Fn 49 Rifle Serial Numbers

• Fn 49 Rifle Serial Numbers
• Fn 49 Rifle Manual

Contents. History In 1946, the first FAL prototype was completed. It was designed to fire the intermediate cartridge developed and used by the forces of during (with the ). After testing this prototype in 1948, the urged FN to build additional prototypes, including one in configuration, chambered for their new 7x43mm caliber intermediate cartridge.

After evaluating the single bullpup prototype, FN decided to return instead to their original, conventional design for future production. In 1950, the United Kingdom presented the redesigned FN rifle and the British, both in.280 British calibre, to the United States for comparison testing against the favoured design of the time—Earle Harvey's T25.

It was hoped that a common cartridge and rifle could be standardized for issue to the armies of all NATO member countries. After this testing was completed, U.S. Army officials suggested that FN should redesign their rifle to fire the U.S. Prototype '.30 Light Rifle' cartridge. FN decided to hedge their bets with the U.S., and in 1951 even made a deal that the U.S. Could produce FALs royalty-free, given that the UK appeared to be favouring their own EM-2. This decision appeared to be correct when the British Army decided to adopt the EM-2 (as Rifle No.9 Mk1) and.280 British cartridge.

This decision was later rescinded after the lost the 1951 General Election and returned as Prime Minister. It is believed that there was a agreement between Churchill and U.S. President in 1952 that the British accept the.30 Light Rifle cartridge as NATO standard in return for the U.S. Acceptance of the FN FAL as NATO standard. The.30 Light Rifle cartridge was in fact later standardized as the 7.62 mm NATO; however, the U.S.

Insisted on continued rifle tests. The FAL chambered for the.30 Light Rifle went up against the redesigned T25 (now redesignated as the T47), and an M1 Garand variant, the T44. Eventually, the T44 won, becoming the. However, in the meantime, most other NATO countries were evaluating and selecting the FAL. FN created what is possibly the classic post-war.

Formally introduced by its designers and Ernest Vervier in 1951, and produced two years later, it has been described as the 'Right Arm of the Free World.' The FAL battle rifle has its counterpart in the, each being fielded by dozens of countries and produced in many of them. A few, such as Israel and South Africa, manufactured and issued both designs at various times. Unlike the Soviet AKM assault rifle, the FAL utilized a heavier full-power. Design details.

Short-stroke gas piston, as used on an, as well as the FN FAL. The FAL operates by means of a very similar to that of the Russian. The gas system is driven by a short-stroke, spring-loaded piston housed above the, and the locking mechanism is what is known as a tilting breechblock.

To lock, it drops down into a solid shoulder of metal in the heavy much like the of the Russian and French series of semi-automatic rifles. The gas system is fitted with a gas regulator behind the front sight base, allowing adjustment of the gas system in response to environmental conditions.

The piston system can be bypassed completely, using the gas plug, to allow for the firing of and manual operation. The FAL's magazine capacity ranges from five to 30 rounds, with most magazines holding 20 rounds. In fixed versions of the FAL, the spring is housed in the stock, while in folding-stock versions it is housed in the receiver cover, necessitating a slightly different receiver cover, recoil spring, and bolt carrier, and a modified lower receiver for the stock.

Dutch FN FAL with an infrared light and scope on exhibit at the in. FAL rifles have also been manufactured in both light and heavy-barrel configurations, with the heavy barrel intended for automatic fire as a section or squad light support weapon.

Most heavy barrel FALs are equipped with, although some light barrel models were equipped with bipods, such as the Austrian StG58 and the German G1, and a bipod was later made available as an accessory. Among other 7.62×51mm NATO battle rifles at the time, the FN FAL had relatively light recoil, due to the gas system being able to be tuned via regulator in fore-end of the rifle, which allowed for excess gas which would simply increase recoil to bleed off. In fully automatic mode, however, the shooter receives considerable abuse from recoil, and the weapon climbs off-target quickly, making automatic fire only of marginal effectiveness.

Many military forces using the FAL eventually eliminated full-automatic firearms training in the light-barrel FAL. Variants FN production variants Depending on the variant and the country of adoption, the FAL was issued as either only or (capable of both semi-automatic and fully automatic firing modes). LAR 50.41 & 50.42. Also known as FALO as an abbreviation from the French Fusil Automatique Lourd;. Heavy barrel for sustained fire with 30-round magazine as a;. Known in Canada as the C2A1, it was their primary squad automatic weapon until it was phased out during the 1980s in favor of the, which has better accuracy and higher ammunition capacity than the C2;. Known to the Australian Army as the L2A1, it was replaced by the FN Minimi.

The L2A1 or 'heavy barrel' FAL was used by several Commonwealth nations and was found to frequently experience a failure to feed after firing two rounds from a full magazine when in automatic mode. The 50.41 is fitted with a synthetic buttstock, while the 50.42's buttstock is made from wood. FAL 50.61. FAL 50.61 variant.

Folding-stock, standard 533 mm (21.0 in) barrel length. FAL 50.62. Folding-stock, shorter 458 mm (18.03 inch) barrel, version and folding charging handle.

FAL 50.63. Folding-stock, shorter 436 mm (17.16 inch) barrel, paratrooper version, folding charging handle. This shorter version was requested by Belgian paratroopers. The upper receiver was not cut for a carry handle, the bolt stop device were absent which allowed the folded-stock rifle to fit through the doorway of their when worn horizontally across the chest. FAL 50.64.

Folding-stock, standard 533 mm (21.0 in) barrel length, ' aluminium alloy lower receiver, the charging handle on the 50.64 was a folding model similar to the L1A1 rifles. Other FN Variants. FN Universal Carbine (1947): An early FAL prototype chambered for the round.

The 7.92mm Kurz round was used as a placeholder for the future mid-range cartridges being developed by Britain and the United States at the time. FAL.280 Experimental Automatic Carbine, Long Model (1951): A FAL variant chambered for the experimental 7.2×43mm round. It was designed for a competition at,.

Although the 'bullpup' did well, American observers protested that the small-bore.280-caliber round lacked the power and range of a medium-bore.30-caliber round. British observers in return claimed the experimental American 7.62x51mm was too powerful to control in automatic fire. Britain was forced to abandon the promising.280 round and adopt the American-designed.30-caliber T65 as the 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge. The EM-2 couldn't be rechambered for the longer and more powerful cartridge and the Americans didn't yet have a working service rifle of their own. Britain and Canada adopted the Belgian 7.62mm FN FAL instead as the L1 Self-Loading Rifle (SLR). FAL.280 Experimental Automatic Carbine, Short Model (1951): A version of the FAL chambered in.280 British designed to compete with the British EM-1 and EM-2 bullpup rifles. It also was demonstrated at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds tests, but was never put into full production.

Sturmgewehr 58 Sturmgewehr 58. StG-58 with DSA Type I receiver Type Place of origin Belgium and Austria Service history In service 1958–1985 Used by Austria Production history Designer Designed 1956 Manufacturer and Specifications Weight 4.45 kg (9.81 lb) to 5.15 kg (11.35 lb) Length 1,100 mm (43 in) length 533 mm (21.0 in), tilting breechblock 823 m/s (2,700 ft/s) Effective firing range 800 m (870 yd) Feed system 20-round detachable Sights The Sturmgewehr 58 ( StG 58) is a (semi-automatic and fully automatic) battle rifle. The first 20,000 were manufactured by Fabrique Nationale de Armees de Guerre-Herstal Belgique, but later the StG58 was manufactured under license by (now ), and was formerly the standard rifle of the (Austrian Federal Army).

It is essentially a user customized version of the FAL and is still in use, mainly as a drill weapon in the Austrian forces. It was selected in a 1958 competition, beating the Spanish and American. Two German soldiers on a joint exercise in 1960. West Germany used the FN FAL designated as G1. Most StG 58s featured a folding bipod, and differ from the FAL by using a plastic rather than wood in order to reduce weight in the later production rifles (although some of the early FN-built production rifles did come with wooden stocks).

The rifle can be distinguished from its Belgian and Argentine counterparts by its combination and. The fore grip was a two part steel pressing.

Steyr-built StG 58s had a hammer forged barrel that was considered to be the best barrel fitted to any FAL. Some StG58s had modifications made to the fire mode selector so that the fully automatic option was removed, leaving the selector with only safe and single shot positions. The StG 58 was replaced by the in 1977, although the StG 58 served with many units as the primary service rifle through the mid-1980s. Olin/Winchester FAL. Main article: A semi-automatic, twin barrel variant chambered in the 5.56mm Duplex round during.

This weapon was designed by Stefan Kenneth Janson who previously designed the. Armtech L1A1 SAS Dutch company Armtech built the L1A1 SAS, an assault-carbine variant of the L1A1 with a barrel length of 290 mm (11.4 inches). This was similar to short-barreled L1A1 carbines used by the ANZAC forces in Vietnam. DSA FAL (DSA-58) American company DSA (David Selveggio Arms) manufactures a copy of the FAL called the DSA-58 that is made with the same Steyr-Daimler-Puch production line equipment as the StG-58. It comes with a 406 mm (16 in), 457 mm (18 in) or 533 mm (21 in) barrel, an lower receiver, and improved furniture. Civilian models are semi-automatic, but military and Law Enforcement clients can procure select-fire models that have a fully automatic of 750 rounds/minute. The DSA-58 can use any metric-measurement FAL magazines, which come in 5, 10, 20 or 30-round capacities.

The DSA-58 OSW ( Operational Specialist Weapon) is an assault carbine version of the paratrooper model of the FAL. It has a side-folding Enhanced PARA polymer stock, shorter 279 mm (11 inch) or 330 mm (13 inch) barrel and an optional full-auto setting. The DSA-58 CTC ( Compact Tactical Carbine) is a carbine version of the FAL. It has a side-folding Enhanced PARA polymer stock, shorter 413 mm (16.25 inch) barrel and an optional full-auto setting. Overall Length: 927 mm (36.5 inches) Weight: 3.74 kg (8.25 lbs). Production and use. Israeli Heavy Barrel FAL.

Note the hinged butt plate. After the, the (IDF) had to overcome several which were a result of the wide variety of old firearms that were in service. In 1955 the IDF adopted the -produced submachine gun. To replace the German and some British rifles, the IDF decided in the same year to adopt the FN FAL as its standard-issue infantry rifle, under the name Rov've Mitta'enn or Romat (רומ'ט), an abbreviation of 'Self-Loading Rifle'. The FAL version ordered by the IDF came in two basic variants, both regular and heavy-barrel (automatic rifle), and were chambered for 7.62mm NATO ammunition.

In common with heavy-barrel FALs used by several other nations, the Israeli 'heavy barrel' FAL (called the Makle'a Kal, or Makleon) was found to frequently experience a failure to feed after firing two rounds from a full magazine when in automatic mode. The Israeli FALs were originally produced as selective-fire rifles, though later light-barrel rifle versions were altered to semi-automatic fire only. The Israeli models are recognizable by a distinctive handguard with a forward perforated sheet metal section, and a rear wood section unlike most other FALs in shape, and their higher 'Commonwealth'-type sights.

Israel has been a keen user of rifle grenades, in particular the which is often seen in photographs with the FAL. The Israeli FAL first saw action in relatively small quantities during the of 1956, the in June 1967, the of 1967 until 1970, it was the standard Israeli rifle. During the of October 1973 it was still in front-line service as the standard Israeli rifle, though increasing criticism eventually led to the phasing-out of the weapon. Israeli forces were primarily mechanized in nature; the long, heavy FAL slowed deployment drills, and proved exceedingly difficult to maneuver within the confines of a vehicle. Additionally, Israeli forces experienced repeated jamming of the FAL due to heavy sand and dust ingress endemic to Middle Eastern desert warfare, requiring repeated field-stripping and cleaning of the rifle, sometimes while under fire.

During the later stages of the Yom Kippur War, it was noted that some Israeli soldiers had informally exchanged their FALs for the far more reliable Soviet Kalashnikov assault rifles taken from dead and captured Arab soldiers. Though the IDF evaluated a few modified FAL rifles with 'sand clearance' slots in the bolt carrier and receiver (which were already part of the Commonwealth L1A1/C1A1 design), malfunction rates did not significantly improve. It should be noted that the sand cuts for the Israeli FAL models were inferior to the effective Commonwealth L1A1 sand cuts. The Israeli FAL was eventually replaced by the and the (a weapon using the Soviet Kalashnikov operating system, and chambered in either 5.56×45 or 7.62 NATO), though the FAL remained in production in Israel until the 1980s. Rhodesia.

Army reservists on patrol with South African R1s. Like most British dependencies of the time, had equipped its with the British, or SLR, by the early 1960s. Following that country's in 1965, new rifles could not be readily procured from the UK, so Belgian FNs and South African R1s were imported instead. The older L1s subsequently completed their service with territorial troops in the. During the, security forces fitted most standard FNs with customised to reduce recoil on fully automatic fire. However, a few soldiers rejected these devices, which they claimed upset the balance of their weapons during close action. In this theatre, the FN was generally considered superior to the Soviet or carbines carried by communist-backed insurgents.

Trade sanctions and the gradual erosion of South African support in the 1970s led to serious ammunition shortages. Consequently, shipments of were accepted from Portugal, although the security forces considered these less reliable than the FAL. Following 's ascension to power in 1980, Rhodesia's remaining FNs were passed on to her successor state.

To simplify maintenance and logistics, the weapon initially remained a standard service rifle in the. It was anticipated that more 7.62mm NATO ammunition would be imported to cover existing shortages, but a sabotage action carried out against the old Rhodesian Army stockpiles negated this factor. Zimbabwe promptly supplemented its surviving inventory with Soviet and arms.

South Africa The FAL was produced under licence in South Africa by Lyttleton Engineering Works, where it is known as the R1. The first South African produced rifle, serial numbered 200001, was presented to the then Prime Minister, Dr, by Armscor and is now on view at the in. United States. Main article: Following World War II and the establishment of the NATO alliance, there was pressure to adopt a standard rifle, alliance-wide. The FAL was originally designed to handle intermediate cartridges, but in an attempt to secure US favor for the rifle, the FAL was redesigned to use the newly developed 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge. The US tested several variants of the FAL to replace the M1 Garand. These rifles were tested against the T44, essentially an updated version of the basic Garand design.

Despite the T44 and T48 showing performing similarly in trials, the T44 was, for several reasons, selected and the US formally adopted the T44 as the. Century Arms FN-FAL rifle built from an parts kit During the late 1980s and 1990s, many countries decommissioned the FAL from their armories and sold them en masse to United States importers as surplus. The rifles were imported to the United States as fully automatic guns. Once in the U.S., the FAL's were 'de-militarized' (upper receiver destroyed) to eliminate the rifles' character as an automatic rifle, as stipulated by the (GCA 68 currently prohibits the importation of foreign-made full-automatic rifles prior to the enactment of the Gun Control Act; semiautomatic versions of the same firearm were legal to import until the Semiautomatic Assault Rifle Ban of 1989).

Thousands of the resulting 'parts kits' were sold at generally low prices ($90 – $250) to hobbyists. The hobbyists rebuilt the parts kits to legal and functional semi-automatic rifles on new semi-automatic upper receivers. FAL rifles are still commercially available from a few domestic firms in semi-auto configuration: Entreprise Arms, DSArms, and. Century Arms created a semi-automatic version L1A1 with an upper receiver and surplus British inch-pattern parts, while DSArms used Steyr-style metric-pattern FAL designs (this standard-metric difference means the Century Arms and DSArms firearms are not made from fully interchangeable batches of parts). Venezuela Until recently, the FAL was the main service rifle of the Venezuelan army, made under license by CAVIM.

The first batch of rifles to arrive in Venezuela were chambered in (also known as 7 mm Liviano or 7 mm Venezuelan). Essentially a round shortened to intermediate length, this caliber was jointly developed by Venezuelan and Belgian engineers motivated by a global move towards intermediate calibers. The Venezuelans, who had been exclusively using the 7×57mm round in their light and medium weapons since the turn of the 20th century, felt it was a perfect platform on which to base a calibre tailored to the particular rigours of the Venezuelan terrain. Eventually the plan was dropped despite having ordered millions of rounds and thousands of weapons of this caliber. As the Cold War escalated, the military command felt it necessary to align with NATO despite not being a member, resulting in the adoption of the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge and the rechambering of the 5,000 or so FAL rifles that had already arrived in 7×49mm by 1955-56. Venezuela has bought 100,000 assault rifles from Russia in order to replace the old FALs.

Although the full shipment arrived by the end of 2006, the FAL will remain in service with the Venezuelan Reserve Forces and the Territorial Guard. Conflicts In the more than 60 years of use worldwide, the FAL has seen use in conflicts all over the world. During the, the FN FAL was used by both sides.

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Fn 49 Rifle Serial Numbers

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Fn 49 Rifle Manual

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More on the Fabled FAL: A Companion to The FAL Rifle. Cobourg, Ontario, Canada: Collector Grade Publications Incorporated, 2011. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to. Video. on (in Japanese).