I did something the other day that I haven't done in too long a while...
I was doing some straightening up in the basement, and while I was down there I pulled out my FN-49.
It's an Egyptian contract gun in 8mm Mauser. You may have seen it, since its picture is on Wikipedia; I got it from my friend Oleg.
I examined the intricate forgings and wondered what history had been soaked into the steel and walnut. I dusted it off and oiled down all the exposed metal. I worked the action a few times and threw it to my shoulder, peering through the sights at a spot on the brick wall of the basement...
I really want another one. There's nothing wrong with 8x57, but one from Belgium or Luxembourg in .30-'06 would be sweet. A Venezuelan contract gun in 7x57 would be sweetest 'cause, you know, a gas-operated autochucker in .275 Rigby with receiver-mounted aperture sights and a ten-round mag would be the berries.
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21 comments:
Indeed. Ohhh... Especially the Venezuelan.
History?
O.K., here ya go, it was stored in an armoury in East Cameltongue, Egypt for a few decades before being sold to a Greek arms dealer. It floated around the Med until it was sold to an Armenian arms dealer who sold it to a guy from Ohio who had enough juice with the Republican Party to get the Form 6s speedily approved under Bush I and the Stockton Hysteria. It was then sold to a wholesaler who sold it to a retailer.
Shootin' Buddy
I shot one of those once, in 308, and i liked it a great deal. Very manageable recoil, and as you say, impressively well made.
I always wondered where those pictures on Wikipedia came from...
I dont know why you have a gun that was built and used to kill Muslims!
They are the last of the really finely built wood and steel battle rifles in my opinion.
I had one in .30-06. But it just didn't stack up against a Garand accuracy-wise or ergonomically so I let it go when I needed some quick cash. A fellow in California happily took possession since it's about the most modern semi-auto that the fruit and nut states allows it's subjects to have.
I've got one of the Venezuelan SAFN's leaning up against the computer desk. I debated hauling it to the Houston Fun Show last weekend (not selling it, I just like the reactions it gets), but decided to avoid leaning slightly to starboard for 3+ hours...
Me,
"I had one in .30-06. But it just didn't stack up against a Garand ... ergonomically"
Speaking as someone who owns a Garand (and has owned multiple ones in the past), I'd be interested to see you expound on this claim...
The charging handle is equally un-ergonomic.
The safety on the FN is better than the M1.
Tam,
Having owned both, I have to agree with you. One of my biggest firearm regrets revolves around the FN-49 in .30-'06 that I owned right after high school. What I really wanted though was a Garand. I bought the FN cheap and sold it cheap. I have owned a few Garands since (and still do), but now that I can appreciate the FN for what it is, I can't find one at a reasonable price.
A FN49 in '06 or 7mm has been on my 'must have' list for a long time. I've passed on all of the few 8mm Egyptians that, for most, looked like they'd fallen off a camel too many times. I think I've seen one in .30-06 years ago. Back on the piney woods circuit they were scarce in any caliber. I'm sure it was priced out of my ability at the time.
Equally homely as the SIG-AMT, I'm not sure which I'd fall all over first.
A FN49 has been on my list for years, sadly always just beyond grasp.
But I too have sat wondering at the histories of the Fields and Garands I have owned. In each case, looking a bit worse for wear says more than if they had been finished.
I've wanted one of those in .30-06 since I got my M1 Garand ten years ago. And a Lungmann.
Ads in the gun mags when I was just too young to buy one carried prices like this, "$79 with 20 rounds of 7mm ammo."
I could have bought one in 8mm about 15 years ago, but don't like the round enough.
(Finnish 20mm Antitank rifles were $120 in those same ads. But only 10 rounds of ammo with those. My Dad just wouldn't let me talk him into buying a couple.)
Been lusting after a Lux-49 for years.
A must have for any anyone who enjoys full-sized battle rifles.
I crave a Swedish BAR in 6.5X55.
I want an AG42 Ljungman - 6.5x55 Swede. Just not enough to, you know, actually buy one.
Heh.
I pulled my 8x57 49 out last night to show a friend the locking shoulder.
I have a new barrel for it and Numrich recently obtained a selection of locking shoulders, so at last a rebarrel is in reach.
(For those who aren't aware: The FN-49 employs a steel shim or "locking shoulder" to lock the breech. This made headspacing at the factory fairly simple -- the barrel was screwed in and indexed and different shoulders were inserted until the breech closed on a "go" gauge and not on a "no-go.")
Clever, these Belgians.
Kevin, I've lusted after Gewehr98's AG42 Ljungmann for years. I think he's got the finest one I've ever run onto.
There is a FN 49 in a gunshop in Tucson, AZ - in 7x57. 2nd Amendment sports, on Pima. But, it has a sidemount scope.
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