid, which was inexpensive or free. So FN decided to market to the non-aligned countries, who did not want to commit to Western or Soviet doctrine, which was inevitable when accepting aid.
The first contract production of the SAFN 1949 rifle was delivered to Venezuela by May 31, 1949 composed of 2000 rifles in caliber 7x57mm Mauser with an additional 2012 rifles including cut-away training demonstration rifles delivered by July 31, 1949. The entire Venezuelan contract of 8012 rifles were sold as surplus in the United States, and are prized by US collectors, sportsmen, and hunters because of the unique features ordered by Venezuela, the general good to excellent condition of the surplus rifles and the superb accuracy of the 7x57mm Mauser cartridge.
The second contract was for the Egyptian government ordered on May 30, 1948 and delivered by June 10, 1949, 100 rifles chambered to fire the 7.92x57mm Mauser
7.92x57mm Mauser
The 8×57mm IS is a rimless bottlenecked rifle cartridge. The 8×57mm IS was adopted by the German Empire in 1905, and was the German service cartridge in both World Wars...
cartridge. While initially a small contract delivery Egypt would eventually purchase 37,602 SAFN 1949 rifles total.
The third contract was ordered by the Belgian government starting with thirty test rifles on May 12, 1949, received on August 31, 1949, and made a second larger order for 100 test rifles delivered by December 12, 1949. The Belgians would make a contract for production of the SAFN 1949 rifle on August 24, 1950 for 2000 rifles in caliber .30-06 Springfield
.30-06 Springfield
The .30-06 Springfield cartridge or 7.62×63mm in metric notation, was introduced to the United States Army in 1906 and standardized, and was in use until the 1960s and early 1970s. It replaced the .30-03, 6 mm Lee Navy, and .30 US Army...
. The Belgians designated the rifle as the ABL SAFN-49, ABL is an acronym for the Belgian Army in both French and Flemish; "AB" for the French "Armée Belge" and "BL" for the Flemish "Belgisch Leger". SAFN stands for either Saive Automatique, Fabrique Nationale, or Semi-Automatique, Fabrique Nationale. The contracts for the SAFN 1949 rifle made by FN for Belgium totaled 87,777 rifles total, composing almost half of all SAFN 1949 rifles ever produced.
The rifle worked well in the Korean War in the hands of Belgian troops. Many military reports list the FN-49 rifle as both more reliable and more accurate than the US made M1 Garand
M1 Garand
The M1 Garand , was the first semi-automatic rifle to be generally issued to the infantry of any nation. Called "the greatest battle implement ever devised" by General George S...
rifle. A majority of the SAFN 1949 rifles were manufactured in 7.62x63mm
.30-06 Springfield
The .30-06 Springfield cartridge or 7.62×63mm in metric notation, was introduced to the United States Army in 1906 and standardized, and was in use until the 1960s and early 1970s. It replaced the .30-03, 6 mm Lee Navy, and .30 US Army...
caliber for the armies of Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, the Belgian Congo
Belgian Congo
The Belgian Congo was the formal title of present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo between King Leopold II's formal relinquishment of his personal control over the state to Belgium on 15 November 1908, and Congolese independence on 30 June 1960.-Congo Free State, 1884–1908:Until the latter...
, Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, and Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
(rifles were ordered by Brazilian Navy, in 1954, and are marked "1954 - Marinha do Brasil").
Luxembourg was the fourth country to order the SAFN 1949 rifles with the first order placed on October 4, 1950 and taking possession of the first 1500 rifles by May 5, 1951. The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg would eventually purchase a total of 6,306 rifles including rifles specifically for Luxembourg's Gendarmerie, which were FN-49s that comprised standard models, training cut-away rifles, and sniper variants, all in caliber .30-06 Springfield
.30-06 Springfield
The .30-06 Springfield cartridge or 7.62×63mm in metric notation, was introduced to the United States Army in 1906 and standardized, and was in use until the 1960s and early 1970s. It replaced the .30-03, 6 mm Lee Navy, and .30 US Army...
. The Luxembourg models except for the Gendarmerie contract were sold as surplus in the United States, some were distributed to purchasers in larger US chain retail outlets. The Luxembourg models are sought after for two reasons: first, because of the particularly good condition of the Luxembourg surplus rifles; and second, because of the fact that these FN-49 rifles were chambered for the US the caliber .30-06 Springfield
.30-06 Springfield
The .30-06 Springfield cartridge or 7.62×63mm in metric notation, was introduced to the United States Army in 1906 and standardized, and was in use until the 1960s and early 1970s. It replaced the .30-03, 6 mm Lee Navy, and .30 US Army...
, a cartridge caliber that is popular and widespread among US sporting shooting and hunting communities. Very few .30-06 FN-49 rifles from other contracts have been imported into the United States, making the Luxembourg rifles the only affordable option for an FN-49 in that caliber.
Indonesia, the Belgian Congo, and Colombia would make up the fifth to seventh contracts all produced in caliber .30-06 Springfield
.30-06 Springfield
The .30-06 Springfield cartridge or 7.62×63mm in metric notation, was introduced to the United States Army in 1906 and standardized, and was in use until the 1960s and early 1970s. It replaced the .30-03, 6 mm Lee Navy, and .30 US Army...
.
Argentina requested the eighth contract ordering 5,537 SAFN 1949 rifles in caliber 7.65x53mm Argentine on July 29, 1953 for use by the Argentine Navy
Argentine Navy
The Navy of the Argentine Republic or Armada of the Argentine Republic is the navy of Argentina. It is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, together with the Army and the Air Force....
after an initial order of one test rifle in 1948.
Several prototypes were made in other calibers, including at least five in 6.5x55mm for testing in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, one in caliber 7.5x54mm French
7.5x54mm French
The 7.5×54mm French MAS or 7.5 French cartridge was developed by France as an update to the 7.5×57mm MAS mod. 1924 cartridge. It replaced the obsolete 8 mm Lebel round used during World War I. In terms of power it is somewhat comparable to the 7.62×51mm NATO/.308 Winchester round...
for testing in Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, one in caliber .30-06 Springfield
.30-06 Springfield
The .30-06 Springfield cartridge or 7.62×63mm in metric notation, was introduced to the United States Army in 1906 and standardized, and was in use until the 1960s and early 1970s. It replaced the .30-03, 6 mm Lee Navy, and .30 US Army...
for testing in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and one in caliber 7.62x51mm NATO for Brazil.
Argentinian modification
Contrary to some speculation FN did not contract or produce the Argentine conversion of SAFN 1949 rifles from 7.65x53mm Argentine to 7.62x51mm NATO. While FN did receive and then later deliver an order for a conversion of a single rifle in March 1967 the remaining armory stock of the Argentine rifles were converted domestically by Metalurgica Centro a company formerly known as Fábrica de armas HalcónFábrica de Armas Halcón
Fábrica de Armas Halcón was a Buenos Aires based defense company founded in 1941.-History:On the 23rd of May 1941, Carlos Martin, Guido Marcati and Arnoldo Pienovi, founded the defense company Fábrica de Armas Halcón. This company began to work in the city of Avellaneda, province of Buenos Aires....
. Metalurgica Centro provided and installed in each rifle a new barrel in 7.62mm NATO, modified each extractor, and modified each trigger guard to take a new 20 round detachable box magazine. The converted rifles were provided with proprietary 20 round detachable box magazines manufactured by Metalurgica Centro to fit the SAFN 1949 rifle conversions. The 20 round steel magazines are proprietary but were made to share the magazine loading charger with the FN FAL
FN FAL
The Fusil Automatique Léger or FAL is a self-loading, selective fire battle rifle produced by the Belgian armaments manufacturer Fabrique Nationale de Herstal . During the Cold War it was adopted by many North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries, with the notable exception of the United States...
rifle used by the Argentine Army
Argentine Army
The Argentine Army is the land armed force branch of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic and the senior military service of the country.- History :...
.
A very small number were later used in the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
as sniper rifles.