Collecting and Shooting the SAFN-49 Battle Rifle - Range Report Page 1 of 9 Saive Automatique, Fabrique Nationale (SAFN) Model 1949 Range Report Prior to this article, I had not really had the opportunity to handle or shoot the SAFN-49 (also called the FN-49). This is true primarily for a couple reasons. 1) I have not seen many FN-49 rifles at firearm shows or at local stores to purchase and 2) the ones that I have seen are priced too high for MY wallet (or this is what I thought). Usually the specimens I have found range in price from $500 to $1000. I will on occasion spend that much for a mil-surp rifle, but I REALLY have to WANT the rifle to do so. I usually get a lot of emails after I write an article asking me - "Hey Jamie, where can I get one of those rifles?". Let me say this - the FN-49 is not usually something you are going to find in ads in Shotgun News for a couple hundred dollars shipped to your front door. Although the FN-49 is a C&R rifle (Classified as - Fabrique Nationale, model SAFN49 semiautomatic rifles, any caliber by the BATF), you will usually only find them in quantities of one or two and maybe on consignment from someone like you and me. The FN-49 is something you are going to have to keep an eye out for when you are perusing the isles of the Gun Show or when you are visiting Gun Stores, Pawn Shops, etc. http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting/fn49/index.asp 12/10/2003 Collecting and Shooting the SAFN-49 Battle Rifle - Range Report Page 2 of 9 My friend Tony getting ready to load up and shoot the 7.62x51 Nato FN-49 we had with us. Designed by Dieudonne Saive of Fabrique Nationale (FN) prior to WWII, but not manufactured until after WWII, the FN-49 is very similar in functionality to the Soviet SVT rifles and the Simonov carbines (SKS). If you are familiar with any one of the three rifles, I have found that you can easily understand the operating principles and maintenance of all three. The FN-49 is the predecessor to the famous FN-FAL rifle, which was manufactured and carried by most non- communist countries in the post WWII world. If not for the overwhelming abundance and availability of surplus military arms after WWII probably many more FN-49 rifles would have been manufactured and sold by the FN company. It is a fact that Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and The United States supplied amazing amounts of WWII era weapons to most countries making it very difficult for weapons manufacturers to sell their rifles. Another contributing factor to the demise of the FN-49 is by the time it was actually manufactured the design was already obsolete. Figure 1 - Venezuelan FN converted to 7.62x51 Nato http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting/fn49/index.asp 12/10/2003 Collecting and Shooting the SAFN-49 Battle Rifle - Range Report Page 3 of 9 The FN-49 weighs almost as much as the M1 Garand but for some reason, to me, seems almost "carbine" like in overall dimensions. What I mean by this statement is that it seems shorter than the Garand, but in reality it is about the same length and size. Kind of reminds me of pulling an SKS up to your shoulder - but heavier. The 3 piece stock is usually European walnut with a military oil finish. The design is very ergonomic with a semi-pistol grip and two handguards. The most common FN-49 magazine is a 10 round non- detachable type. The magazine is not really designed to be removed to feed the rifle. The rifle is loaded through the top of the receiver via a stripper clip, but is easily loaded a single cartridge at a time. Figure 2 - Venezuelan FN converted to 7.62x51 Nato I was given the opportunity to take two different FN-49 rifles to the range for a test shoot. The first (as shown in figure 2) was a Venezuelan FN-49 that had been converted to the abundantly available 7.62x51 Nato cartridge. I picked up some surplus ammo that only cost around $3 per 20 rounds. Quality ammo for most of the available FN-49 models (30.06, 8mm, and 7.62 Nato) is bountifully available in the surplus market and is at bargain-basement prices. A perfect combination for a fun and accurate shooter. http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting/fn49/index.asp 12/10/2003 Collecting and Shooting the SAFN-49 Battle Rifle - Range Report Page 4 of 9 Figure 3 - Cheap and accurate Portuguese 7.62x51 Nato ammo The second FN-49 (as shown in figures 4 and 5) was a very nice looking 30.06 Luxembourg model. It had either been arsenal refurbished or was pretty much brand new. Figure 4 - Loaded 30.06 Luxembourg FN-49 The 30.06 FN-49 had two draw-backs when first fired (but both were error on the part of the shooter - me). 1) The gas cylinder plug was set to non-semiautomatic, grenade launch mode. This is when the "R" is visible on the gas cylinder plug (this is true on all FN-49 rifles except for 8mm Mauser rifles of which the letter "A" and "R" are in Arabic). When I fired the first cartridge all of the gas was vented off before reaching the gas piston. The first couple of rounds I fired would not cycle the bolt at all and the empty cases would not eject unless I manually cycled the bolt. After I turned the gas cylinder plug till the letter "A" was displayed facing upward, the rifle cycled in semiautomatic mode just like it was designed to do. http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting/fn49/index.asp 12/10/2003 Collecting and Shooting the SAFN-49 Battle Rifle - Range Report Page 5 of 9 Figure 5 - 30.06 Luxembourg FN-49 2) I was firing ammo that was intended for the M1 Garand. Several of the fired cases actually stuck in the bore and the bolt's extractor ripped the bottom of the case off. No, the case did not rupture. It was broken off at the base of the case by the extractor. It was one of the strangest things I had seen in a while. I later discovered that this problem was caused by extreme gas pressure. Extreme gas pressure can cause early extraction of the case before bore pressures have reduced enough to allow the cartridge case to contract and be released from the walls of the chamber. I also found that this condition could be easily countered by adjusting the gas cylinder. Amazing how a rifle works correctly when it is properly adjusted for the mode and ammo you are shooting! Figure 6 - Proper sight picture for the FN-49 I like the simplicity of the sights on the FN-49. Provided is an easy to use rear aperture sight and an excellent sight picture (as shown in figure 6). The elevation of the rear sight is graduated to 1000 meters and can be adjusted in increments of 100 meters. On the FN-49 the "battle sight" position is when the rear http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting/fn49/index.asp 12/10/2003 Collecting and Shooting the SAFN-49 Battle Rifle - Range Report Page 6 of 9 sight is pulled all of the way to the rear of the gradient. The range of the "battle sight" measures out at 300 meters. A "battle sight" usually refers to a setting on a rifle that allows for the shooter to hit a man sized target between X distance and Y distance without having to adjust elevation of the rear sight. With the FN-49 X = 50 Meters and Y = 350 meters. Windage on the FN-49 sights can be set at either the front or rear sights, but not easily in my opinion. The rear sight is adjusted via screws but has no settings or marks as a guide, while the front sight is adjustable via a hammer and punch method. Like most mil-surp rifles that have been sitting for more than 50 years, good luck moving the front sight easily. Figure 7 - FN-49 (7.62x51 Nato) 5 shot grouping at 50 yards The 30.06 FN-49 had noticeably stout recoil in comparison to the 7.62 Nato FN-49. As a result I only ended up shooting around 40 rounds through the 30.06 rifle (as shown in figures 7, 8, and 9) while Tony and I probably put over 100 rounds through the 7.62 Nato rifle (as shown in figures 10, 11, and 12). I would have to say the 7.62 Nato FN-49 was a real pleasure to shoot and very accurate as well. Regardless of recoil, both rifles pulled in exceptional accuracy. http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting/fn49/index.asp 12/10/2003 Collecting and Shooting the SAFN-49 Battle Rifle - Range Report Page 7 of 9 Figure 8 - FN-49 (7.62x51 Nato) 10 shot grouping at 50 yards Figure 9 - FN-49 (7.62x51 Nato) 5 shot grouping at 100 yards Figure 10 - FN-49 (30.06) 10 shot grouping at 50 yards http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting/fn49/index.asp 12/10/2003 Collecting and Shooting the SAFN-49 Battle Rifle - Range Report Page 8 of 9 Figure 11 - FN-49 (30.06) 5 shot grouping at 50 yards Figure 12 - FN-49 (30.06) 5 shot grouping at 50 yards So, have I decided to purchase an FN-49 yet? If I had the money readily available - yes.